Tysoft

[Eastwest Electrical]

Hi, has anyone else had any issues getting "support" from Tysoft regarding their certification software? I cant log into my account and i've had no response to 3 emails over 24 hours. I've now got 3 clients looking for their reports and i am stressing out how i can move forward without any help from Tysoft.

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Have you tried the old fashioned telephone call??
(e-mail is not a direct real-time contact method... Whereas phone calls are.)

https://www.tysoft.co.uk/contact.htm

 

[Eastwest Electrical]

Phoned numerous times. No answer just a message saying voicemail full. Its almost got me thinking that they've gone out of business.

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Never used them personally, companies house suggest all still active..
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/08427926

But if you look at the unaudited abridged accounts PDF, Tysoft is classed as a micro business, and page 6 states that the average number of employees during the accounting period is 'One'.

So quite possibly as with any small business, if anyone is busy, unwell. away, has personal family issues etc, etc.. replies will take longer?
(It can take long enough getting replies from large multi national companies with hundreds of staff!)

You could always try the old fashioned snail-mail, addressed to Brian Harper?
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/08427926/officers

The office & Directors contact address are identical and it looks like its a business run from home? So no actual office with other staff who can answer calls or take enquires?

Hi, has anyone else had any issues getting "support" from Tysoft regarding their certification software? I cant log into my account and i've had no response to 3 emails over 24 hours. I've now got 3 clients looking for their reports and i am stressing out how i can move forward without any help from Tysoft.

Don't start stressing out.. What info do you need to send to your customers?

Could you do a temporary report based on the model forms in the back of BS7671..
(Any suitable document / spreadsheet package or even photo copy the pages)
Then send that to your customers with a note that the usual format will be sent later once your online certification feature is up and running again?

Personally designed/produced certification is all acceptable in BS7671, providing all the key info on the model forms is included. So as long as you have all your test results etc.. you should be able to sort out some temporary short term solution?

 

[Eastwest Electrical]

Thank you for the detailed reply, i really do appreciate the time you've taken to respond. I too have checked online since my original post/rant and found that the address is in a resedential street. I've already completed 3 EICR's for 3 different clients and all the data is on their app and uploaded to their servers. My issue is that one client requires their report ASAP to satisfy the local council as its an HMO property. The other 2 are inportant but not a priority. The only way round i can see would be to carry out another 3 EICRs which would be at my cost and time which is grating given that my initial query was sent to them over 2 business days ago. Its the uncertainty of it all that is causing the stress as i'm busy enough with existing work etc etc. Interestingly, i placed another call to them today and the business owner answered the call much to my surprise. What was more of a surprise however was the attitude in which he spoke to me. Basically not intersted in dealing with my enquiry and couldnt be more condescneding. Safe to say their support package is non existent.

 

[binky]

Thank you for the detailed reply, i really do appreciate the time you've taken to respond. I too have checked online since my original post/rant and found that the address is in a resedential street. I've already completed 3 EICR's for 3 different clients and all the data is on their app and uploaded to their servers. My issue is that one client requires their report ASAP to satisfy the local council as its an HMO property. The other 2 are inportant but not a priority. The only way round i can see would be to carry out another 3 EICRs which would be at my cost and time which is grating given that my initial query was sent to them over 2 business days ago. Its the uncertainty of it all that is causing the stress as i'm busy enough with existing work etc etc. Interestingly, i placed another call to them today and the business owner answered the call much to my surprise. What was more of a surprise however was the attitude in which he spoke to me. Basically not intersted in dealing with my enquiry and couldnt be more condescneding. Safe to say their support package is non existent.

can you not download back up files?

 

[Phoenix]

I thought this was a desktop application which stored certs/reports locally?

 

[Eastwest Electrical]

can you not download back up files?

Thats the main issue. I cant access any data on the app as i keep getting an error message when logging in.

 

[Eastwest Electrical]

I thought this was a desktop application which stored certs/reports locally?

Its a mobile and desktop app.

 

[Andy™]

was a long time ago now (probably over 10 year ago) i as considering using them. didn't like their attitude then. doesn't look like anything has changed

just make some forms youreself in excel, or use the model forms in BS7671. no point paying for someone else to hold your certs to ransom

 

[Phoenix]

Its a mobile and desktop app.

And where does it store your certs? on your online account?, rather than locally on your pc / mobile device?

We use castline formfill, and that just stores the data in .txt files locally

 

[Eastwest Electrical]

And where does it store your certs? on your online account?, rather than locally on your pc / mobile device?

We use castline formfill, and that just stores the data in .txt files locally

All certs are backed up onto their server. I cant access the server for some reason and the so called support has been non existent. If i cant get into the app then i'm screwed.

 

[Phoenix]

All certs are backed up onto their server. I cant access the server for some reason and the so called support has been non existent.

Whats happened to the main copy of the files, is there any chance thats recoverable with some work if the backup proves to be unobtainable?

 

[Murdoch]

This is a good example why I won’t use cloud systems for anything important to my business

 

[Eastwest Electrical]

Whats happened to the main copy of the files, is there any chance thats recoverable with some work if the backup proves to be unobtainable?

The main copy of the files is kept on their servers. The only reports i can access are the ones in which have been already emailed to clients by checking my sent folder. Basically, the licence i bought for the software is only useable on a single device/desktop. If I wanted to access them on another device i'd have to buy another licence. I'm happy to buy another licence (unecessarilydue to their incompetence) if i knew for definite that i'd get access to my reports but my confidence in them as a business is zero.

 

[Phoenix]

Did you purchase their cloud database add-on? It seems that thats an additional service you have to purchase if you want it (sound like @Murdoch would not....) and otherwise it uses a database file on the local machine.

I downloaded the demo version just to see how it works, and if you go to tools/settings/advanced you get this page:

I am assuming on yours, the bottom radio button for cloud database is ticked?

 

[Eastwest Electrical]

Did you purchase their cloud database add-on? It seems that thats an additional service you have to purchase if you want it (sound like @Murdoch would not....) and otherwise it uses a database file on the local machine.

I downloaded the demo version just to see how it works, and if you go to tools/settings/advanced you get this page:

I am assuming on yours, the bottom radio button for cloud database is ticked?
View attachment 16556

I have the mobile Android version so the options in your screenshot arent listed. I've emailed them on Saturday asking if i (reluctantly) purchase another license, will that enable me to get access to my certs. Im holding my breath for a reply to a very basic enquiry today.

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

This is a good example why I won’t use cloud systems for anything important to my business

Cloud based storage can be a useful 'secondary system' for keeping copies of various documents/photos/spreadsheets/PDF's etc. accessible to multiple devices...

BUT.. as you say, I would never rely on a third-party provider as the only storage method, for any important information that is critical to daily operations of my business and/or storing important personal family memories..

There are various external drives available that can be connected to your home router allowing access via your LAN,
or externally via internet WAN connections.

I have a Western Digital My-Cloud personal hard-drive....
Ands all of my important work data is stored on...
(a) My desktop PC
(b) My laptop PC
(c) My Western Digital My-Cloud external drive.

So I always have three possible copies to access if one copy fails or is corrupted or inaccessible!