I tried to sign into my hotmail address tonight, and I was asked a verification code (just like it does every time I change my password) only this time it said the verification code was wrong. I looked at my phone again and a moment later it sent a second
code, but there was nowhere to actually enter it. My only option was to request a new code, so I did, but it said I had to wait until tomorrow to try again. (tomorrow as in after midnight, or in 24 hours, it didn't say). The thing is, since the verification
system was bugged to begin with, I wanted to find out what I could do if it happened again tomorrow.
I was able to contact account support, and over the course of an hour long chat she confirmed that there were no problems with my account. I can login, I can access my settings, I can even BUY email services... I just can't use the email.
After that I was told I needed to contact outlook support, that there was no way she could transfer me to their department. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible. When I followed the link she provided and clicked "contact support" I was met with the following
message:
Contact your Office 365 admin, who can talk to a support agent for you. Only admins can contact Microsoft support. "
So I asked if she could tell me who the administrator of my account? I mean, I created this account literally decades ago, and it wasn't through a third party organization. She said that I am the admin of my account, and I asked why it says that, and she says she doesn't know.
So then I tried these community pages, but initially I couldn't do anything other than post in feedback or reply in outlook, but eventually for whatever reason the option to ask a question appeared magically.
Overall, I find the situation to be horrible. No one can tell me why it's bugged or why I am locked out even though my account is otherwise good or why I get locked out like this every time I change my password. Nor can anyone tell my why I do not have sufficient permissions to contact support on my own behalf.
I suspect that part of the problem is that Microsoft isn't handling the 2-factor authentication on their own. The phone number they use is the same one that Coinbase uses, only they don't lock me from trying again if a duplicate code is sent.
It shouldn't surprise me though. This is a Microsoft product. Of course it has bugs. Still, to be banned from accessing email for 24 hours because of a bug on their end is unacceptable to me, especially since no one can assure me that it won't happen again.
I'd like to know what I can do to regain access to my account email (the account I am using to write this), and how I can disable 2FA on my account. If that isn't possible there is no way I will allow my company to ever use Microsoft products for communication.
Being locked out of communicating for even a single day can be disastrous for any company.
P.S. - It's funny that I can subscribe to be notified via email, but am not allowed to actually see those emails. Well, I sort of can. I can see my email for like 3 seconds before it redirects to "verify your account" meaning there might be a way to bypass
that is analogous to the Windows 95 login screen that you could just cancel out of.
EDIT: I waited 24 hours, but am still locked out. This time I didn't get a single access code. Why?
It said my request was invalid. I tried again, and it said it again. I tried a third time and it said, again,
So now I am locked out for ANOTHER 24 hours because of yet another bug! What idiot designed this system!? It either sends multiple access codes or no access codes, and then makes you wait day after day because of it's own bugs!? And I also still cannot contact Outlook support because apparently I need to talk to the administrator of the account... which is me. Ugh.
There has to be some solution to get back into my email! Or to at least gain permission to contact support! and yes, this happens EVERY time I want to send email now.
EDIT 2: I'm locked out for 72 hours now, and no one is willing to help me. I do not feel that this has anything to do with account security, because if it was, the account level agent who had me verify my information wouldn't have told me
there are no problems with my account, or you'd at least have locked me out of accessing personal information and buying stuff. The ONLY thing I am locked out of is communication and this happens EVERY time I need to access this email.
I don't just need access to my email restored, I need to know how to disable this insecure security check.
EDIT 3: It's been 4 days, and now I am locked out for at least 5 days. I still am not being sent any new access codes. Now it asks for a capcha, then it asks me to enter in ANY phone number, and the phone number I entered before is no longer working.
As you can see from this screenshot, I received two verification codes back to back on the 9th from the same phone number that Coinbase uses. According to my records. You can clearly see that no new verification codes have been sent since then, but NO ONE appears to have permission to make the system send me a new verification code or even talk to me about fixing anything.
Note: Although each access code is something you should not share publicly, they all expire after a short while so I don't need to censor any information in this.
According to my records, this phone number was last used by Microsoft to successfully verify my account on December 28th 2018. Back then the message was a little different, but at least it worked back then. I've never had any problems with coinbase using this system for verification of that account, and they don't lock me out for days on end without letting me try again or even letting me talk to someone.
EDIT 4:
It took 9 days, but eventually I was able to get back in by using a different phone number and a non-windows computer. Unfortunately, all emails older than 2016 are gone and there is no sent activity so I am unable to obtain the information I needed to begin
with.
Email support was no help - their only suggestion was to change my password again, which I did not need to do and it makes no sense to have to do. To date, no one can explain to me how this type of verification verifies anything, but people allude to some "reputation" system which seems to mean that because my account has no emails anymore it's treated as if it is a newer account than it actually is which justifies the use of bugged verification systems.
I'm OK with email verification, since that relies on information I have provided, but this? This is a slap in the face. Locking me out for over a week because they want me to use a cell phone number that was never used with my account? That's beyond stupid! What if I didn't have a cell phone? Not everyone does! What if I didn't have 3 numbers to try in sequence before finally using one that Microsoft liked?
Maybe I would have more account activity if Microsoft didn't fracture it's services by requiring people to have a new Microsoft account every time Microsoft buys a service, but as it stands, I have too many Microsoft accounts to manage and I have zero trust in Microsoft's ability to manage my data and treat it like it matters so of course I won't use outlook more than I absolutely have to, which means I'll be dealing with this again and again and again.