Locked Out of Old Account Master Thread

[SirJohn33]

Alright let's truly address this issue that is plaguing many people trying to jump back into EA Games.

I, personally, have been locked out of an EA account that I have not accessed in over 10 years.  Unfortunately, my gamertag is connected to it, which means I cannot attach my current EA account to my gamertag.  I'm an XBOX Game Pass subscriber, and this small hiccup is not allowing me to play any EA games at all using this service.

Yes, I'm aware of the "account recovery form" and that I can get better help actually talking to an agent over the phone.  Unfortunately, all of this requires information that is impossible to obtain, which then leads to every agent telling me that I cannot be helped.

So this is less of a thread about getting the help I need, but more about addressing issues here that many people in my situation are facing.  These issues NEED to be addressed.

1. Some information in the account recovery is absolutely counterproductive.  Asking for an IP address is nonsensical in trying to verify somebody's ownership of an account.

2. I literally can't provide "purchases I made on my account including month and year" because I have not bought anything on the account in question.  It's astounding that there isn't a way around this problem, and this is absolutely unnecessary for trying to verify ownership anyway.

3. Verifying ownership shouldn't be constrained to this insanely specific process.  I can verify my identity through so many other ways from showing a matching ID or even screenshots showing that I am indeed me.  I understand that security and privacy is important, but having security so intense that even the account holder can't verify is not a good system.

This whole system has created an endless loop of insanity that locks many people out of access to games and services they rightfully own.  A customer service that goes "oh well you're screwed" is not a solution.  This issue needs to be looked into asap especially with EA Play being on XBOX Gamepass, people jumping back into Mass Effect, and more.

Solutions to this problem can be easy.  A better verification process would be the best first step, but the simplest option is just to make it possible to link accounts easier.  Just allow my gamertag to be connected to multiple accounts.  Maybe allow me to access my EA account through the gamertag in question, at least.  I can't even do that because my account is so old that my credentials are "expired."  Maybe make linking game specific instead of having every EA game automatically try to log in through my old account.

There are so many ways around this problem, and it's extremely distressing that the system in place is the worst possible system seeing as everybody is basically just being thrown into a cycle which repeatedly tells them that there is no solution.  The only reason there is no solution is because nobody is willing to find one.

[EA_Darko · Accepted solution]

Hey @SirJohn33 for issues such as this you will need to speak with one of our phone or chat support advisers who will be able to advise you further. 

If you are unable to verify account ownership then I'm sorry to say but our team will be unable to grant you access to or make any changes to your account.

We take account security very seriously and only the account owner been request changes be made to an account. If you do not have enough info related to the account to prove ownership then you will not be able to access it.

You can contact our live support at help.ea.com.  

To  speak with a chat adviser:

Click on your product Origin

Then select 'PC

Manage my Account'

Finally, you can choose to begin a chat or request a call back.

I'm going to lock this thread as there is nothing more that we can do to assist with account recovery on AHQ.

Darko

[EA_Darko · Accepted solution]

Hey @SirJohn33 for issues such as this you will need to speak with one of our phone or chat support advisers who will be able to advise you further. 

If you are unable to verify account ownership then I'm sorry to say but our team will be unable to grant you access to or make any changes to your account.

We take account security very seriously and only the account owner been request changes be made to an account. If you do not have enough info related to the account to prove ownership then you will not be able to access it.

You can contact our live support at help.ea.com.  

To  speak with a chat adviser:

Click on your product Origin

Then select 'PC

Manage my Account'

Finally, you can choose to begin a chat or request a call back.

I'm going to lock this thread as there is nothing more that we can do to assist with account recovery on AHQ.

Darko