Frustrating dot mac problem

Posted:
in Mac Software edited January 2014
I have had a dot mac account since the first month the service was made available. I have always had the same member name and password all these years. Suddenly for no obvious reason 2 days ago Apple no longer can recognize my password. I get "Invalid member name or password" when I try to sign into .mac. As a result nothing works now. No email from .mac, my Apple Store account cannot be accessed, my iTunes account cannot be accessed, I can't edit my .mac blog or web site.



I decided to click on the "forgot password" link and simply re-set my password to the old one. This worked fine. Apple asked me one of my security questions and I successfully reset my password to the same value it has always been. For about 8 hrs. everything worked fine and then the same problem recurred. I went through the same process, once more resetting my password to the old password. Everything worked fine for awhile. But when I awoke yesterday I found my password once more was not being recognized.



Unfortunately, this time when I tried to reset my password, Apple asked me a non-answerable security question: "what is name?" Nothing I entered as an answer worked.



When I navigate to the .mac website I get a page that shows my member name and indicates that I have 68 emails. But of course I can't access the email since logging in is required.



The only official support Apple provides for dot mac is an online form requesting support. I filled this out and got an email (to my alternate email address) informing me that Apple had received my request for support and that I would be answered in the order my request was received and that I could expect a response within 24 hrs. Well, now it has been well over 48 hrs. and no word from Apple except a debit from my online account for automatic renewal of my dot mac account.



As far as I can tell my experience with .mac has been unique. That gives me little solace, however. I would rather have access to my email, blog, etc.

John

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 2
    brussellbrussell Posts: 9,812member
    I too started with .Mac from the beginning, and I know that Oct. 1 is when original users have to renew. Is it possible that you didn't pay to renew? Maybe your credit card changed since last time?
  • Reply 2 of 2
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by BRussell View Post


    I too started with .Mac from the beginning, and I know that Oct. 1 is when original users have to renew. Is it possible that you didn't pay to renew? Maybe your credit card changed since last time?



    No, this is not the cause. Whatever the problem at Apple, they have no problem in billing customers. They billed my online bank account for $123.88 right on 10/13/07, just one day before my account was due for renewal. But they do seem to have a real problem responding to customer issues. It is now going on 4 days that I have been without access to my dot mac services, including email. Apple has not fulfilled its promise to respond to my request for support "within 24 hrs." I have now filled 4 requests for assistance with no meaningful response (just an automated reply that they have received my request and will respond within 24 hrs.) I guess weekends don't count in the 24 hr. scheme. I think it is crucial for Apple to have a mechanism for dot mac customers to be able to contact them by telephone. Or they need to ensure that there is a much quicker response to significant problems like this. Four days without the service I'm paying for with no end in sight is not a customer satisfying experience.

    John
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