Times Online 'Eat Out'

Has anyone else tried unsuccessfully to follow up this promotion
(first started last week's Sunday Times: restaurants you can eat at
for £5/head.)? The online page quoted in the ST is
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/
and then details follow at
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,5110,00.html

I took the link to 'View restaurants here', which took me to
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,5208,00.html
but after then clicking an area (East Sussex) and tediously completing
all the mandatory fields, I was unceremoniously returned to the same
'registration' page.

An email a couple of hours ago to Technical Support resulted in an
automated reply telling me I'll get an answer maybe in 2 days.

Strangely though, I also got an other email telling me that "You will
be able to use your user name and password when joining all parts of
the site that are behind subscription, with the exception of The Times
and The Sunday Times online archive and The Times Legal Archive."
But so far I can't find any way to use this privilege in the Eat Out
section!

Finally, at that page
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,5110,00.html
my eye caught the link 'Get your bonus online token here'
but the first time I tried it, it took me to an empty page headed
bizarrely 'Intermediate 1 Timbre Concepts'! A second attempt got me
the token...

Haven't used the Times site for a year or so; is it always this
unreliable?

--
Terry, West Sussex, UK

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>,
(E-Mail Removed), a.k.a Terry Pinnell says...

[...]

> Haven't used the Times site for a year or so; is it always this
> unreliable?

I take it you are on broadband?

On Mon, 24 Jan 2005 12:19:39 +0000, Terry Pinnell
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Has anyone else tried unsuccessfully to follow up this promotion
>(first started last week's Sunday Times: restaurants you can eat at
>for £5/head.)? The online page quoted in the ST is
>http://www.timesonline.co.uk/
>and then details follow at
>http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,5110,00.html
>
>I took the link to 'View restaurants here', which took me to
>http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,5208,00.html
>but after then clicking an area (East Sussex) and tediously completing
>all the mandatory fields, I was unceremoniously returned to the same
>'registration' page.
>

The registration page should (and always has for me) also contain a
login frame. Put your username and password in there, and Robert is
your maternal parent's brother.

It works fine for me, but I have been registered with them for Aeons.
--
Alex Heney, Global Villager
Facts are stubborn things.

To reply by email, my address is alexATheneyDOTplusDOTcom

Alex Heney <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>On Mon, 24 Jan 2005 12:19:39 +0000, Terry Pinnell
><(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>Has anyone else tried unsuccessfully to follow up this promotion
>>(first started last week's Sunday Times: restaurants you can eat at
>>for £5/head.)? The online page quoted in the ST is
>>http://www.timesonline.co.uk/
>>and then details follow at
>>http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,5110,00.html
>>
>>I took the link to 'View restaurants here', which took me to
>>http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,5208,00.html
>>but after then clicking an area (East Sussex) and tediously completing
>>all the mandatory fields, I was unceremoniously returned to the same
>>'registration' page.
>>
>
>The registration page should (and always has for me) also contain a
>login frame. Put your username and password in there, and Robert is
>your maternal parent's brother.
>
>It works fine for me, but I have been registered with them for Aeons.

But which page *is* the 'registration page'?

--
Terry, West Sussex, UK

Tx2 <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>In article <(E-Mail Removed)>,
>(E-Mail Removed), a.k.a Terry Pinnell says...
>
>[...]
>
>> Haven't used the Times site for a year or so; is it always this
>> unreliable?
>
>I take it you are on broadband?

Yes.

Why not just pop round the corner for a nutritious bag of roe and chips and
a pickled onion. You'll starve to death waiting for the Internet to sort
itself out.

On Mon, 24 Jan 2005 15:55:09 +0000, Terry Pinnell
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Alex Heney <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>On Mon, 24 Jan 2005 12:19:39 +0000, Terry Pinnell
>><(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>
>>>Has anyone else tried unsuccessfully to follow up this promotion
>>>(first started last week's Sunday Times: restaurants you can eat at
>>>for £5/head.)? The online page quoted in the ST is
>>>http://www.timesonline.co.uk/
>>>and then details follow at
>>>http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,5110,00.html
>>>
>>>I took the link to 'View restaurants here', which took me to
>>>http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,5208,00.html
>>>but after then clicking an area (East Sussex) and tediously completing
>>>all the mandatory fields, I was unceremoniously returned to the same
>>>'registration' page.
>>>
>>
>>The registration page should (and always has for me) also contain a
>>login frame. Put your username and password in there, and Robert is
>>your maternal parent's brother.
>>
>>It works fine for me, but I have been registered with them for Aeons.
>
>But which page *is* the 'registration page'?

When you click on the link to show restaurant locations, it will come
up with a page where the left hand side is asking you to register, or
the right hand side is for you to login.

If you are now registered, you should be able to login there.
--
Alex Heney, Global Villager
I feel like a fugitive from the law of averages.

To reply by email, my address is alexATheneyDOTplusDOTcom

"Reg Edwards" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Why not just pop round the corner for a nutritious bag of roe and chips and
>a pickled onion. You'll starve to death waiting for the Internet to sort
>itself out.
>
Nearest is 1.2 miles, or I might do that more often!

--
Terry, West Sussex, UK

Alex Heney <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>On Mon, 24 Jan 2005 15:55:09 +0000, Terry Pinnell
><(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>Alex Heney <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>
>>>On Mon, 24 Jan 2005 12:19:39 +0000, Terry Pinnell
>>><(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>>
>>>>Has anyone else tried unsuccessfully to follow up this promotion
>>>>(first started last week's Sunday Times: restaurants you can eat at
>>>>for £5/head.)? The online page quoted in the ST is
>>>>http://www.timesonline.co.uk/
>>>>and then details follow at
>>>>http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,5110,00.html
>>>>
>>>>I took the link to 'View restaurants here', which took me to
>>>>http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,5208,00.html
>>>>but after then clicking an area (East Sussex) and tediously completing
>>>>all the mandatory fields, I was unceremoniously returned to the same
>>>>'registration' page.
>>>>
>>>
>>>The registration page should (and always has for me) also contain a
>>>login frame. Put your username and password in there, and Robert is
>>>your maternal parent's brother.
>>>
>>>It works fine for me, but I have been registered with them for Aeons.
>>
>>But which page *is* the 'registration page'?
>
>When you click on the link to show restaurant locations, it will come
>up with a page where the left hand side is asking you to register, or
>the right hand side is for you to login.
>
>If you are now registered, you should be able to login there.

That's not what I see here! If you mean the page I quoted
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,5208,00.html
there is nothing on the left about registration, and nothing on the
right about logging in.

If you mean the page that comes up when you click a specific area,
such as Sussex-East, that too has no such info.

Can you give the URL where you're getting the invitation to login
please?

To add to my confusion, if I go to 'My Times', it appears I am
*already* logged in, as my username is shown and there is a link to
log *out*! So why would I need to register anyway...

--
Terry, West Sussex, UK

On Mon, 24 Jan 2005 17:56:39 +0000, Terry Pinnell
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Alex Heney <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>On Mon, 24 Jan 2005 15:55:09 +0000, Terry Pinnell
>><(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>
>>>Alex Heney <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>>
>>>>On Mon, 24 Jan 2005 12:19:39 +0000, Terry Pinnell
>>>><(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>Has anyone else tried unsuccessfully to follow up this promotion
>>>>>(first started last week's Sunday Times: restaurants you can eat at
>>>>>for £5/head.)? The online page quoted in the ST is
>>>>>http://www.timesonline.co.uk/
>>>>>and then details follow at
>>>>>http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,5110,00.html
>>>>>
>>>>>I took the link to 'View restaurants here', which took me to
>>>>>http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,5208,00.html
>>>>>but after then clicking an area (East Sussex) and tediously completing
>>>>>all the mandatory fields, I was unceremoniously returned to the same
>>>>>'registration' page.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>The registration page should (and always has for me) also contain a
>>>>login frame. Put your username and password in there, and Robert is
>>>>your maternal parent's brother.
>>>>
>>>>It works fine for me, but I have been registered with them for Aeons.
>>>
>>>But which page *is* the 'registration page'?
>>
>>When you click on the link to show restaurant locations, it will come
>>up with a page where the left hand side is asking you to register, or
>>the right hand side is for you to login.
>>
>>If you are now registered, you should be able to login there.
>
>That's not what I see here! If you mean the page I quoted
>http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,5208,00.html
>there is nothing on the left about registration, and nothing on the
>right about logging in.
>
>If you mean the page that comes up when you click a specific area,
>such as Sussex-East, that too has no such info.
>

Yes I do.

But you only get that if you are not already logged in.

This a URL for the screen I get (when not logged in), when I click on
Sussex-East.
<http://www.timesonline.co.uk/login.php?grid=50&uri=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.timesonline .co.uk%2Farticle%2F0%2C%2C5118-542725%2C00.html%3Fgavalidate&gareason=login>

Incidentally, when quoting Times Online URLs, it helps if you always
surround them by < >, as without those, most news clients will assume
the URL ends at the first comma.

>Can you give the URL where you're getting the invitation to login
>please?
>
>To add to my confusion, if I go to 'My Times', it appears I am
>*already* logged in, as my username is shown and there is a link to
>log *out*! So why would I need to register anyway...

That explains why you don't get the registration/login page :-)

If you are already logged in, you should get straight to the
Sussex-East page, that has about 15 restaurants listed.. This is the
URL for that
<http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,5118-542725,00.html>

--
Alex Heney, Global Villager
Facts are stubborn things.

To reply by email, my address is alexATheneyDOTplusDOTcom