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Apple users are being locked out of their Apple IDs with no explanation

9to5mac.com

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Re: Apple users are being locked out of their Apple IDs with no explanation

#411

Post by russellbeattie »

dinckelman wrote: post #151

So i'm not the only one, huh. Got myself an iPhone, downloaded 2 apps, went to bed, woke up to a complete lockout. They unblocked me through a phone support request, after 18 hours, and then hit me with a fresh ban, not even 24 hours later. Account got permabanned after like 5 more calls, where they just started sending me a legal notice instead. The fact that your device can become a complete brick, because of an is…

> ... a class action lawsuit

After filling out an online form you receive in a year or so, then waiting another three, you'll get a check in the mail for $2. Justice! Hooray!

The only people class action lawsuits benefit are the lawyers.

Re: Apple users are being locked out of their Apple IDs with no explanation

#413

Post by ccouzens »

iLoveOncall wrote: post #165
speedylight wrote: post #17

Considering how important an Apple ID is, this is kind of scary to be honest.

How important is it exactly? I have had iPhones for more than a decade, and I never leveraged any "feature" of having an Apple ID on any of them. I've never bought an app or spent money on one, and I don't use iCloud, so the Apple ID for me is literally just a gateway to downloading free apps that I can always redownload with another one.

> I've never bought an app

Without being signed into an AppleID you cannot install free apps either. And if you install then sign out, you're also blocked from updating the free apps.

Re: Apple users are being locked out of their Apple IDs with no explanation

#414

Post by adamomada »

notyourwork wrote: post #328
layer8 wrote: post #207

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't bind your online identity to Apple or Google or Microsoft, in particular not the email addresses you use for accounts. That at least limits the damage they can do.

There really isn’t a good solution for this for the masses, is there?

You can use your own domain with Google at least, and I’m guessing Microsoft as well. It could be a good middle ground where you control your email and just let google,etc use it for the time being. It looks just like gmail but you can always get out if you have to.

Re: Apple users are being locked out of their Apple IDs with no explanation

#415

Post by amelius »

accrual wrote: post #317
TeMPOraL wrote: post #251

Tangential business idea: insurance against getting locked out of your Google, Apple or Microsoft account.

How could it work? It would seem the business would need to have some agreement or side channel with Google/Apple/Microsoft to bypass the issue. Something like "we will pay you $Amount/year to let us reset any agreed upon account". Then collect a monthly fee from the users to subsidize the expense.

It could work like this. You pay a monthly fee. When you are locked out, then the insurance will cover the legal expenses.

Re: Apple users are being locked out of their Apple IDs with no explanation

#416

Post by courseofaction »

ThinkBeat wrote: post #228

I was thinking about something related yesterday. It is amazing how big "Internet Silos" Google, Facebook, etc provide close to no customer support services and that we "users" have accepted this. Getting cut off from one of these places can have a huge impact on people. They happen without warning and often without explanation. I think they ought to be forced to be more open around the process and how to get help in…

These corporations are actively hostile to users and it's insane that anyone trusts or interacts with them.

Recently when setting up GrapheneOS (android OS distro), my login to google play services was delayed by 24 hours for 'security concerns', after authenticating via youtube app. (Try to go OSS? Here's a 24 hour ban).

It's funny because the forced youtube app authentication itself is not a security measure, it's a dark pattern to force the youtube app to be installed and opened. Logging in by phone or email quietly doesn't work anymore, the SSO messages never reach their destination. I find it hard to believe that this is not representative of google's perverse incentives.

Consistently disgusting, rapacious company.

Re: Apple users are being locked out of their Apple IDs with no explanation

#417

Post by amelius »

dinckelman wrote: post #151

So i'm not the only one, huh. Got myself an iPhone, downloaded 2 apps, went to bed, woke up to a complete lockout. They unblocked me through a phone support request, after 18 hours, and then hit me with a fresh ban, not even 24 hours later. Account got permabanned after like 5 more calls, where they just started sending me a legal notice instead. The fact that your device can become a complete brick, because of an is…

You just paid $1000 for something you don't own now.

Sounds like you have been scammed. Maybe just try to get your money back?

Re: Apple users are being locked out of their Apple IDs with no explanation

#418

Post by jjtheblunt »

standardUser wrote: post #345

I understand why people enjoy Apple products, but I will never understand why people defend the company when we all know, often through direct personal experience or the experience of someone we know, that the wealthiest company is the world has chosen to provide insultingly miserable customer support as a business decision.

Putting the Genius Bar into widely accessible Apple Stores is a business decision meant to provide useful support, not insultingly miserable.

That said, not everyone needing support has access to a Genius Bar, and not every Genius Bar employee knows every possible answer to every possible question.

But, to claim they chose to be insulting is just mistaken.

Re: Apple users are being locked out of their Apple IDs with no explanation

#419

Post by the8472 »

CydeWeys wrote: post #349
EasyMark wrote: post #327

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you use your own domain, open source software, and backup often they can't lock you up forever like Google/Microsoft/Apple tho

You're missing my point that you're still beholden to the domain name registrar that manages your domain name on your behalf. That account getting permanently locked out will have all the same bad consequences for your online life as your Google account getting locked out. And keep in mind that being a domain name registrar is a low margin business (typically they're only grossing a few bucks per domain per year, bef…

My understandingis is that legally you own the domain and the registrar is only managing it on your behalf and they are required to transfer it to another registrar if they terminate you as a customer. As recently happened for russian users on namecheap for example.

Re: Apple users are being locked out of their Apple IDs with no explanation

#420

Post by rrrix1 »

gamblor956 wrote: post #350
sottol wrote: post #248

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And unlike, say, Samsung Ultrabooks or even Microsoft Surfaces, Macs last a really long time. My kids are using my 2011 MacBook Air and 2009 iMac and they still work, even the battery still kinda hangs in. They've had a few rough years 2016-2019 with the butterfly keyboards but I don't know many current manufacturers with products as solid long term.

My Surface Pro 3 still gets 90% battery life. My HP hybrid tablet, now over 15 years old, still works (when plugged in). My dad's IBM Thinkpad, older than most people currently on this website, still works. Apple people like to claim that Apples last longer than their competitors, but that simply isn't true. Most people, myself included, can't tell you what Dell or HP support is like because we've never had to use th…

I am a satisfied Apple user, and have been for over 30 years.

I have never contacted Apple support. Not once. Yes, really.

Unfounded claims are unfounded.

Sometimes devices break, sometimes they last for 20 years and keep on humming.

Also for the record, I'm also a Linux, Windows, and FreeBSD user running on HP, Dell, Lenovo, SuperMicro, Framework, System76 and DIY machines.

My experience indicates premium components usually (but not always) last longer than more economical alternatives.

That said, if I never had to use a Microsoft product again, I'd be fine with that.

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