I've seen a similar issue where access from abroad is blocked on a site and the hosts IP database (MS Azure) was out of date and identified the IP as being a foreign address. No matter what you try it is almost impossible to get MS to update that list - best case is you wait until they finally realise it is UK based now and allow it. Similar could be the case with your local council - they use the AWS list and if AWS is out of date then it may be very difficult to get them to change it for a single IP address - and they may even require the person who has the IP (ie you) to contact AWS to try and get the change made (which Amazon will probably ignore because you are just one person).

using chrome,
I have had exactly this issue occasionally in the past, I think due to my 'shortcut' going to the checkout page
it was ok if I used a different browser.
remedied by clearing browser cookies for [just] the asda groceries site

Edited by ggremlin (Wed 11-Mar-26 14:05:29)

Scoring based on rules like that is fine.. i.e "more likely to be a bot" etc.. but actively banning networks altogether is just lazy sysadmins.
We do block large international blocks after spam.. but it's event based action.

To access my bank account from abroad I have to use my Wireguard VPN to my OPNsene router at home. I had to pay some tax earlier this year which I did using the VPN. My normal Gigaclear connection failed to work when I tried to pay the tax just before I went on holiday.

In reply to a post by seb:

I can't access my local council website because they use AWS's "Hosting Provider" list as a blacklist.
Not been able to for months! Not sure what I pay council tax for because clearly they are clueless.
I get this may happen.. but the fact they can't fix it just means they are being clueless.

I'd say find another company to shop with.

Email the council's monitoring officer and point out that they have a statutory obligation to make their services available to their local residents and that their excessive IP blocking does not consitute reasonable cyber security measures nor aligns with NCSC advice. The IT department are probably completely incompetent and don't realise what they are doing.

If you want you can chuck in the obgligatory "by blocking services to residents you are creating safeguarding concerns" and other things like that.

In reply to a post by Pipexer:

Email the council's monitoring officer and point out that they have a statutory obligation to make their services available to their local residents and that their excessive IP blocking does not consitute reasonable cyber security measures nor aligns with NCSC advice. The IT department are probably completely incompetent and don't realise what they are doing.

If you want you can chuck in the obgligatory "by blocking services to residents you are creating safeguarding concerns" and other things like that.

After a complaint they've now whitelisted my IPs but not really solution to wider issue.
Not sure about the safeguarding thing.. seems a stretch.. but they have sent me planning permission paperwork for something I asked on paper.. thought that might trigger them to fix the issue but took a formal complaint.