Comment by ajb

This doesn't explain why the website can't just validate the input, queue up the transaction, and execute it later when the dB is available. It's not like your record changes that often. If the transaction fails they can then just send you an email to try again during working hours. All these processes used to work by paper forms, so most of them don't need interactive processing - that's why they have a batch job in the first place.

My GP surgery has the same issue with non-urgent requests. It's entirely input, it's definitely not looking in a dB because it doesn't even ask who you are until the last step. And yet it won't accept an input except during working hours. Madness.