My Account Locked Out experience with Verizon
blade329
Newbie

Okay, so I get a text message from Verizon saying my account is locked due to "..unsuccessful log in attempts".  Since I made no such attempts, I can only assume someone is trying to hack my account.  I go to Verizon to verify this is the case.  It is.  From there I attempt to change my password and unlock my account.  And so my adventure begins into the convoluted Carnival of Confusion that is the Verizon password change.  

1.  The first thing the site asks me is for my home phone number.  I don't have one and they don't allow for a mobile phone number.  So, must enter my customer number.  Time to break out my old bill and find the number.  No biggie.

2.  I'm then asked for my last bill amount or last paid amount.  Got it, so no problems.

3.  I'm then asked to change my password.  Since I'm in the gunsights of a crummy hacker, I decide to make it a really nasty one.  I think about it for a while and come up with one.  I enter it twice and answer a security question.  Click submit.  Done, right?

4.  Naaaah!!  Verizon has apparently encountered a "problem" and cannot process my request.  Why?  Who knows, it doesn't elaborate.  So, I go back to step one and try again.  I'm assuming it was just a fluke.  Right?

5.  Wrong.  Happens three more times...on multiple browsers.  So, I decide to ask their automated "live" service agent for some help.  It asks me the same questions until I get to a certain point.   Then it ends with a statment "I'm able to answer more detailed questions" and stops.  No further questions or help.  Great service agent, Verizon.

6.  I decide to go to the Support Forums here and look arround.  I want to post the question here, but can't log in.  Wonderful.

7.  Well, needless to say, I finally figured out a way to unlock my account through different means.  Apparently, Verizon has different ways to reset your password.  Makes zero sense since one way is less secure than the other.  It's like the left hand has no idea what the right hand is doing.  I'm not posting it here, because I don't want to give hackers any help. 

So, in summary, I can't help but be totally unimpressed with Verizon's web site and security measures.  As a web developer by trade, I can only surmise that this company has outsourced all it's web design to trained Chimpanzees who work for bananas.  If I can offer some friendly advice...

1.   If you are going to make me spend a lot of time changing my password, then it would really really really be nice to have some informative messages if something goes wrong.  That way I don't have to guess what the problem was.

2.  Make it easier for me to talk to a LIVE person.  I don't want to waste my time with an automated service agent with the IQ of a garden snail.

3.  For God's sake, let me use a moblie phone to reset my password.  Google does it.  Yahoo does it.  You can do it.

4.  For extra security, allow for two levels of authentication.  You know, like an image that the user custom names.

I'm a long term customer, guys.  Been with you for 14+ years.  Love your products, but hate the hassle sometimes.  Don't alienate me. 

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2 Replies
LawrenceC
Moderator Emeritus

Hi blade329,

For the issue of account access, please see the following:

http://forums.verizon.com/t5/Verizon-net-Email/Email-Account-Password-Lockout/td-p/744863

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adan2
Newbie

I often experience this lock out notice everytime I use my e-mail and have to do the process all over again with the same password I used the last time. What a hustle to do this everytime I use my e-mail.

WHAT IS GOING ON?


@blade329 wrote:

Okay, so I get a text message from Verizon saying my account is locked due to "..unsuccessful log in attempts".  Since I made no such attempts, I can only assume someone is trying to hack my account.  I go to Verizon to verify this is the case.  It is.  From there I attempt to change my password and unlock my account.  And so my adventure begins into the convoluted Carnival of Confusion that is the Verizon password change.  

1.  The first thing the site asks me is for my home phone number.  I don't have one and they don't allow for a mobile phone number.  So, must enter my customer number.  Time to break out my old bill and find the number.  No biggie.

2.  I'm then asked for my last bill amount or last paid amount.  Got it, so no problems.

3.  I'm then asked to change my password.  Since I'm in the gunsights of a crummy hacker, I decide to make it a really nasty one.  I think about it for a while and come up with one.  I enter it twice and answer a security question.  Click submit.  Done, right?

4.  Naaaah!!  Verizon has apparently encountered a "problem" and cannot process my request.  Why?  Who knows, it doesn't elaborate.  So, I go back to step one and try again.  I'm assuming it was just a fluke.  Right?

5.  Wrong.  Happens three more times...on multiple browsers.  So, I decide to ask their automated "live" service agent for some help.  It asks me the same questions until I get to a certain point.   Then it ends with a statment "I'm able to answer more detailed questions" and stops.  No further questions or help.  Great service agent, Verizon.

6.  I decide to go to the Support Forums here and look arround.  I want to post the question here, but can't log in.  Wonderful.

7.  Well, needless to say, I finally figured out a way to unlock my account through different means.  Apparently, Verizon has different ways to reset your password.  Makes zero sense since one way is less secure than the other.  It's like the left hand has no idea what the right hand is doing.  I'm not posting it here, because I don't want to give hackers any help. 

So, in summary, I can't help but be totally unimpressed with Verizon's web site and security measures.  As a web developer by trade, I can only surmise that this company has outsourced all it's web design to trained Chimpanzees who work for bananas.  If I can offer some friendly advice...

1.   If you are going to make me spend a lot of time changing my password, then it would really really really be nice to have some informative messages if something goes wrong.  That way I don't have to guess what the problem was.

2.  Make it easier for me to talk to a LIVE person.  I don't want to waste my time with an automated service agent with the IQ of a garden snail.

3.  For God's sake, let me use a moblie phone to reset my password.  Google does it.  Yahoo does it.  You can do it.

4.  For extra security, allow for two levels of authentication.  You know, like an image that the user custom names.

I'm a long term customer, guys.  Been with you for 14+ years.  Love your products, but hate the hassle sometimes.  Don't alienate me. 


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