🆔 New format for ARC/APRC number is not accepted--testing and reporting thread

[slawa]

I agree this is a problem as well, but not in scope of that project.

[Fuzzy_Barbecue]

@Brianjones

You shows write to some media here to get more coverage of this disgraceful situation.

I think that’s reasonable. Anyone on Forumosa running a Taiwan blog or with connections to Taiwan News sites ?

[DesiInTaipei]

Taiwan News | Contact Us

[Liberty]

@slawa

There is an effort from us:

https://identity.tw/#transparency-report

github.com

bhomnick/identitytw

Taiwan Identity Inclusiveness Index. Contribute to bhomnick/identitytw development by creating an account on GitHub.

Not sure any officials are looking…

@Andrew

If it were up to me, I’d favor a moratorium on issuing the new numbers for a couple of years until the government figures out how to unfuck everything and do it properly.

Technically you can still use the old ID for next ten years and it is printed on the back of the ARC. But some institutions might insist in using the new ID (e.g. the Chunghwa post bank).

The effort is amazing. Thank you.

The result, depressing.

[Brianjones]

How about writing to the guys on Amcham, Topics magazine ? This issue would affect the truly foreign members.

This is a form of incredible digital apartheid. Digital discrimination. Are there any laws that can be used to sue the government for this (disenfranchising foreign residents ).

[Liberty]

Like with anything one complaint can be ignored. You need a volume of complaints that are consistent. Someone needs to put together a form letter addresses complaints with the contact details of each country.

[Andrew]

@Liberty

The result, depressing.

It took me a while to notice the grades - it might be cool to have something more visual (i.e., embarrassing for the companies/services), like the emojis that are common on these kinds of rating systems in Taiwan.

(You’ll notice I’ve made the distribution bottom-heavy to accommodate the expected shittiness.)

[slawa]

@Brianjones

Are there any laws that can be used to sue the government for this (disenfranchising foreign residents ).

The law does not stipulate any fines for businesses discriminating in that regard.
You can ask for mediation though…

[DesiInTaipei]

We could put up a google sheet, have people sign it

[DesiInTaipei]

I think this issue can be added to list of things keeping Taiwan as 3rd world. “Technology” haha

Technology
Traffic
Non-ability to pronounce words ending in -“Ted”

[Marco]

@DesiInTaipei

I think this issue can be added to list of things keeping Taiwan as 3rd world. “Technology” haha

Except that’s not what third world means. Let’s try to stick with the facts here and not go off topic.

[Fuzzy_Barbecue]

Just tried to pay Chunghwa Internet bill via my CTBC online (I do it every month). It doesn’t work anymore, not with the passport #, old ARC # or the new ARC number.

Guess I’ll have to visit Chunghwa office too.

Maybe I should just quit my job so I can focus full time on manually updating my ID number at every office in Taiwan.

Lesson Learnt:

• Don’t be the first to try a new Windows Update
• Don’t be the first to try a new IOS update
• Don’t be the first to try anything new related to Taiwanese ARC

[Andrew]

@Fuzzy_Barbecue

Just tried to pay Chunghwa Internet bill via my CTBC online (I do it every month). It doesn’t work anymore, not with the passport #, old ARC # or the new ARC number.

Guess I’ll have to visit Chunghwa office too.

You must be feeling bloody well integrated into Taiwanese society, though?

[Marco]

@Andrew

@Fuzzy_Barbecue

Just tried to pay Chunghwa Internet bill via my CTBC online (I do it every month). It doesn’t work anymore, not with the passport #, old ARC # or the new ARC number.

Guess I’ll have to visit Chunghwa office too.

You must be feeling bloody well integrated into Taiwanese society, though?

Who is this guy again?

[afterspivak]

@Brianjones

[@Fuzzy_Barbecue should] write to some media here to get more coverage

If he does so (a great idea), I would recommend doing so factually and politely, with no anger, perhaps ending with a woeful note to get people’s attention.

Guy

[Andrew]

@Marco

Who is this guy again?

It’s apparently Freddie Hoeglund, male, ARC number A812345678, who lives in the NIA building.

I wonder whether he had all these problems with his new number. Maybe the massive card helped.

[slawa]

@Marco

Who is this guy again?

Deputy Minister of the Interior Chiu Chang-yueh, left, presents European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan chief executive Freddie Hoeglund with an oversized Alien Permanent Resident Certificate in Taipei

[afterspivak]

@Andrew

Maybe the massive card helped.

Guy

[springonion]

@Fuzzy_Barbecue

The only thing that makes me feel better is that I am going to pick up my TARC today ( on which number they’ll put in there).

With any luck I will be rid of the foreigner’s curse (and their cursed numbers) in a year once I become a Taiwanese.

Congrats on getting your TARC but unfortunately your TARC number will be the same as your ARC number and hence, you will still face all these hassles for another year…and when you finally do get your new Taiwan ID, you will have to take a day off from work again to update all your credentials with the various institutions that you currently use. (Banks, DMV, NHI, hospitals etc). After that, you’re a free man and not bound by the Matrix!!!
P.S: When the time comes, remember to take your new Household Registration(戶籍謄本 or 戶口名簿) with you to do the change as your TARC number will be printed on it. Your new ID card itself is not enough. I learnt it the hard way.

Looking at all the posts in here in regards to the trouble and woes the new format has caused (instead of making things smooth flowing, it did the exact opposite), I do wonder if the Taiwan Govt. knew beforehand that this IS bound to happen and did it anyways just to please the foreign community and screw them at the same time…Me thinks the timeline/scenario went something like this:

Foreign Community voicing concerns that their ARC number format does not work in most places: Give us equality!!! Make things right by changing our ARC number format to that of all Taiwanese or we will cause an uproar and complain everyday.

Top Official in the Govt to his subordinate: God dammit! Do something about this and please those big noses or we will look bad in the foreign press and lose face!

Subordinate: But Sir!!! For this, we will have to completely change the entire format and then we won’t be able to distinguish the big noses from the Taiwanese. We need to keep track of them all the time you know.

Top Official: Then change the format to “look” like the Taiwan ID but put in some identifier in there so we know it’s a foreigner just by looking at their ID number.

Subordinate: Oh that’s easy! I will make sure to change an important identifier in the format but then we will be back at square one cos their ID’s still won’t work!

Top official: Who cares?? At least this will show them big noses that we tried. Now go start the process!!

Foreign Community: We are still screwed

[Marco]

Ok. I will find this guy and tell him he set back our movement with his ‘approval’.

Since the guy, I assume likely has a very cushy life here. I don’t imagine he runs into many problems with his ARC number.