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Ask HN: Google has locked me out of the account

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Ask HN: Google has locked me out of the account

#1

Post by nitn »

I forgot the password to my account and I have been trying to reset the password. To reset the password, Google keeps sending a verification code to the same email of the account that I'm trying to reset the password for.

I really do not get the point, I do not have the account logged in on any of my devices. I have tried all the previously used devices to reset the password from. It still keeps sending the code to the same email.

It's an account I use for AdSense and I have unpaid revenue in there. I have literally tried 5 different devices that I have used the account on, I can verify the phone number but then it keeps asking me to verify a code that's sent on the same email.

Now that I'm trying potential passwords, it asks me to solve a captcha everytime and I've tried so many times that it says I've entered the captcha wrong even though it's correct. We're 3 people literally looking at that and solving it and it's done that 10s of times.

Re: Ask HN: Google has locked me out of the account

#2

Post by fsflover »

There have been a lot of such threads on HN already. People should stop trusting Google.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22705122

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17428707

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9768593

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19513501

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30677471

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=350968

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24709282

(Some of those threads also have related advice.)

Re: Ask HN: Google has locked me out of the account

#3

Post by advisedwang »

If the email address to which it is sending the verification code is not @gmail.com (e.g. you use workspace or have a vanity domain+forward) you can change the email forwarding or redirect the domain to a different email provider for long enough to get the code.

Re: Ask HN: Google has locked me out of the account

#4

Post by nitn »

advisedwang wrote: post #3

If the email address to which it is sending the verification code is not @gmail.com (e.g. you use workspace or have a vanity domain+forward) you can change the email forwarding or redirect the domain to a different email provider for long enough to get the code.

Unfortunately it's a gmail account, not an external email account.

Re: Ask HN: Google has locked me out of the account

#6

Post by anaccountexists »

fsflover wrote: post #2

There have been a lot of such threads on HN already. People should stop trusting Google. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22705122 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17428707 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9768593 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19513501 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30677471 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=350968 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24709282 (Some of tho…

There’s a lot of reasons to get mad at Google. Not setting a recovery email is not one of them.

I feel bad for this person because it’s a horrible place to be stuck in, but even if Google had great customer support allowing people to reset passwords over chat / phone would be ripe for abuse

Re: Ask HN: Google has locked me out of the account

#8

Post by nitn »

anaccountexists wrote: post #6
fsflover wrote: post #2

There have been a lot of such threads on HN already. People should stop trusting Google. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22705122 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17428707 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9768593 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19513501 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30677471 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=350968 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24709282 (Some of tho…

There’s a lot of reasons to get mad at Google. Not setting a recovery email is not one of them. I feel bad for this person because it’s a horrible place to be stuck in, but even if Google had great customer support allowing people to reset passwords over chat / phone would be ripe for abuse

I actually have no reason to be stuck here because all these years, I was easily able to reset the password by verifying with a code on my phone number. It does send a code now as well, but then it's asking me to also verify the code being sent to the same email.

Re: Ask HN: Google has locked me out of the account

#9

Post by xeromal »

endisneigh wrote: post #7

How do you want Google to solve this? And how can they be certain you’re the owner?

Sounds like he has an alternative means of identity verification (SMS) but Google keeps only working with the locked email address.

I mean, Google could also do what other companies do and let you send in a picture of your ID or have you enter identity questions.

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