Forum Discussion

heliart's avatar
heliart
Tuning in
2 years ago
Solved

403 Forbidden on webmail (Again)

Hello,

I'm posting this on behalf of a close family friend I'm trying to help. Last Friday (9th June 2023) they could no longer access their virgin email via the webmail interface.

They get a redirect to a forbidden message, and Chrome seems to think it needs translating from Luxembourgish!!!

This exact issue has been reported by others on this forum, namely:-
https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Email/403-Forbidden-on-webmail/td-p/5206671

This issue has nothing to do with their local setup, or browser as I see the exact same issue loggin into webmail using their account on my PC's. Clearing caches etc makes no difference, nor does Incognito mode. See the same with Chrome, Firefox and Edge.

Looks like some backend server issue? Related to email inbox overlimt perhaps? But there's no way to log in to check.

Any ideas?

Steve

  • EyesSquared's avatar
    EyesSquared
    2 years ago

    Hi Steve

    I've just finished a call with customer support(?). I had this same issue for about a week and a half.

    I've now managed to access my account with thanks of a moderator on this Forum liaising with tech team on my behalf.

    I was advised to do the following:

    1. Log in to VM account

    2. Account Settings> Virgin Media Mail Account settings> Generate New App Password, copy and paste (make a note - you will also need to enter the final password generated to access your account on Android and Apple device) (do not select DONE)>go back a screen (arrow top left of screen).

    3.Go to Account Settings>Password - copy and paste new password, save. Log out. 

    4 Repeats steps to 1 to 3 again two more times. (Remember make note of password generated by App)

    5. Log in, access Virgin Media Mail from VM Account Dashboard. And fingers crossed all should work.

    Please note, I went back and changed my password in VM Account to one I could remember but still needed to enter the generated one to access my e-mails on iPad and Android phone. 

    Hope this helps.

  • EyesSquared's avatar
    EyesSquared
    On our wavelength
    2 years ago

    Hi Steve

    I've just finished a call with customer support(?). I had this same issue for about a week and a half.

    I've now managed to access my account with thanks of a moderator on this Forum liaising with tech team on my behalf.

    I was advised to do the following:

    1. Log in to VM account

    2. Account Settings> Virgin Media Mail Account settings> Generate New App Password, copy and paste (make a note - you will also need to enter the final password generated to access your account on Android and Apple device) (do not select DONE)>go back a screen (arrow top left of screen).

    3.Go to Account Settings>Password - copy and paste new password, save. Log out. 

    4 Repeats steps to 1 to 3 again two more times. (Remember make note of password generated by App)

    5. Log in, access Virgin Media Mail from VM Account Dashboard. And fingers crossed all should work.

    Please note, I went back and changed my password in VM Account to one I could remember but still needed to enter the generated one to access my e-mails on iPad and Android phone. 

    Hope this helps.

    • heliart's avatar
      heliart
      Tuning in
      2 years ago

      Do you know what, this works. It had to be some password sync issue. Virgin first line support were not helpful at all - they should read this forum. Worse still as the account is owned by a non techy person.

      I really do appriciate you sharing, and I hope it helps others also.

      Thanks again,

      Steve

    • brackensroad's avatar
      brackensroad
      Dialled in
      2 years ago

      I've just had the dreaded FORBIDDEN message come up again, after being locked out of my email last month.

      So now I'm locked out again on my laptop – altho not on my iPhone.

      Why, VM, does this happen, and keep happening?

      And is the convoluted fix helpfully posted above by EyesSquared really the only way to solve this?

       

      • Gareth_L's avatar
        Gareth_L
        Forum Team
        2 years ago

        Hello brackensroad.

        Sorry to hear you have been locked out for your email account again.

        Have you tired the advice given above from Eyessquared?

        That would be the information we would give as well.

        If you can try and let me know if that helps.

        To add, wait at least 15 minutes before accessing your email again after the password reset.

        Gareth_L

    • HW811's avatar
      HW811
      Joining in
      2 years ago

      Sorry, I've just got the same issue, however, using Outlook work OK, it's just that I purely can't get on to web mail without getting the forbidden page.  My question is (sorry if I'm being stupid) but where do do step 3?  When I do  account settings I get four options - Account details, WiFi hotspots, device authentication and vergin media mail settings.  Where do I paste the new password, is it in account settings>account details>password edit or account settings>Virgin media mail settings>then what?  Neither would seem to fit the bill of copying and pasting a password.  First time posting to a forum, so go easy on me!!

  • jazzdrummer's avatar
    jazzdrummer
    Joining in
    2 years ago

    Also tried this and it worked as a fix.

    I find that every now and then, the virgin service just royally messes up for me.  Took me a while digging around again this time to finally get here on this page, and fortunately it solved my issue.

    I mean, I don't know why on earth you need to change your password this many times, but it works.

    • landryangelica's avatar
      landryangelica
      On our wavelength
      2 years ago

      Which PW are you referring to, please? There seem to be two.

  • sacko123's avatar
    sacko123
    On our wavelength
    2 years ago

    I've just had this problem for a second time. The solution shown here worked for me - thank you.

    I notice that both times I've had this problem, it is shortly after I forwarded several scam emails to VM fraud team and action fraud. I wonder if VM software is detecting that I am 'sending' scam emails and blocking my account?

    • Beth_G's avatar
      Beth_G
      Forum Team
      2 years ago

      Hi sacko123,

      Pleased to hear this issue has now been resolved for you. That is certainly a possibility, however we should have rules in place to ensure that emails forwarded to fraud investigation are not flagged.

      Can you please confirm which Virgin Media email address you forwarded the scam emails to?

      Thank you

    • Mart888's avatar
      Mart888
      Dialled in
      2 years ago

      I don't think that's the explanation. I haven't forwarded any scam emails to VM yet I can't access my emails nor even log in to the Virgin website now.

  • GezHenry's avatar
    GezHenry
    Joining in
    2 years ago

    Had same issue occur and was also after I'd forwarded suspected spam emails to both

    noreply@phishing.gov.uk and phishing@virginmedia.com! So seems VM are doing something to our email account when we report Spam

    • Adri_G's avatar
      Adri_G
      Forum Team (Retired)
      2 years ago

      Hi, GezHenry. 
      Thanks for posting and sorry to hear of this issue, this may be unrelated to the scam reporting however we'll make sure it's all been reported for you and please let us know here in case you're having more issues with reporting spam to us.

      In any case, when our security team locks you out of the account due to concerns you'll get and email to confirm this and you may try a password reset to be able to log back in. 
      This way we ensure your data remains secure at all times.

      Let us know if you have more concerns in regard to the above and we'll do our best to assist.

      • Sololobo's avatar
        Sololobo
        Superstar
        2 years ago

        A somewhat baffling response here.

        Adri_G wrote:

        Hi, GezHenry. 

        In any case, when our security team locks you out of the account due to concerns you'll get and (sic) email to confirm this and you may try a password reset to be able to log back in. 

         If an account has been locked, how can an email confirming this be viewed after the account is no longer accessible?

  • wilber_force's avatar
    wilber_force
    Superfast
    2 years ago

    If you perservere, you get there, BUT why does it have to be so convoluted?

  • wilber_force's avatar
    wilber_force
    Superfast
    2 years ago

    Thanks for the reply Coenoby.

    To say the least I'm not happy about this change.  I have not been consulted and yet again, VM have just forced something on it's users.  

    I am getting the impression that VM are going down a route where they will be 'farming out' the mobile and email services.  They have already transferred me to O2 and I'm getting a worse service there!!

    I'm not ranting at you, it's at VM.

    I see what you say but I want to put my log in back to the blueyonder one and that is not up for argument.   I've been with VM since it's inception and with the company it took over, Telewest who introduced b/band in my area.

    I feel really badly done to as having supported the company and now I'm getting kicked in the nuts. 

    It's not clever and having worked in the area of IT that provides services, I feel it is very bad practice.

    I will be lodging a complaint with the company when I have time to spend sitting on the phone waiting to get an answer.

    WF

    • coenoby's avatar
      coenoby
      Very Insightful Person
      2 years ago
      wilber_force wrote:
      I see what you say but I want to put my log in back to the blueyonder one and that is not up for argument.   I've been with VM

      Sadly, that's not going to be possible. VM now require that the username /sign in address for all Virgin Media accounts are non VM email addresses and I cannot see them changing that.

      One of the Forum Team (VM staff members) should contact you via this thread and give you a formal response. I'll keep an eye on that today and if they have not picked up on your post I will escalate it to them later this afternoon.

      Do bear in mind what I said about moving over to using a non VM email account as your main email address. There are plenty of excellent ones around. See here https://www.lifewire.com/best-free-email-accounts 

      There's not a lot more I can say really, 🙁

      Coenoby

      • wilber_force's avatar
        wilber_force
        Superfast
        2 years ago

        The question needs answering as to why?

        I wonder what the thinking is behind why they have done it. Will they be honest?

        Sadly a big organisation just rolling roughshod over is customer base.

        I have the same issue with my local council. They just put things in place that no wants or needs. 

  • l0zzie88's avatar
    l0zzie88
    Tuning in
    2 years ago

    Did anyone get a solution to this, seems to be a prevalent issue with Virgin Web Mail. 
    Do we know the cause and the solution, is this Virgin clearing their caches and settings?  

    Thanks

    • wilber_force's avatar
      wilber_force
      Superfast
      2 years ago

      As far as I'm aware, VM have stopped allowing users who have a VM related email address such as virginmedia.com blueyonder.co.uk and others from logging into their email accounts and have forced the users to use non VM email addresses such as gmail.com, etc.

      I was given NO warning, it just happened which gives me cause for concern that VM are farming out their email service to others and also the same with their mobile service as I have been forced to go to O2 with a poorer service.

      I know this may not be pleasant reading but that is how I see it.  Others may have a different view, and I'm open to read them.

      • Graham_A's avatar
        Graham_A
        Very Insightful Person
        2 years ago

        wilber_force  Sorry but you have got that completely wrong.  The recent changes made by VM require a third party email address to be used as the username to log into VM email addresses via VM webmail and the My Virgin Media account attached to each email address.

        This does not change the underlying email address which will continue to operate as it always has.

        VM stopped allowing new VM email addresses being created eighteen months ago but have said that existed email accounts will continue to be supported.

        The username changes are being made to enhance security by allowing a version of two factor authentication to be implemented.

        As regards the switch of mobile accounts to O2 this is part of the ongoing merger of VM and O2 into a combined entity.

  • billkilv's avatar
    billkilv
    Up to speed
    2 years ago

    This issue has just bitten me. I have followed the 'fix' posted on the thread, which has resolved my webmail and device access issues, but thrown up a new problem on my desktop Outlook client.

    In order to make the fix I was asked to provide an alternative secure email address, which all communication went through. I used @outlook.com and this changed my login user name. This is working fine to access via webmail, but I cannot now set up my outlook to download or send from my @blueyonder.co.uk address.

    These are what I am seeing via webmail though.

    Help!

     

    • Graham_A's avatar
      Graham_A
      Very Insightful Person
      2 years ago
      billkilv wrote:

      This issue has just bitten me. I have followed the 'fix' posted on the thread, which has resolved my webmail and device access issues, but thrown up a new problem on my desktop Outlook client.

      In order to make the fix I was asked to provide an alternative secure email address, which all communication went through. I used @outlook.com and this changed my login user name. This is working fine to access via webmail, but I cannot now set up my outlook to download or send from my @blueyonder.co.uk address.

      These are what I am seeing via webmail though.

      Help!

       

      The new third party username is only used when accessing VM webmail and the My Virgin Media account. When using an email client such as Outlook you should continue to use the blueyonder email address as the username for the account along with the new generated app password that is in the format xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx.

      If you haven't generated an app password yet follow these instructions - remember to use the third party username to access MyVM.

      VM have recently changed the log in requirements for accessing VM Mail via third party apps.

      If you change the password for the account in My Virgin Media > Account settings > Account details you will not be able to use the new password to access the account via an email client. Email client access now requires an app specific password which can be generated in the MyVM > Account Settings > Account details > Mailbox App password management

      • billkilv's avatar
        billkilv
        Up to speed
        2 years ago

        Fixed it - thank you very much Graham_A👍

    • Robert_P's avatar
      Robert_P
      Forum Team
      2 years ago

      Let us know how you get on or if you need further assistance billkilv 🙂

       

      Rob

  • Eleni2's avatar
    Eleni2
    Tuning in
    2 years ago

    Hi all  This doesn't work for me. I've actually experienced the problem since I was on the phone with a VM advisor - the Forbidden message appeared then and I've not been able to log in since.  Can anyone help please?

    • Daniel_Et's avatar
      Daniel_Et
      Forum Team
      2 years ago

      Hi Eleni2 👋 Thank you for your post and welcome to the Virgin Media Community 😀

      We're sorry to hear about the problem you're experiencing 😔

      I can see the team have attempted to contact you today and left a voicemail. Have they advised that they'll be calling back again?

      Regards,
      Daniel

      • Eleni2's avatar
        Eleni2
        Tuning in
        2 years ago

        Yes, they have.  Thanks.  I have solved the problem above now, but still have two other email problems !  I am confused tho.  They told me yesterday that the ticket was closed so I don’t understand why they called me today?