Can't access my Yahoo E-mail account...

goldenlight · 10-09-2012, 04:13

Crap! I can't access my Yahoo E-mail account: the one I use for EVERYTHING.

It KEEPS asking me for a cell phone number 'for security purposes', and I sure as hell don't want to give them mine.

The FIRST thing Yahoo, or Google, or Lycos, or Bing does when they get their greasy hands on your cell phone number, is SELL it to as many on line merchants as possible.

They ARE in business to MAKE MONEY, after all. And there is absolutely NOTHING too low for these vultures to do, to make money.

I got the absolute cheapest cell phone, and cell phone plan, I could find. I paid $35 for the phone, which doesn't even have a camera in it, and I use a prepaid plan from T-Mobil. I buy $25 to $50 worth of minutes a year, and as long as I buy more minutes before it's been a year since the last time I bought minutes, unused minutes roll over for the next year.

My plan doesn't even have the ability to send text messages, and I tried like hell to get a plan that doesn't RECEIVE them, either, but T-Mobil, those arseholes, wants to be able to send me text messages from time to time, since each message they send me eats up two minutes worth of talk time, or almost 35 cents per text message I receive.

That adds up REALLY quickly, if I start getting several text messages every day, from all the people that Yahoo will sell my cell phone number to.

And, I sure don't want Yahoo, or ANYBODY else, to be sending me any MORE text messages, either.

Does anybody know of a way to get around giving Yahoo a cell phone number?

I tried giving them my land line number, but Yahoo came back INSTANTLY, and said they were unable to send a text message to that number. Well DUH: it's a LAND LINE number. It seemed like it was worth a try, though.

Despite what Yahoo may think, no EVERYBODY on the planet HAS a cell phone.

I just checked, and I can log into several OTHER Yahoo E-mail accounts that I have.

Also, when I TRY to log into my main E-mail account, and it asks me for my cell phone number, at the top of the page with the 'error' message, it has my first name; the name that is associated with the account.

So, I'm AM logged in: Yahoo just won't let me access my E-mail account.

I am NOT going to give Yahoo my cell phone number.

That being said: does anybody have any ideas? Yahoo's 'hep' page suggests crap like 'open and close your browser' 'clear your cache and cookies'., close all other open pages, and other worthless crap.

I have Firefox as my main browser, but I also have Google Chrome, and Opera, too, though I rarely use them.

I can't access my E-mail through Chrome or Opera, and I simply never, EVER use Internet Explorer.

skeeter7 · 10-09-2012, 04:16

When it asks me for my phone number, which has been for the last couple days now, I just hit save and continue without giving them one. It's worked so far.

goldenlight · 10-09-2012, 04:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by skeeter7

When it asks me for my phone number, which has been for the last couple days now, I just hit save and continue without giving them one. It's worked so far.

What, exactly, does 'hit save and continue' mean? SAve what?

When YAhoo asks me for my cell phone number, the only option I have have seen is something like 'remind me later'. ????

skeeter7 · 10-09-2012, 04:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by goldenlight

What, exactly, does 'hit save and continue' mean? SAve what?

When YAhoo asks me for my cell phone number, the only option I have have seen is something like 'remind me later'. ????

I go to the main page and hit "Mail" on the right. Sign in as usual then the page asking for the phone number comes up. On that page, there is a box to enter the phone number. Just below that to the right, I have a big yellow box that says "Save & Continue". I just click that without entering a phone number and it proceeds to my mail page.

Tvov · 10-09-2012, 04:46

That screen has come up for me recently, Yahoo asking for "security numbers" after I sign in. I just hit the "home" button in the top right of my screen and it gets me past the "security" screen.

686Owner · 10-09-2012, 05:25

Free email has it's price. Try signing up for a pay service.

billkill · 10-09-2012, 05:40

You might want to try a mail client like Thunderbird http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/

goldenlight · 10-09-2012, 05:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by 686Owner

Free email has it's price. Try signing up for a pay service.

I just LOVE the really nice, helpful people on GNG.

As it happens, I DO have an E-mail address that I PAY for, but the spam handling, and the amount of storage space on Yahoo is vastly superior.

And, if you will reread the VERY FIRST sentence I wrote, at the VERY top of my rather lengthy post, you will see the phrase: 'my Yahoo E-mail account: the one I use for EVERYTHING'.

I've had this E-mail account for at LEAST ten years, while I changed ISP's just 2 or 3 years ago, so EVERYONE I know sends me E-mail at this Yahoo account.

It's the E-mail account I use for Amazon.com, newegg.com, ebay.com, glocktalk.com, and dozens of other websites.

I use that E-mail account to send out between 300 and 400 E-mails a months for my work to reunite owners with their lost cats. My work attracted the attention of a local radio station: they invited me to be interviewed, live, on their program. It is a small independent FM station.

I had to decline: some people say they have a face made for radio: I have a voice that's made for E-mail.

I have severe asthma, and the inhaled steroids, and other inhaled asthma meds, has left me with a voice like a middle aged woman who smokes 3 packs of cigarettes a day. I cringe when I hear my recording on my answering machine.

But I digress. My apologies.

I REALLY need to get into that Email account.

I receive about 2 dozen E-mails a day on that account that requires an immediate reply, and at least that many more that I don't have to respond to, as well, but are important to me.

686Owner · 10-09-2012, 06:03

Sorry I can't help. My yahoo address is my spam account. I have no trouble signing into it without a cell phone number.

Maybe you can block their texts after you give them your number.

kylenewman · 10-09-2012, 06:08

I have literally given my cell phone number to dozens of online service providers(yahoo, google, amazon, Netflix, Hulu etc.) and 50+ online merchants. I have never received one unsolicited call..

denn1911 · 10-09-2012, 06:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by skeeter7

I go to the main page and hit "Mail" on the right. Sign in as usual then the page asking for the phone number comes up. On that page, there is a box to enter the phone number. Just below that to the right, I have a big yellow box that says "Save & Continue". I just click that without entering a phone number and it proceeds to my mail page.

They've been asking me for the same thing, and clicking the "save and continue" button puts me into my main account. If that doesn't work for you to bypass the requirement, you'll either have to enter the number (not recommended) or have to call Yahoo customer service directly.

devildog2067 · 10-09-2012, 07:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by goldenlight

I just LOVE the really nice, helpful people on GNG.

As it happens, I DO have an E-mail address that I PAY for, but the spam handling, and the amount of storage space on Yahoo is vastly superior.

So, it's a better product. For free. And they are o my asking for a bit of information. What's the problem?

Quote:

I've had this E-mail account for at LEAST ten years, while I changed ISP's just 2 or 3 years ago, so EVERYONE I know sends me E-mail at this Yahoo account.

So... You put yourself in a situation where you depend on a service hich you have no control over.

Either give yahoo what they ask for in order to keep giving you free email, or switch to another provider. I still don't see the problem.

FWIW, I don't think Yahoo will sell your number to anyone. They aren't worth much.

Adjuster · 10-09-2012, 07:25

None of the companies you mentioned sell or give away your email address or phone number. My Yahoo is acting up this morning but it is not asking me for any identification. Just being slow.

/

KenInColorado · 10-09-2012, 08:11

There's a little note in the paragraph under where they ask for your phone number that says something like "I'll do this later" or "remind me later". Just click on that, problem solved.

ron59 · 10-09-2012, 09:17

Google does that too, but there is a "not now" button, and it doesn't ask enough to be annoying.

I am a daily Yahoo mail user, and have never seen this request of which you speak.

ron59 · 10-09-2012, 09:21

Did you sign up for this and forget?
http://www.ghacks.net/2011/12/09/yah...-verification/

Mine is turned off. Sounds like maybe you turned yours on and didn't realize the implication thereo.

frizz · 10-09-2012, 09:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by ron59

Google does that too, but there is a "not now" button, and it doesn't ask enough to be annoying.

I am a daily Yahoo mail user, and have never seen this request of which you speak.

I've seen the same on Y!, but, like gmail, it is not readily visible. You have to look for a few seconds.

I have been able to get through Y!'s nag screen in a similar way.

I do worry about Y! and G reading my mail as well as saving it forever. It does make me want an independent mail hub. It also makes me wish easy encryption was standard and easy.

I'd like a pony, too.

frizz · 10-09-2012, 09:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by devildog2067

So, it's a better product. For free. And they are o my asking for a bit of information. What's the problem?

Devildog -

There are free pop3/smtp e-mail clients that are very powerful. They have spam filtering abilities similar to Y!/G, and there are people who hand-roll filters that you can access for free. (Much like the add-ons to Firefox.)

I wish I knew what the names are, but Google is your friend. Until they violate your privacy.

frizz · 10-09-2012, 10:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by devildog2067

FWIW, I don't think Yahoo will sell your number to anyone. They aren't worth much.

Phone numbers are VERY valuable. Think of the money made from selling them back in the heavy telemarketing days.

Drain You · 10-09-2012, 10:13

A) carrier messages should not charge you anything
B) you spend $50 a year on cell phone, what's the big deal?

wjv · 10-09-2012, 10:23

666-666-6666

321-456-7890

goldenlight · 10-09-2012, 10:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by devildog2067

So, it's a better product. For free. And they are o my asking for a bit of information. What's the problem?

So... You put yourself in a situation where you depend on a service hich you have no control over.

Either give yahoo what they ask for in order to keep giving you free email, or switch to another provider. I still don't see the problem.

FWIW, I don't think Yahoo will sell your number to anyone. They aren't worth much.

I just love all the great, really helpful people here in GNG.

you OBVIOUSLY didn't bother to READ my post, yet you feel entitled to spew out your 'words of wisdom'.

Why is that?

I hope that the next time YOU need help, a BUNCH of people JUST LIKE YOU, come and crap all over YOUR thread.

Because, you know: karma is a *****.

The world needs a LOT less people like you.

NIB · 10-09-2012, 11:04

Look around closely, there should be a skip/not now link somewhere. They make it real small and inconspicuous so you don't notice. I don't put my number either for the same reason.

Drain You · 10-09-2012, 11:17

kensb2 · 10-09-2012, 11:18

I can tell you that since I gave Y! my cell #, which I did as part of their security upgrades after they noticed 'I' accessed my account from LITHUANIA late one night, that I haven't received any texts or calls from people that weren't already bugging me. Mostly I get calls from Johnstown, PA; it's the Red Cross badgering me for my blood. I really don't believe you have anything to worry about.