Is there any way to re-instate an email sub accoun...

Question

Yesterday one of my email sub-accounts was compromised and 'deleted' from the yahoo mail server.
The BT Techs suggested that I delete the reference to the sub-account on my 'Account' management page so that I could then re-instate the sub-account after 5-12 hours, when it would have been 'properly'
deleted from the yahoo mail server. On trying to re-instate the original sub-account today (after nearly 24 hours) I kept getting the message that I could not do this as the username already existed.
More calls to BT tech support, resulting in an escalated problem, but with the outcome that I will have to wait 110 days before the account is truly 'gone'.
BT/Yahoo do not believe that they can restore the email account, which is frustrating as this account is used for all our business emails, and has been for 18 months now.
I spoke to a really helpful bloke at BT this afternoon/evening who suggested asking about the problem on here, so here is the timeline.
9.35am Mon 23rd - Security window popped up asking
me to verify my login by entering my password. This didn't work (twice on Apple
and once on PC)
Tried to reset my password via the usual security (DOB & place of birth). No luck - was told that my place of birth and DOB did not match those on record! Alarm bells. Tried this three times, just to be
sure.
9.54am Mon 23rd - Called BT broadband help to ask them to nip into account to see, but the stored details were not the true ones.
10.00am onwards - Eventually discovered that my security answer had been changed to 'Compromised' (or a version of this). With the techs help I was able to get into my security check area and correct all details and change the security question and logon password.
BT Tech told me that there was no evidence of my sub-account (despite the fact I could see it listed on my screen along with 8 others).
Because they couldn't find it there was no way to log in to reset the password...
To simplify things for BT I deleted six of the sub accounts I no longer use, leaving only the one in question and one other that is still 'live'
I was then advised to delete the sub account so that I could create it again. (Apparently after 5-12 hours)
End of call
14:05 - Sent test mail to sub account from another email address, and received the usual 'out of office reply'
Account obviously still there
Further, repeated mails across the rest of the day were not bounced back (as they would be if the account had been deleted)
Tuesday 24th - Tried to create 'new' sub account with the same name as my original, now that nearly 24 hours had passed. No joy - username still exists
Further calls to BT and the problem was escalated...to where I am now.
No BT/Yahoo way of restoring the account because it's been deleted, although it will still exist
Have to wait 110 days to re-create, but business critical as 40,000 magazines are printed each month with this address in them.
So...
is there any way to re-create the path to the deleted email account? Or...
is it possible for BT to restore to the username from a backup snapshot from Sunday? Or...
is there any way to set up a remote forwarding protocol despite the fact there is no loger a login?
Any help gratefully received.
Many thanks

Answer 1

Adman wrote:
Yesterday one of my email sub-accounts was compromised and 'deleted' from the yahoo mail server.
The BT Techs suggested that I delete the reference to the sub-account on my 'Account' management page so that I could then re-instate the sub-account after 5-12 hours, when it would have been 'properly'
deleted from the yahoo mail server. On trying to re-instate the original sub-account today (after nearly 24 hours) I kept getting the message that I could not do this as the username already existed.
More calls to BT tech support, resulting in an escalated problem, but with the outcome that I will have to wait 110 days before the account is truly 'gone'.
BT/Yahoo do not believe that they can restore the email account, which is frustrating as this account is used for all our business emails, and has been for 18 months now.
I spoke to a really helpful bloke at BT this afternoon/evening who suggested asking about the problem on here, so here is the timeline.
9.35am Mon 23rd - Security window popped up asking
me to verify my login by entering my password. This didn't work (twice on Apple
and once on PC)
Tried to reset my password via the usual security (DOB & place of birth). No luck - was told that my place of birth and DOB did not match those on record! Alarm bells. Tried this three times, just to be
sure.
9.54am Mon 23rd - Called BT broadband help to ask them to nip into account to see, but the stored details were not the true ones.
10.00am onwards - Eventually discovered that my security answer had been changed to 'Compromised' (or a version of this). With the techs help I was able to get into my security check area and correct all details and change the security question and logon password.
BT Tech told me that there was no evidence of my sub-account (despite the fact I could see it listed on my screen along with 8 others).
Because they couldn't find it there was no way to log in to reset the password...
To simplify things for BT I deleted six of the sub accounts I no longer use, leaving only the one in question and one other that is still 'live'
I was then advised to delete the sub account so that I could create it again. (Apparently after 5-12 hours)
End of call
14:05 - Sent test mail to sub account from another email address, and received the usual 'out of office reply'
Account obviously still there
Further, repeated mails across the rest of the day were not bounced back (as they would be if the account had been deleted)
Tuesday 24th - Tried to create 'new' sub account with the same name as my original, now that nearly 24 hours had passed. No joy - username still exists
Further calls to BT and the problem was escalated...to where I am now.
No BT/Yahoo way of restoring the account because it's been deleted, although it will still exist
Have to wait 110 days to re-create, but business critical as 40,000 magazines are printed each month with this address in them.
So...
is there any way to re-create the path to the deleted email account? Or...
is it possible for BT to restore to the username from a backup snapshot from Sunday? Or...
is there any way to set up a remote forwarding protocol despite the fact there is no loger a login?
Any help gratefully received.
Many thanks
Hi. Welcome to the forums.
A deleted sub account actually goes into a limbo state, and is actually 90 days (or 3 calendar months) before it is actually put back into the "unused" state. Hence any emails sent to this deleted sub account will not bounce, and any forwarding or out of office type settings are still active.
You will not be able to re-create it as is already exists as this limbo state. All emails to it (unless using forwarding) will not be stored on the servers as far as I am aware.
A few years ago now, it was possible to delete a sub account (from the primary, as this controls the accounts) and re-add immediately, but this changed to the 90 day feature.
Unfortunately deleting the sub account was actually the wrong thing to do in this case. As you had already managed to alter the security details and DoB - in fact I always recommend that these are not as expected. For example "My first car" - you can put anything here, not a car, and for DoB - use something that isn't your DoB - any old date will do. As long as these answers are recalled by yourself. With the huge boom in social media sites, these sorts of details are not too hard to find and many folk can fall foul to their accounts being compromised.
Anyway, after altering the details - there was no need to delete the account!, and I'm afraid that the advice was incorrect.
Your best bet is to ask one of the moderators to help. Use the following method :-
Moderation Team Email Address: Please fill out this "contact us" form http://bt.custhelp.com/app/contact_email/c/4951
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