Transfer email address to different account?

[Ape-man]

I believe my email address is part of the account that my father had, but he's recently decided to leave VM. My mother has a VM account and I'd like to keep my email address and emails, is there a way to transfer/keep the email address?

[adrianjacobs]

• As I understand it, VM use your email address as hostage to prevent you leaving them. If you leave, you loose your address. The powers that be have been talking about forcing ISPs to provide a means of retaining email services for a reasonable fee, but this has been going on for years without progress. 

[Ape-man]

I've had this secondary email address for quite a while though, Isn't it possible to just have it transferred? Is there any VM staff here that can help?

[japitts]

A Blueyonder/VM email account is provided as an inclusive extra with a broadband subscription. If you cease to have an active broadband subscription, then you should expect to lose the email account after (I believe) 90 days. In the past this hasn't reliably happened, but ultimately this is one of many reasons why relying on ISP-provided email is a bad idea.

The sooner you set your parents up with an alternative email account from the likes of G-Mail or suchlike, the better.

[Graham_A]

@Ape-man VM Forum Team staff will reach this thread in a day or so, however they are likely to confirm that email addresses cannot be moved from your Father's account to your Mother's account or any other VM account.

[Ape-man]

Thanks for the replies.. How disappointing. It looks like I better make my father aware as he probably has no idea.

Yeah I agree that anyone shouldn't rely on email tied to a subscription service. Guess it will be a good idea to use mail software to download all my emails etc soon then, just in case.

One other question, when my email address is expired, can I then create the same email address again through my mother's VM account since it will not already be taken?

[coenoby]

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@Ape-man wrote:

One other question, when my email address is expired, can I then create the same email address again through my mother's VM account since it will not already be taken?

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Again the answer is no I'm afraid for two reasons:

1. Like many email providers VM never allowed email addresses to be "recycled" like that.
2. However, that's all academic now because VM stopped issuing new email addresses in May 2022. Since then new VM broadband customers no longer get offered VM email accounts when they sign up and existing VM customers can no longer create additional secondary VM email accounts.

Coenoby

[Tom_W1]

Hi @Ape-man thanks for your post here in the Community although we're sorry to hear of the concerns you've raised here.

This is all dependent on if the email account in question has already been terminated and if so, it won't be possible to transfer this over and even if it hasn't, there is still a slim chance sadly.

However, as the account is your Father's, he would need to message us on here and request the transfer - even though it is your email address, the responsibility would be with the Virgin Media account holder to request.

If he can make an account here and message on here, we can invite him to PM and try to request this there for him and you.

Many thanks

[Ape-man]

Thanks for your reply. So there is a slim chance you can transfer it even if I can get him to post here? 
The email account is still active, how long does it stay active roughly? I've seen 90 days mentioned, or does it vary?

[Reece_MH]

Hi Ape-man,

As mentioned, it may be possible to transfer the email if it is still active and the new account is in the same name. If the mailbox has been terminated, or the account is in a different name, then we would not be able to transfer or retrieve this. Mailboxes stay active for 90 days after disconnection, but in the past, it has been known that this sometimes doesn't happen and stay active beyond this - if this is the case, then the mailbox can be terminated at any time.

If your Father makes a new post on here, then we would be able to private message him to gather further details and assist further from there.

Thanks,