Forum Discussion

Noghar's avatar
Noghar
Dialled in
14 hours ago

Authentication Error overnight

I have changed nothing in my email settings but for the last twelve hours my app hasn't been able to log into the email server - I keep getting an 'authentication error' message.

I have tried webmail, but had to upgrade the app to the newer Virgin/O2 version. It asks me to log in, then tells me it's sent a verification email TO THE ACCOUNT I CAN'T ACCESS. There is no alternative means of verification offered - smart move, Virgin! 

Since I can't log in to the app, can't even check the service status.

Anyone?

6 Replies

  • Adduxi's avatar
    Adduxi
    Very Insightful Person
    14 hours ago

    Setup a GMail account for the backup VM contact and use this as the verification email destination.  This should work?  Don't use a VM email, as the point of the backup is they can contact you if there is any issues with your VM mailbox.

  • coenoby's avatar
    coenoby
    Very Insightful Person
    13 hours ago

    Noghar​ "it's sent a verification email TO THE ACCOUNT I CAN'T ACCESS."

    That's odd! The usual VM process is to send the verification email to the non VM email account that's linked to the VM email account.  

    Have you ever specified a non VM email address (such as a Gmail account for example) to act as your username to access your VM account?   VM started pushing people to do that quite a few months ago.

    Coenoby

  • Noghar's avatar
    Noghar
    Dialled in
    13 hours ago

    It asks me to log in to my account using my Virgin login. I enter that, and that's as far as I can get. I can't access the account to set up a backup email. Is this something to do with the new Virgin/O2 ID system? If it is, I've had no messages about it.

    • coenoby's avatar
      coenoby
      Very Insightful Person
      8 hours ago

      Noghar​ " Is this something to do with the new Virgin/O2 ID system? "

      No, it was way before that.

       I cannot give you an exact date but I think it was late 2023 when VM made changes to the authentication and security of VM webmail and My Virgin Media accounts. The VM02 ID change merely builds on and extends that basic concept.

       The way they introduced it back then was that if you wanted to make any changes to your VM account, resetting the password for example, you were forced to specify a non VM email account (Gmail, Outlook.com, Proton etc) to link with your VM account. 

      That non VM email account was then used by VM to send verification codes / links and that non VM email address also became the username you had to specify in order to sign into your VM account. In other words, the non VM email address became your "Virgin login".

      " for the last twelve hours my app hasn't been able to log into the email server "

      The problem you are seeing with your app is almost certainly caused by the other change that VM made quite a while ago. You now need to use a VM "mail app " password in the settings of your mail app rather than the password you use to sign into your webmail or My Virgin Media account.

      The problem is to generate that you need access to the My Virgin Media account for that VM email account.

      I had better leave it there for the time being.

      Coenoby

       

      • Noghar's avatar
        Noghar
        Dialled in
        2 hours ago

        Thank you for that. Yes, Virgin have changed all their systems, and somehow they neglected to tell me anything about it, but then I've only been with them for about 30 years. It must have been last night sometime when they flipped a switch to move me to the new platform and everything went dead. 

        I managed to break the circle of hell I was trapped in my redirecting my personal email domain name to go to Gmail instead of Virgin.  Then the verification emails started appearing in my Gmail account where I could follow them up.  It wasn't exactly easy even then - the system 404'd on me a few times - but I eventually found the means for setting a new email password for my apps.  For a while even my Webmail account was 'locked' but either the changes I made (or someone in the IT department after I rang the helpline) unlocked the account and the emails started flowing again.   

        My domain is still pointed to Gmail, though.  After this fiasco I am not sure if I want to rely on Virgin at all for email.  I am especially sorry for those who have no tech savvy at all, and no backup account, and no idea what the hell is going on.  I have just posted an answer to one user panicking because he thinks his account and all his emails have been deleted.   

        I think as the average user who just wants his email to work, this changeover had been handled dreadfully. But that's just par for the course for Virgin and O2.  

        (A special shout out to their 'AI' voicemail system, which is even worse than that syrupy singsong voicemail they used to use, and no option at all for 'email issues'. If it had told me one more time reboot my router...)