Locked out of email

[pbarnfield]

Firstly I am a Sky Customer and resorting to posting on here on behalf of someone else.  I am an IT Tech and I have been approached by a customer who can no longer access his Sky emails.   We tried password recovery, but apparently his Last Name answer is incorrect - with or without capital first letters.

He then tells me he hasn't been a Sky Customer for some time, so I suspect the account is suspended.  Tried to call and use the Live Chat Assistant, but everytime is sends us here.  Went to post after setting up his replacement email account elsewhere, and then realised you have to sign in!  Handy as we cannot do this, hence why I'm trying to help him.

He doesn't recall ever getting an email to say his account will be suspended (assuming that is the issue here, unless it's been taken over/compromised).  But he does have some important emails on there which relate to some legal disputes, so he wants to be able to get them back or have his email content backed up / exported and sent to him.

Any suggestions on how to get in touch with someone to check on this.  Of course if there are any advisors here that can at least check his Sky email to see what is going on, I really would appreciate a message and I'll happily share the required info.

Thanks, Phil

[Mark39]

Sky remove email accounts only if a customer hasn't logged in for a while - around 3 months, I think.

What exactly is the error message he's seeing? And does it say contact Sky to get it corrected?

[jayach]

Is he/you able to access his Sky account here: https://www.sky.com/myaccount/my-details

Edit: I haven't been a Sky customer for over 10 years, and my email works fine, so no they do not get suspended, as long as they are used regularly.

[pbarnfield]

So he's not able to login, hence why we opted to password reset.  But when he enters his security answers it says the Last Name isn't correct - but it can only ever be his surname!  Tried with and without capitals etc.

Yeah I've not noticed anyone lately getting locked out of an account when it's been in use despite not being a paying customer.  But the trouble is you can't sign in anywhere or get hold of a real human to sort the problem out from Sky's end.

[jayach]

So, is he not able to log in here: https://www.sky.com/myaccount/my-details ?

All that is required for the username is the bit before @sky.com in the email address.

If he can't, exactly what happens when he tries.

[pbarnfield]

[pbarnfield]

This is however a different number so will pass this onto him to see if he can escalate further.

[caesarome]

What is supposed to happen is that when that number is called it blocks the account but in reality that probably will not happen.

Can he reset his email password:

https://skyid.sky.com/resetpassword/

If not then call then number and explain that you are logged out of your Sky account. It might takes a few calls before you get to speak to someone who knows what they are doing as it did with me when this happened to me a few years ago.

[jayach · Accepted solution]

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@pbarnfield wrote:

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That usually means they have detected a security problem with the account, and need the user to pass security. The problem is that the agents answering that number never seem to know what to do, it will probably take a few tries before he get an agent who does know.

[pbarnfield]

I've just had an email back from the customer and it seems he finally got there after 6 different advisors!! 

Many thanks on his behalf for the advice.  Strange that he couldn't reset the password himself, but I guess that would be due to it being locked.

[jayach]

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@pbarnfield wrote:

 Strange that he couldn't reset the password himself, but I guess that would be due to it being locked.

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Obviously, I can't be sure, but I suspect they had given their credentials on a phishing email, and so Sky needed more than just knowing the password to unlock the account.

Tell them to  check their email account carefully for any filters or spurious reply to address that may have been set up.

Glad they were able to get there.

[LIzaJR]

I have been locked out of my account with th is same error message since 6th Sept, I've re-set the password and memorable date (with the advisor). Tried multiple devices and browers and am just being told that they can't work it out, was told last Monday that it would be fixed by Friday and called again today and after and hour and 20 mins and trying some other things am being told it needs to be escalalated again. I've had the email account for 20 odd years and never had an issue with it, it has all my important stuff in there. I'm trying to sell my house and move country and I'm tearing my hair out and no one can help! Can't even even get through the Yahoo IVR, just tells you that you need to generate a code over and over again - can anyone help I am at my wits end! Thanks!

[Mark39]

@LIzaJR don't waste your time (or money) trying to contact Yahoo. They won't help with a Sky Yahoo Mail account. Only Sky can put this right for you, but as highlighted in an earlier response, trying to find an adviser who knows what needs to be done isn't easy. You could try raising a formal complaint. Using the webform here and it may find its way to someone within Sky who can sort it out for you: https://www.sky.com/help/articles/how-to-make-a-complaint

[LIzaJR]

Thanks, I've spent hours on the phone and they've tried everything, I've had some knowledgeable and very helpful advisors, but nothing at all has worked. I'll try the complaint route, I am totally at my wits end. If I get it back I'm moving my mail box to and external hosting company - it just stopped working for no reason at all!