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Ask HN: Locked out of Google services with no recourse or explanation

40 points by nikkwong ↗ HN
It's probably the fifth time this week that I've gotten the message in gmail:

"Unusual Usage - Account Temporarily Locked Down"

"To keep our systems healthy, Google has temporarily disabled your account. This primarily occurs when we detect unusually high levels of activity on your account. In most cases, it should take one hour to regain access. In rare cases, it can take up to 24 hours for access to be reinstated."

This is not just annoying, it's disruptive and catastrophic for someone like me, who, runs my business through email. Which, unsuspiciously, involves sending maybe a dozen or so emails a day through gmail. And nothing more. It's been a few hours now, and there's never any knowing when I'll get my account back.

How is this acceptable? I can't possibly move away from gmail, all my consulting gigs use google for work, i've disseminated my gmail address too far across the web.. But, this happens over and over, and I've begun to feel really helpless.

Are there any people at Google that can be contacted about something like this? Or this machine is really running itself and there's nothing that can be done?

24 comments

[ 2.8 ms ] story [ 69.2 ms ] thread
windhover
Once you're back in the gmail account, just add a forwarding to another account.
prlambert
Sorry to hear that, I might be able to help. I work on Gmail. DM me the details on twitter @prlambert (or if you gain email access prl@google.com).
stephenSinniah
Hi, Sorry for troubling you but I've been locked out of my gmail account for nearly a year. I was using a password manager to store the password and the password database was stored locally,the database then got corrupted (I know I'm an idiot for not backing it up). I've tried to go through the account recovery process as I still posses the same phone number linked to that gmail account, however I'm unable to answer the question about when my account was created exactly, It was such a long time ago and I can't seem to remember it and at the end I get the error message "Google couldn't verify this account belongs to you". Is there any way to recover my account? I would really appreciate help in anyway possible, if that's alright with you. Thanks.
girishso
My friend doesn’t have the phone number linked with gmail account anymore, because it was set almost 13 years back. Anyway he can recover his account? He has already tried all the options available.
perl4ever
I have a gmail account that I would like to reset the password for, but I cannot because I do not have access any more to the backup email address. The automated reset process failed several times, so now I use an outlook.com address. Ironically, I had a device that remained logged in to my gmail account for at least a year after, but the ability to receive emails could not help the reset process. Nor did my linked phone help.

If there were a support department with intelligent humans you could call, even if it were $1/minute, that would be helpful.

I feel like working back channels to fix simple access problems is dishonorable and inequitable, sort of like the way various companies are lobbying to be exempted from the tariffs being imposed by the feds recently.

Random Google employees should not be fixing this sort of thing. Sundar Pichai should be fixing this sort of thing. Or government regulators.

mkbkn
I know you'll be troubled a lot tonight, but do hear me out as well.

I have posted the problem I faced a few days ago but received no response.

I know my Gmail username (abc@domain.com) and password. I have access to the backup email provided during registration. A mobile number was associated with it, but now I do not have access to that number, nor do I remember that.

I do remember the month and year of account creation.

Code on the recovery email is “accepted” by the Gmail but the 'algorithm' says, “Google can't verify that this account belongs to you” every single time.

What is my recourse?

PS: Please help the needy persons first, I don't have any emails or data in that. Just want to delete that account for good and to challenge Gmail's algorithms.

danieltillett
I would say you can't possibly continue to use google services. Move now no matter how painful as it will only get worse.
qplex
I think it's not acceptable, but there is really no way around it.

Google provides free services to over a billion people and it it would probably cost them too much to provide real support.

It's just too bad you can't have a "Pro" account with Google that you could pay for and have more reasonable terms of service etc.

some_account
Coat them too much? They are one of the richest companies in the world.

Google doesn't care about its users except for the purpose of using you as their product in exchange for giving you a free, shitty email service.

And still there are people who don't even look at Fastmail (which is awesome, run by true techies who cares about privacy, AND has a much better user interface than Gmail).

qplex
Yes, I'm pretty sure the cost of doing it is why they decide not to do it. Business logic and all that, more profit for Google.

Edit: And you are right, it's not really free service since you opt for your data to be mined by Google for whatever purposes. If you need privacy you'll probably want to use something else.

kohanz
You can pay them for GSuite, but I don't know if the terms are any more favourable.
applecrazy
Actually, they’re trying to add a “Pro” type service with Google One[1]. I don’t know what “access to google experts” entails but hopefully it means actual human support.

[1]: https://one.google.com/getupdates

ap46
This is another timely reminder for everybody to get a simple domain(e.g. Namecheap, now with free whois-privacy as well) & maybe use Zoho mail to manage it for free(IIRC upto 2 in the free-tier). Then forward it to your gmail or whatever. That way you never lose the email address even if something untowardly happens to the forwarded email. I've learnt this the hard way.
ZWoz
Avoid mail forwarding, configure pop3 or imap on destination instead. In gmail that should be "Check mail from other accounts" section. You should avoid forwarding, because mail from domains with SPF gets discarded, if SRS isn't enabled by middleman. Additionally, gmail incoming spam/rate filters can disrupt your correspondence.
iforgotpassword
Wait, what's the point of doing this? If you forward to gmail and then your gmail account suddenly gets a lockdown, what did you gain? Shouldn't you do it the other way round, forward all gmail to your own mail server and then only use that one?
lccarrasco
If you forward to Gmail then you can still receive mails to the other service should Google disable your account, if you do it the other way you're screwed.
iforgotpassword
I see.. I was thinking along the lines of migrating away from google and having the forwarding in place for contacts that didn't update your address yet. Or that couple of services you use but forget about. So you can slowly move everything to the new address over time.
ioddly
And particularly, you can still access things like password reset on other accounts tied to that email.
jocoda
Looks like you may get help to resolve your issues, hope so.

> How is this acceptable?

Have to rather ask why is it not acceptable? Google can and does do what it likes or thinks it has to.

You're a sheep in one of googles pastures - a nice, cozy place in the wild world of the internet. They have made it comfy and easy to use because most sheep have no clue how to use the internet otherwise. There's relative safety in the numbers, but sheep get sheared regularly, and some get eaten, either by the shepherd or the predators that manage to sneak in.

>I can't possibly move away from gmail,...

That's patently false. Lots of options mentioned here and elsewhere. Rather admit you don't want to. Nothing wrong with that.

ajeet_dhaliwal
It’s definitley not acceptable if he’s using G Suite, he/she said ‘google for work’ and it’s not clear whether they are a paying user or not.
jocoda
If he is a paying user then he already has a 24/7 support structure in place. Given the post made, I think it's a reasonable to assume that he's not.
all_hawk
I've had similar issues with other google services. It seems that no matter the persistency with which you pursue a result from google they will take their time and eventually do what they want.

In fact, in my experience I was setting up a new google service while on the phone with a google technician and got locked out while on the phone during initial set up...it took nearly 5 days to get unlocked.

I still use google, but mainly to the point of @jocoda - I don't want to deal with the hassle of using something different. It's simple, fast, and easy ... unless something goes wrong.

EDIT: I recommend following others advice and get out while you can if you can't live with the issues you are having because in all likelihood it will get worse, not better.

mabynogy
> How is this acceptable?

It is not.

If I had that problem I'd go for protonmail an explain my story to everybody who wanna here it.