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I do the following:

1. Go to plotaroute.com (do not log on)
2. Create a route
3. Log on
4. Click on the street view icon

What happens: I am asked to upgrade to premium

What I expected: To see the street view, since I am already premium

Workaround: Create a new route and all works well

We have two different route planners, so you''ll need to switch to the Premium version after signing in to access the Premium features if you don't sign in before launching the route planner.  Once you've signed in you'll see a button labelled "SWITCH" next to where it says "Standard Route Planner" in the top left above the map - this will redirect you to the Premium version. It's better to sign in first though, before you load the route planner, then you won't need to do this.

Surely it is much, much better to code the product so that as soon as a subscriber logins in, regardless of whether or not they have undertaken any previous activity, all the premium features are properly enabled immediately and witjout having to find and click switch or create a new route, thereby risking losing previous plotting?!!!

That wouldn't be possible I'm afraid - although the two versions of the route planner look almost identitical, behind the scenes they use different technologies, so we have to reload the page after you have signed in to a Premium account to switch to the Premium version. That's why we recommend signing in first.

I am no computer coder, but when you click the switch button, you are presumably just executing some code. Is it really impossible to to set up a conditional statement along the lines of 'when someone signs in, and is found to be a premium user, look to see if they are using the standard program then execute the same code if they are?

Sadly it's not as simple as that.  The Standard and Premium route planners are entirely separate products developed using different technologies.  The Switch button you're referring doesn't execute any code - it only redirects you from the Standard route planner to the Premium one. To ensure you have access to Premium features, it is best to sign in via the home page or the dedicated sign in page before you start using the site.

Clearly you understand the inner workings of your product and I don't, but your response surprises me. Whenever I am asked on an email by an organisation I use to complete a survey seeking my opinion about their product, and agree to take the survey, a webpage with the questions opens up. 99 times out of 100, as you complete the survey, it doesn't simply leave you on the 'thanks you for completing the survey' page, but 'magically' the thank you webpage closes and you find yourself on the organisation's home page. I therefore assumed that the redicrection process for premium users would be fairly easy to automate in a similar manner - and thereby reduce the number of emails you receive from premium users complaining that the premium features don't work, becasue they, like me, hadn't realised that although logged in, they weren't using the premium URL!

I'm a Premium member but the premium features aren't available to me on the phone (Android) app?

Did you sign in Roy? You'll neeed to sign in on the app to access Premium features - click the sign-in icon in the top right of the home screen. Also, not all features from the desktop site are available on mobile devices.