Daughter can't access her email.

[Ixia2]

My 12yr old daughter has had an Outlook email for a couple of years, it's connected to my Microsoft account on the family settings. But it is asking for verification now, we've followed the steps on the email sent to my account, but it just results in an error message and she still can't access her emails. Getting really frustrated as she needs her email for schoolwork etc, it has worked fine up until this week.

 

[Ixia2]

I have suspicion that her account was created in a different jurisdiction to mine, which is one of the things that Microsoft suggests may cause an error, but we can't access her profile to find out.

 

[orlbuckeye]

It really doesn't have much to do with Outlook the client. The issue is with the account on the the EMAIL ISP. Because of the increased hacking going on in the world the ISP are using more security checks. Sometimes ISP require verification after someone tried to access the email account What they typically do is either text or email a code to to the original phone used to create the account and they won't let the email account to be used until that code sent in the text is entered.

 

[Ixia2]

Have since found out that it is because of the new EU data protection laws for under 13s, which come into force in May. We have to verify daughter's age, which is fine, but we can't complete the verification process because of the error msg. Annoyingly she will be 13 in 6wks.
I'm going to try and phone Microsoft today.
We can't open her account on any device or on the web.
I can't post a screenshot, but error says..

"We tried, but something's not working at the moment. Traceld: Cfcq+5Y8nEeT/Alc.12.61.24"

I really don't want to lose her account as she has her name, with no numbers, as her email and we'll not get that again.

 

[Ixia2]

I have phoned Microsoft and they want to charge me £65 pounds to help, struggled to understand the advisor and she hung up. I pay for Outlook as part of the 365 subscription, can't believe there is no support with it. No idea what to do now, they are basically holding my child's account hostage, any ideas? Can I raise a complaint anywhere? At this point I'm pretty much done with Microsoft.

 

[midnightfrolic]

probably post this on their social media page. it'll get attention quick.

Edit: try using different web browser. Unlink the account from your MS Account. And don't flag it as a child account. Try resetting passwords and log in.

 

[Ixia2]

Hi, thanks for the reply. We can't access her account details, just trying to enter the password triggers the verification process. They already have it flagged as a child account. Have tried various browsers and devices. By tinkering with my account I managed to get the option to submit photo I.D for me to prove that she has an adult vouching for her, but I can't see it being accepted.
I'm just so shocked at the Microsoft support line, they were awful.
I'm thinking about social media, I only have facebook.

 

[Ixia2]

Well...they updated her details using my birthdate from my driving license <facepalm>, but at least it has given us access to her account. I'm going to leave it at that, it now means her age is wrong, but I daren't risk triggering the verification process again. Bizarrely she is still a child on my account, albeit a 48yr old child! I wonder if Microsoft is making such a mess of every European child's Outlook account :S

 

[Chuck Finley69]

Well...they updated her details using my birthdate from my driving license <facepalm>, but at least it has given us access to her account. I'm going to leave it at that, it now means her age is wrong, but I daren't risk triggering the verification process again. Bizarrely she is still a child on my account, albeit a 48yr old child! I wonder if Microsoft is making such a mess of every European child's Outlook account :S

It's the new regulations causing problems when companies are forced to comply.

 

[tgp]

It's the new regulations causing problems when companies are forced to comply.

Are new regulations the reason I now see a banner saying "We are using cookies" on so many websites now? What a pain!

 

[Ixia2]

It's the new regulations causing problems when companies are forced to comply.

Tbh it's not the new regs, but Microsoft's clumsy handling of them. Asfaik the US has had similiar regulations for years, so you'd think they'd be more organized.

Re. cookies, I've had this for quite a while now (offshore UK), maybe 2yrs? The new regs are specifically dealing with data protection and under 16yr olds. I'm surprised there hasn't been more publicity. Instagram has ditched all the under 13yr olds, cue a flurry of kids setting up accounts with fake birthdates ( the savvy ones had done this from the start).

 

[Sven De Bont]

I had the exact same issue. I could get through the first 2 steps of the verification process, but then got the eror message (Something's not working. It us, not you).

It turned out that MS uses the credit card information of my account to verify my age and the credit card on my account was expired.

Once I updated the credit card information I was able to complete the verification process.

(I've read somewhere that it charges your credit card for $0.5, but I did not verify that yet.)

 

[Ixia2]

Apparently, it adds 50p/c to your Microsoft account. My credit card and daughter's account are in two different jurisdictions, so they won't accept my card ( and it took us ages to get to that point). I used the "I don't have a credit card" link and it directed me to form which asked for jpeg of my photo ID. Bizarrely they put my birthdate on DD's account. But that worked to give us access, so I'll leave it at that!