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Error 403 forbidden - cannot add data

Jackyg
Established Contributor
Established Contributor

This error has been reported a number of times now.  I have credit on my account but cannot add a data package via 4g mobile broadband - I have been unable to use this service for a month. I've tried clearing cache, cookies and all the other suggestions you've made to others - nothing works. I cannot revert to an old browser that doesn't use Https as I want the security.  Do not refer me to your mobile care team. PLEASE JUST FIX THIS before all of your customers with this issue move to alternative suppliers.

23 REPLIES 23
Jackyg
Established Contributor
Established Contributor

Yes!! I have plenty of credit on my account but I'm completely unable to add a data package - everytime I try to add on I just get the forbidden page. It's been like this for a month.

This shows up in Google searches so for anyone else wondering upon this...

Use any browser other than Chrome (try samsung browser or firefox on android, safari on mac/iphone/ipad, firefox or IE on windows) and it should work okay.

Also: you must connect to http://add-on.ee.co.uk rather than https://.  

If you get 'forbidden', check your browser hasn't tried to put the 's' back into https.

Chrome is trying to be extra secure (commendable but not helpful in this unique situation). EE need to fix this long term.

 

For nerds: Chrome caches the ee.co.uk domain's mandatory request for HTTPS (this is called HSTS) and applies it to everything ending in ee.co.uk, including add-on.ee.co.uk. This is usually good behaviour, but it will cause the add-on pages to simply not work in Chrome once you have visited the normal ee.co.uk. There was a change Google made in 08/2022 that applied HSTS and HTTPS by default to all pages under a domain, in an aim to make the web more secure, but didn't really leave any time for sites to provide a fix. The cause isn't EE itself, but they still need to think of a fix for this, although I'm not sure what that fix would be. Why their add-on page doesn't work over HTTPS in 2023 is beyond me.

SeeItSayItDoggo
Explorer

This shows up in Google searches so for anyone else wondering upon this...

Use any browser other than Chrome (try samsung browser or firefox on android, safari on mac/iphone/ipad, firefox or IE on windows) and it should work okay.

Also: you must connect to http://add-on.ee.co.uk rather than https://.  

If you get 'forbidden', check your browser hasn't tried to put the 's' back into https.

Chrome is trying to be extra secure (commendable but not helpful in this unique situation). EE need to fix this long term.

 

For nerds: Chrome caches the ee.co.uk domain's mandatory request for HTTPS (this is called HSTS) and applies it to everything ending in ee.co.uk, including add-on.ee.co.uk. This is usually good behaviour, but it will cause the add-on pages to simply not work in Chrome once you have visited the normal ee.co.uk. There was a change Google made in 08/2022 that applied HSTS and HTTPS by default to all pages under a domain, in an aim to make the web more secure, but didn't really leave any time for sites to provide a fix. The cause isn't EE itself, but they still need to think of a fix for this, although I'm not sure what that fix would be. Why their add-on page doesn't work over HTTPS in 2023 is beyond me.

@SeeItSayItDoggo : Didn't I say more or less the same in fewer words last year?

If you think I helped please feel free to hit the "Thumbs Up" button below.

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