I recently bought this and it arrived to an outdoor parcel machine yesterday. The company which shipped the parcel was Matkahuolto. In order to get the parcel out from the machine, you need an app and bluetooth connection. There was no screen or buttons on the machine. It was my first time ever trying something like that.

Anyways, I did everything right, with my current phone (Samsung Galaxy A53), but nothing happened. All the lockers stayed closed. I did have bluetooth on. I tried it several times, but still, nothing happened. We even tried calling the customer service.

Eventually, I tried opening the locker with my previous phone (Huawei Y5 2019), and boom, it worked! One of the lockers opened and I got my parcel.

I guess I have to keep my previous phone just in case if this happens again. 

But it makes me wonder; what could cause such a weird problem like this?

I have no experience with these machines, but I am wondering if your new phone Might not have file/data sharing enabled for Bluetooth or networks in general. Maybe the app permissions might not have file/data sharing enabled either, but typically with android a message will pop up asking for permission, but it is still worth looking at.

No idea, but I don't like the idea of this way of using those machines. Not everybody has or wants a 'smart' phone 

I haven't used them often, but the last time I did, there was a scanner that you could wave a printed-out QR code at to open it.

It is more a case for the customer support of the operator of these boxes...

No idea, but I don't like the idea of this way of using those machines. Not everybody has or wants a 'smart' phone  ...

I agree, even though I have a smart phone, I don't like the increasing requirement to use them in day to day things that previously didn't require one or at least provided an option to not use one. I don't mine companies having it as a option but forcing it reminds me of how LED is getting forced instead of a option. Some other examples aside from the parcel lockers I've seen are parking lots where the only way to pay is through an app or QR code, or restaurants where QR code menus is the only option to order.

By making stuff like that smart phone only, you basically exclude the population that either: can't use one, don't know how to use one, don't want one, or can't afford one or the data plan required for stuff like this to work. 

To OP, I'd look into seeing if the company has an alternate parcel locker you can have items delivered to that let's you punch in a code or scan a print out from a email instead of dealing with apps or BT some do in order to accommodate non smart phone users.

What..?    A restaurant where you can only order with a smart phone..? Don't they have any staff..? You know, waiters..? Those people who take your order and bring you your food 

So how do you get your food, does a little robot bring it..? Wow. Doesn't look like we'll be eating out around your area any time soon 

 The City Of Columbus recently changed all of their parking meters to be cashless/cardless  ! The only way to pay for public parking downtown is by using their app !

 As for restuarants  , there's a number of places here that require you to use the kiosk to order and someone brings out you order when it's ready .

Well what if you don't have a 'smart' phone..? Aren't you allowed to park anywhere..? They're trying to do that here, but they have a phone number you can call, so even a 'dumb' phone owner can use them.

So what's with the restaurants..? If they're employing staff to bring out the food, why can't they take orders as well..?

Ye gods the world has finally gone completely mad 

 After I walked up to the counter expecting to place an order and was told "Use the kiosk !"  I said NOPE ! " and WALKED OUT !

Well done that man, I would, too 

 Thanks Ria !  As much as I'm not a fan of the state of Florida , I recent heard of a bill in the works there which will require stores to give a discount to customers who use the self service options to purchase food/goods .

 I flat out REFUSE to use them as I WILL NOT do their job for them and still pay the same price ! 

Most of the restaurants with the QR code ordering/menu would typically have a paper copy of the menu lying around somewhere that the servers would provide on request. Some provide the menu regardless but also include QR codes on the table. That said I did encounter a sushi restaurant in Japan were all ordering was done using a touch screen at your table and the food came out via a automated conveyor belt at your table. There was a second conveyor belt that served as the plate return and a third one which had plates with food that circulated throughout the dining room. That's probably the most automated restaurant I've been to.

A lot of fast food chains here now have those touch screen kiosks, there's still usually a cashier for those paying cash. However there are these "ghost kitchens" that don't have a dining area or a counter to order. They're basically one big kitchen that prepares meals for several brands and are mostly optimized for those food delivery apps (Uber, Skip, Door Dash, etc) but passers bys can walk in and place an order using a touch screen kiosk.

The strangest one I've seen here is one fast food chain that used a outsourcing service to outsource their cashiers to a call centre in lower wage countries. They called them "virtual cashiers" and is basically a video call you make at the counter using a kiosk to a cashier located in another country who then processes your order and sends it back to the (staffed) kitchen. Now you already need staff on site to run the kitchen, so why not just have someone at the counter to take your order instead of some video call kiosk. Seems like the regular kiosks are a better idea than this.

Most parking lots and meters here still have the option to pay at the kiosk with cash or card and it's only a few that are smart phone payment only. I hope it stays that way IMO.

@ Tim - Same here, I won't use them either. Trouble is, a lot of the stupid markets around here close all their staffed checkouts at 7pm or 8pm, so you have no choice. Well you do, but one choice results in you not getting your groceries 

We boycotted one store here a while back due to this. There was a little old lady with a basket with only 4 or 5 items in it, she had no idea how to use the self-checkouts and the staff point-blank refused to open a till for her. No staff member there helped her and it took her longer to check out those 5 items than it took us to do a whole trolley full of stuff. We'd have walked out there and then only we needed what we'd bought. We've never been back even though it's only 5 minutes walk away.

I'm naming and shaming you, Morrisons Aberdeen 

@ joseph_125 - Sushi - 

 They should be ashamed of themselves !

Outsourcing cashiers with foreign labor? No way.