Dropbox sends messages to an email address that's not linked to any Dropbox account.

[Roger_T]

First, this Dropbox community doesn't seem to have the category I need to post this, so given I want to "delete" a email that's linked to my DropBox account, I'm putting it here. 

To start, I've had a DropBox account for 10-15 years but not a regular user.  Second, I setup the account using a YAHOO email account.  All has been fine until the past week.  That's when I received a link to DropBox files from a friend.  He and I communicate using my COMCAST email account, so naturally that's where he sent the DropBox link (to my Comcast email rather than Yahoo). 

I've received emails like this before from the same friend where he shares DropBox links and I access the files with my YAHOO account, so I had no thought about doing it again.  Keep in mind though that I only use DropBox only once or twice a year.  

This time around, when I clicked the link DropBox then tried to setup a new-user account using my COMCAST email.  Obviously I don't want a new account, nevermind with my Comcast email, so I never proceeded forward.  Instead I tried signing in using my YAHOO email.  However, because of cookies or whatever else, it seemed DropBox was having a problem understanding that. 

Eventually I saw a message that said DropBox was creating a link for my YAHOO email.  I don't recall exactly how but able to access the files using my current DropBox account with my YAHOO email.  I figured everything was normal.  

HOWEVER, since then I have been receiving DropBox messages to my COMCAST email EVERY DAY since.  

Yes, I have gone into my DropBox "Notifications" settings and unchecked every box except Alerts like "I'm running out of space", "A new browser was used to sign-in", etc.  But that shouldn't apply anyways because not only are those settings for my YAHOO email, but I already had all those other notification options under "News" disabled.  Nonetheless, before posting this I confirmed again anyways.  

For instance, today I received an email titled "Day 3 - Edit PDFs right in Dropbox" that was sent to my COMCAST email.  

Obviously that's a NEWS notification.  But more importantly, I don't have a DropBox account setup with my COMCAST email.  So why is DropBox sending messages to my COMCAST email?  Moreover, how can I make these stop??  Worse yet, why is it so difficult to address a problem that DropBox itself created??  Sheesh, what a hassle.   

[Nancy]

Thanks for posting on our Community, @Roger_T. Let’s have a look.

First off, I’d like to double check there’s no Dropbox account indeed linked to your Comcast email and then go from there.

What I’d like you to do is open an incognito window on your browser and try to log into Dropbox with your Comcast email address instead of the Yahoo one. 

When you’re asked to enter your password, select the option to reset it and enter your Comcast email. Are you receiving an email to set a new password to that email address (make sure to check your spam folder too)?

Let me know and we’ll take it from there.

[Roger_T]

Nancy, 

Thank you for your quick reply and for your direction. 

As you instructed, I opened an incognito window (Google Chrome) and tried logging into Dropbox with my Comcast email.  

I selected "Forgot your password" and then entered my Comcast email.  

At that point, I did receive an email message from DropBox saying "Someone recently requested a password change for your Dropbox account" along with a reset option.  

So that clearly shows an account was setup using my Comcast email (annoying, I did not ask for that).  Now that we've determined this, I'll wait to hear back. 

Thank you again for your help - Roger

[Walter]

It sounds like a Dropbox account does exist with your Comcast email address @Roger_T 

Have you tried signing into that account (after resetting your password if needed) perhaps?

[Roger_T]

But I don't want a DropBox account linked to my Comcast email.  Never did.  It's annoying how DropBox automatically setup that account.  

At worst, if I have to set up a password and sign into using my Comcast email only to delete it thereafter,  then so be it.  That's better than receiving all these stupid annoying emails I'm getting.  

It's just lame how this happens.  In the past, whenever I received a DropBox link to my Comcast email, I was able to access the files anyways using my DropBox account that's linked to my Yahoo email.  

This time, DropBox has to open an account using my Comcast email, without asking or giving me another option.  Nevermind how it used to work rather seamlessly with my Yahoo email.  Sheesh.    

Anyhow, none of that is directed at you.  Thanks for your reply.  

[Rich]

---

@Roger_T wrote:

But I don't want a DropBox account linked to my Comcast email.  Never did.  It's annoying how DropBox automatically setup that account.

---

Then just delete it. You can sign into the account and delete it using the steps listed here.

Dropbox doesn't automatically create accounts. They may have offered to create one when you clicked the link that was sent to you, but you would have had to continue through the prompts to create the account. I'm betting that when you thought you were signing in with your Yahoo account, you were actually entering a password for the new account creation.

Just sign in to the account and you'll be able to delete it. Or, just delete the emails as they arrive, ignore the account for a year and it will be deleted automatically.

[Roger_T]

Nosir, that's not what happened.  DropBox prompted me to create an account using my Comcast email and I never followed through.  No password was entered.  I am a PC power user so I can assure you of that.  This is why I was baffled as to why I am receiving daily notifications from DropBox to my Comcast email.  

I disagree with your assertion DropBox doesn't automatically create accounts.  When I clicked on the link, I came to a page where DropBox auto-filled a sign-in page with my Comcast email (rather than my Yahoo email, which my account is linked to).  As stated several times already, I did NOT proceed forward.  By that I mean I did not click "next" or create a password.   

So there's no other explanation as to why there's a DropBox account linked to my Comcast email other than the fact DropBox created it.  

This is also why I could not understand why I'm receiving daily messages to my Comcast email.  When I signed into my DropBox account using my Yahoo email, I checked to be sure my notification settings excluded these "news" emails.  I also checked to see if there was an alternate email setting in my account where DropBox might have my Comcast email. 

This is how I ended up here.  I could not understand how DropBox was sending messages to my Comcast email, especially in light of the fact I never setup an account with that email.   

Nonetheless, thank you for the link.  Guess the easiest way is to stop these annoying DropBox messages to my Comcast email is create a password for the account that I never created and then delete the account. 

Again, thanks for your help.