HT5625 Trying to restore access to valid Apple ID via 'Forgot your password' link. Email authentication never reaches address. Any ideas?

Question

I am trying to restore access to another Apple ID via the ‘Forgot your password’ link.   I enter the e-mail address as an apple ID and click ‘Next’.  This offers 2 options:
1) Email authentication: To access your information, we will send an email to the address(es) on file for you.
2) Answer security questions: To access your information, you will need to answer the security question(s) provided when you originally created your Apple ID.
Selecting the first option, the message ‘Email has been sent’ is displayed.  However, no email is ever received at the address entered.  I have tried this numerous times.
Selecting the second option offers the prompt ‘Please verify your birth date to continue.’  I enter the date of birth and am presented with the message ‘The authentication information provided does not match our records. Please verify your personal information and try again’.
Catch 22 - can anyone help me, as this seems an impossible situation for me to rectify?

Answer 1

I had a similar problem. I had to call Apple support via phone and ask what apple ids my email was associated with. He was able to give me the email server it was associated with (ex: yahoo, gmail, hotmail, etc) and that sparked off the memory I needed to recall that ancient and unused apple id. Then I had to recover the password, log in to that old id and change the primary email address.
As for no verification email sent, there is a major lag between changing your settings and them actually changing in Apple's system. I don't know why this is. I couldn't delete a secondary email no matter what I tried. Then 4 hours later, it finally let me do it.
hope this helped a litte, good luck!