Coles Supermarket won’t allow me to access the online ordering website while using Proton VPN. I note that someone posted in August last year about a VPN problem so I guess it’s an ongoing issue.
Does anyone have a current workaround please?
TIA
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I found a lot of sites were blocked by ProtonVPN so I gave up. I guess it would depend where the VPN places you… eg in Japan… an Aussie coles would be unlikely to let you in, yes?
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Coles might block overseas IPs for various reasons. Easiest option is to turn off the VPN when using website which block access when using VPNs.
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There are several sites which I use regularly with the same issue: my NordVPN allows me to pause its service for a 5 minute block (also offers longer time period options) - this generally lets me complete my business with no hassle.
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Thanks everyone, I was hoping to use an interstate hotel wifi to grocery shop while on holiday but it seems it might not be possible with a VPN.
Coles website uses HTTPS, which means the data sent between your browser and the Coles website is encrypted (Coles website has AES_256_GCM) - which isn’t dissimilar to a VPN. The difference being with a VPN, data goes through another server somewhere in the world to hide the data origins.
The other factor to consider is type of security on the hotel WIFI connection. Most hotels have moved away from full public access with no security protocols. You may find their WIFI secure.
The last point to make is if you are still concerned and if you are a little tech savvy, many home wifi routers allow home VPNs to be created. You can then route any online data transfers using your own VPN and Coles should see your home IP as the source of the connection… thus allowing connection with Coles which is unavailable through offshore VPNs.
Thank you for the information and for providing a path forward, I appreciate the links. I was caught in 4 of the large data breaches and want to take a more active role in looking after my own security and data so building some tech skills has become important.
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Another option to look at is … many VPN providers allow you to choose where the VPN server is i.e. which country it is located in. If using a web site that rejects an overseas IP then temporarily selecting a VPN server that is in Australia may help. That is, the VPN provider will give you a choice of tens of different servers located all around the world but an Australian server may help in this scenario.
That must be some kind of record.
Likely a combination of me being around for a long time and businesses keeping my records longer than perhaps is necessary.
Thanks for the suggestion of choosing server location, I did wonder if that was an option in some services.
Oddly, I’ve now been locked out of my Coles account and my case has been referred to their IT dept because the Call Centre staff can’t work out what the problem is.
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I have been getting blocked from various sites while using Surfshark VPN,so the problem is not your particular VPN. I always use a Sydney site. The reason for using a VPN is privacy and security. I suspect one of the reasons this is happening is the firms reacting to not being able to track you. If we had confidence that these firms were holding our information securely and completely in house we would not need to use VPN.
Some businesses purposefully block international traffic because they do not export or other reasons. Some do it more politely than others although an ‘access denied’ error is a common response.
I cannot state if Colesworths do that but if they detect any VPN they cannot place the incoming as being domestic and thus more likely to be a bona fide customer than a troll or potential hacker.
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I’m wondering about tracking too.
After changing my Coles email to an alias, which is still under the original outlook address, I’m now getting please “verify your email address” messages sent to the original email address which isn’t supposed to be linked to my account. If I click the link, I get “this link has already been accessed or has expired”.
The call centre staff haven’t come up with a solution other than the suggestion to delete my account and start again with the new email. The IT Dept were supposed to phone me last Wednesday but a follow up email advised that “a definitive time cannot be provided at this time”.
I have the same problem, but not just with Coles. Because I don’t use a standard search engine, when I’m asked to do the “I am not a robot” thing, the site can’t proceed, or it’ll throw up an error message. I found out that while going through the motions on the Captcha or ReCaptcha questions, the site/Google etc is actually scanning through your personal browsing history/cookies deciding if you are a human or a “bot”. My search engine won’t allow the search engine or site to scan through my browsing history/cookies, so I can’t continue with what I’m trying to do.
It’s a hassle sometimes, but I don’t want companies scanning through or retaining/selling any information of mine.
Presumably when you say search engine you mean Web browser.
And you are talking about ‘cookies’ that various sites want to store and refer to to customize your visit.
Quite a few Web sites just will not work without cookies. You can mitigate the cookie storage issue by using ‘ingognito’ mode on browsers. Cookies are still stored temporarily, but not kept between browser sessions.
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I find there are quite a few apps which will NOT allow you to use a VPN.
Bunnings app
Aust Post app
BigW app
My telstra app
ANZ Plus app
9news app
Your VPN setting should have an option to allow selected apps to bypass the VPN and this will resolve the problem 4 U.
At least my VPN, Surfshark, gives me that option.
BB
Only if you are using the e.g. Coles app, rather than the e.g. Coles web site - and only if the VPN is on the device itself rather than on the network as a whole.
Good to know, thanks for the info. I mostly use my desktop due to eyesight issues.
I don’t have a VPN on my phone and I can still see my Coles account on the App to change my shopping list or choose a time delivery slot but if I want to access my Account info it asks me to login again, then I get stuck in the same loop going nowhere.
Using a Tunnel Bear VPN set to Australia, I’m able to set up a new Coles account. Still haven’t received a phone call from Coles so I might need to cancel the old account and start again.
