Virgin.net email due to close but cant pass security checks

[CP459]

Hi

I've read other posts and replies about what to do to keep the virgin.net email address. I also have Virgin broadband and landline so transferring my account to Virgin Media has been offered. The problem is I can't pass the security checks because a friend set up my account over 20 years ago and I don't know the address he used. I'm no longer able to find out so Virgin say there's no other way I can verify I'm the account holder. I'm panicking as I'm about to lose my email address of decades that's used for both work and personal  Does anyone have any advice? Thanks

[goslow]

You need to be really careful/clear about what information VM is seeking in its security questions and the answer(s) you give them. This user below ran into similar problems by giving VM the wrong phone number in answer to a security question. Giving the wrong info seemed to block his progress in resolving

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Email/Virgin-net-email-address-to-be-closed-incorrectly/m-p/558...

What is the specific information that VM is seeking from you? A postal address that was associated with the virgin.net account or something different?

[CP459]

Thanks for your helpful reply. Yes, they need the postal address attached to the account, not my current home address where my VM bills go to. As someone else set up my account, whose address I never knew, I'm stuck. 

[goslow · Accepted solution]

Do you know how your virgin.net email was used/paid for in the past? There is a useful explanation of all the history here

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Email/Yet-another-cancellation-victim-despite-assurances-9-days...

which mentions that the virgin.net email addresses came about either from dialup connections or from ADSL broadband accounts (sometimes paid for via the call cost or sometimes via a monthly subscription).

and further historical info here

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin.net

If the VM security question is asking you about a billing address for virgin.net in the past, thinking about how you used/paid for the service originally might possibly help you think about the answer. As mentioned before though, do get further clarification on exactly what is being asked for, if necessary, as getting the answer wrong may lock you out of further help so proceed with caution!

Before trying to deal any more with VM, and possibly lose access to your virgin.net mailbox, you might want to think about making some backups of the mailbox and switching important services to a new email address while you still have access to virgin.net in case it all goes pear-shaped and you get locked out.

See links below for further info

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Email/Another-virgin-net-Cancellation-Victim/m-p/5583582#M28101...

app password info is now here along with server settings

https://www.virginmedia.com/help/broadband/manage-email-settings

or an alternative backup method here

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Forum-Archive/Backing-up-your-Emails-One-of-many-solutions/m-p/...

Hope you can get to some sort of acceptable solution

[coenoby]

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@CP459 wrote:

Yes, they need the postal address attached to the account, not my current home address where my VM bills go to. As someone else set up my account, whose address I never knew, I'm stuck. 

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@goslowhas given you some good advice.

 VM are legally required to ensure they are talking to the account  holder(s) of the virgin.net email account and the VM broadband account before they make any changes to those accounts.

Presumably you have no problem passing security on your current VM broadband account - the one you want your virgin.net account to be linked to?

Sadly  despite the fact that you have been using the virgin.net email account for 20+ years it still "belongs" to the person who originally opened it. It's always been their email account, in simple terms they just let you use it.

If you cannot contact that person or even provide any details of who that individual was then I cannot see how you can pass security on the virgin.net account to permit VM to move it over to your VM broadband account.

I can escalate this to the Forum Team (VM staff who support this forum). They may be able to offer a way round this. However, I am sorry to say that unless you can pass security on the virgin.net account they will not be able to help you. 

Post back if you are happy for me to escalate your posts to VM but bear in mind what goslow posted about the risk of losing access to the account prematurely.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news

Coenoby

[CP459]

Thanks for trying to help. I'd appreciate it very much if you could escalate this for me. This afternoon, I was promised a callback within 2 hours from a supervisor to discuss my situation but no one called then customer service closed. I told them I could provide a name, a town and postcode for the person who set up my email account but not the house number/street. It's so frustrating that there isn't another way to verify my account. I'm really distraught as it's both my personal and work email. Customer service were very helpful in signing me up to a new broadband/landline package. Ironically, they sent the documents to my virgin.net address! I'm within the cooling off period so I'm seriously considering whether I want to stay with VM. Sorry for the rant. I'm just really upset. Thank you. You're very kind.

[ravenstar68]

@CP459 

If the account was set up by someone else and you're not able to pass security checks, I would treat the email address the same way you'd treat a house address and be prepared to let people know of the change.

Do also consider GoSlows advice re securing your email from the server before you lose access to it.

Prepare for the worst now rather than holding out hope til the last minute.

It's your choice whether you want to stay with VM, personally I think they're in a difficult situation.  They can't just give you access to the account without verifying you should have access, so if you can't pass security, their hands are tied if there's any doubt when it comes to releasing personal data to an individual - they have to err on the side of caution.

Tim

[coenoby]

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@CP459 wrote:'d appreciate it very much if you could escalate this for me.

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I have escalated your post and one of  the Forum Team will contact you via this thread today.

I hope you can get this sorted.

Coenoby

[Lee_R]

Hi CP459 thanks for posting and welcome to our community.

Sorry to hear that you're having issues with transferring your virgin.net account to your existing account which has a live broadband service. I understand a friend set the email address in question a long time ago, do you know if anything was provided by your friend that could help us identify you? I mean relevant details to you at that time, but not ones we'd ask you to share publicly. Sorry, the reason I ask is I know we've got strict rules that we must adhere to, so anything that could help us assist you, would be fantastic.

Regards

Lee_R

[CP459]

Thank you for a quick and supportive reply.  I obviously know the friend's name and the town/area he lived in at the time. I found a note I'd made of his postcode which has now been terminated and changed to another postcode. However, I can locate the street I think he lived on.  I also remember that he'd used his mother's surname, which I remember, as an answer to a security question.

I did wonder if he'd used one of my past addresses that I hadn't given to the customer service team. I could try those?

Should I get this info to you privately? My email account has now been closed/locked so it's maybe too late. Would you advise me to phone customer service again and try to speak with a supervisor or wait to see what you can find out? I do appreciate your help.

Caroline