Two factor problem = account lost. user since 2009.

[joaochora]

Good afternoon Dropbox Users and Community,

Today I want to share with everyone my experience with Dropbox for, maybe, Dropbox one day think on it and find a smart solution.. because as I will show you, **it happens!

First of all, I'm writting this text as [removed] (my 2nd account) but the problem is with my main account that I use since 2009 ([removed]).
I´m writting it from this account because I dont have access to my main account.

I'm military and I was in comission out of my country for more or less 1 year and my cell phone carrier cancel my cell phone number because I didn´t pay the monthly value. Of course I knew that will happen but I dont want to pay every month +/- 20€ knowing that I will not use it.. (at this time I was using dropbox without any problem in the desktop).

The time pass and some months after, the Android release the version 7.0 and my system got the update and format the cell phone.

Well I install all of my apps and configure again my bank account because many of them had 2-factor activated. Of course I got some problems in some of them to prove my identity.. (but I sent my id card and mac addresses of the devices that were previous connected to that accounts and all got solve! and we are talking about real money...bank account!).

One of the apps that I reinstall was Dropbox. And I though: "well currently I´m not using it in my cell phone so I configure it later" (again, at this time I was using dropbox without any problem in the desktop)...

The time pass and 1 year after I formatted my computer.

When I was installing all the applications that I had before, I face the problem that I´m sharing with you today... I couldnt access to my Dropbox account because:

Problem 1 - Cell phone number. I no longer have this cell number because it got deactivated.

Reaction 1 - I contacted my old cell phone company and they cant reactivate it because it is beeing sell in some store of the country and they cant know the location of it now.

Problem 2 - I dont have any devices with the dropbox information saved

Reaction 2: But I still have my Sony Xperia Z5 Compact and my desktop that were the last devices to access in my account.

Problem 3 - Unfortunatelly (my mistake) I didnt´t save the emergency pin code correctly... I though the best place should be where I expect never to lose it.. Inside of the dropbox.. So I cant reach it now...

To solve this I have:

Solution 1:
My Dropbox account is connected to my Gmail account.
My Gmail account is connected to my Facebook account and Bank Accounts.
My Gmail account is connected to my Paypal account and eBay account.
Can send you or do a remote connection with Dropbox to prove my identity through logins or send you some data of my bank that had at that time that contacts. this method BUT if it is not enough:

Solution 2:
About my cell phone number I still have extracts of the bank including my personal data . I also have papers with monthly payments to my old number. Can send you to prove my identity too. But even this method isnt enough:

Solution 3:
I still have the devices that were connected in the past to my Dropbox account.
I have the security codes that you sent me to my old number with the codes. I have that messages in my inbox! I also can send you pictures of the mac address and imei of the cell phone or the computer.

Well as you can see I can prove easily my identity if you decide to help a costumer and stop writting me default answers that dont help this situation.

(For the Community I already sent a ticket were I put some information of the solutions that I propose but for now there isnt solution).

For the Dropbox helper that will read this, I know that this is only valid if I write it from the correct email address but as long as I can´t do that, I have this ticket that have many information about this problem.

Ticket: #8172606

I think the solution to this isnt to go through weekly trying to contact my old phone number in the hope that there is already a user to resend me the pin code... This is absurd.

[Mark]

Your last post went in to a spam quarantine, sorry. I've unflagged it and put it back for you.

[joaochora]

Thanks Mark lets see what the support office of Dropbox now answer..

[Mark]

It wont change.

In fact I dont think you'll get a reply. Jay has already said that its the final answer on the topic.

Without what they are asking for the account is lost. Sadly its that simple. And if you dont manage to get a phone with the same number on it soon the account will be purged from Dropbox anyway after a year of inactivity.

[joaochora]

Ah nice... I didnt know that they purge the accounts...

So officially account lost.. Rip Dropbox...

My last chance is a supervisor that is reviewing my situation as long as this guys here only are able to do default answers to the costumers...

[Mark]

From experience they wont change it either - plenty of posts on here over time about it.

From team managers and supervisors galore.

Fingers crossed you get somewhere but I strongly doubt it - you wont, however, get anywhere via here.

[joaochora]

Well Dropbox gave me a solution and I will share my experience with a new topic in my old account here.

[jdcchora]

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@Mark wrote:
I can guarantee that even if you get to CEO level they wont let you access the account without the security you've set up - they've been exceptionally strict on this in the past.

Supervisors wont (and cant) override what the security team have said.

Without the systems you set up (i.e. the phone or security codes) that account is now lost.

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Looks like I did it mate 🙂

Thanks for your guidelines too.

[Mark]

I'm am genuinely amazed (and disappointed in them actually) that you did. It defeats the whole premise of setting up 2FA if it can simply be disabled on a whim. This precedent has made Dropbox less safe 😞

That said I'm pleased you got your stuff back. I cant imagine how I'd feel to loose all of mine.

[jdcchora]

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@Mark wrote:
I'm am genuinely amazed (and disappointed in them actually) that you did. It defeats the whole premise of setting up 2FA if it can simply be disabled on a whim. This precedent has made Dropbox less safe 😞

That said I'm pleased you got your stuff back. I cant imagine how I'd feel to loose all of mine.

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Hi @Mark, this is my main account.

Dont be disapointed they ask me A LOT of information that only the owner of the account can know.

Also, told you that must exist another solution. This was so stupid.

I finished now to write the new post and will post it here.

https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Manage-account/Recover-Account-with-2-FA-active-solution

[jdcchora]

Solved.