"Mail Account Currently Unavailable" - VM assistance urgently sought

[TheUnconsoled]

As of today my VM email account display on laptop and phone has shifted to this default message. Since my account is active, I have to assume it has been locked (though the last time this occurred, a month or two back, the problem appeared to self-correct within a day...) However, this time, for urgency of work-related correspondence, I have tried to follow the VM-prescribed steps to create a new password - but I am not comfortable with the process. I am being asked to nominate a secondary email address so as to receive new password instructions there, and my fear is that any hacker could circumvent the security of this procedure. My preference would be for the mail account to be unlocked by way of secure correspondence with a VM staffer on this platform, which has always been a more dependable source of help in the past. Would be very grateful if one such could be in touch. Thanks!

[Graham_A]

@TheUnconsoled  I doubt that a VM Forum Team member would be able to override the new security measures recently introduced by Virgin Media which require the account username to be changed to a third party email address in order to make password changes.

You can read more about these changes here: https://www.virginmedia.com/dpb/help/change-my-virgin-media-email-address 

[TheUnconsoled]

Thank you for that response, Graham. As a matter of interest, do you recall how recently these new measures were introduced? If it's something that I ought to have done to my settings as a matter of protocol then that worries me less than some compromising of my account. I just don't remember being notified of the new measures.

[Graham_A · Accepted solution]

The new policy was introduced a few months ago but VM haven't sent out a notification of the change to users.  The username change requirement is triggered if you want to change the password or create an app password to use with an email client.

[ielhariry]

Graham,

I started getting the same message about my VM email on Jan 2nd. called customer service; no help there. Apparently they opened a ticket with IT support that said to take up to 5 business days. until this very moment, I have no access to virgin.net account. I eventually decided to follow the instructions to set up new password, and required I provide a 3rd party new sign in for my account; I have done that, but I can not reset my password. 

I am also stuck. 

the whole thing is a fiasco to be honest and is utterly frustrating. any help there would be appreciated

[Sabrina_B]

Hi @ielhariry 👋.

Thanks for reaching back out to us. Apologies for the issues that you are having with your emails, we can certainly look into this further for you and assist where needed. Please look out for the envelope on the top right of your web browser or if you are using a mobile device, it will be located under your profile icon.
 

Thanks.
 

Sabrina