Ongoing Authenticator Issues

Support Customer Support
1

Okay, so two years ago, my phone number changed. There is an authenticator attached to that number, no big deal right? I go to change it in the support area of the blizzard and it gives me two options to change it. SMS or Authenticator code. I no longer have this phone, so I can’t use these options since I no longer have the phone or the authenticator attached to the phone.

I have tried multiple times in the past to resolve this issue via the support ticket system. This also happened in Cataclysm when I came back from being stationed in Germany, I just called the number and within 20 minutes of being on hold, I got an actual person who fixed the issue after I emailed them a picture of my passport. Simple, so simple.

My number changed again later down the road. No problem, sent a picture ID to blizzard and it was fixed within minutes.

Now, this year, I have put in tickets to remove the authenticator several times. The ticket just disappears from the archives like I never submitted it. Whatever, I can log in.

Fast forward to today’s incompatible issue: I delete the battle.net application after restarting it does not work in order to fix the issue. I go to log in, and after failing to remember my password for 10 minutes (totally my problem) I get the authenticator prompt. Crap… I no longer have the old phone or the number attached to the authenticator.

So… Here we are… a Friday before the weekend. Waiting again for someone to delete my ticket or ignore it. I need this fixed. Not to sit here and wait for months for a ticket to go ignored or to just vanish again. I can not log in in any way at this point. For the love of money, which is all that blizzard seems to care about, put my $15 a month to use and remove that damn phone number and authenticator please. I do not like paying for a service I can’t use, including customer support.

The ticket number is: US74501474
Another ticket number for the same issue is: US74501488

My ticket archive shows no tickets for this previous event… which is garbage. I’ve submitted for this before. Now there is a public record with the ticket numbers.

I miss being able to call, sit on hold for hours, and talk to a rep to have the issue fixed the same day. Not wait around for months of tickets to be ignored.

Fix it.

2

For the authenticator, having the restore code and serial number backed up is vital so you can clone it if your phone fails. Since there is also SMS though, it will likely have to wait for the ticket.

Tickets do not generally vanish though, unless you start a live chat and it did not go through, then no web ticket is submitted after.

Were you able to log into the account at the time of this ticket? My guess is no, then you ended up submitting identification, and it did not link this ticket number to your blizzard account.

They usually do have live chat and phone callback, but in the time of COVID, with most GM staff working from home they had to close those temporarily. Web tickets probably are running 24-36 hours, but I have not seen an update.

If you have a ticket history, included a copy of your identification, it should go through. If it takes more then 48 hours then the ticket probably did not submit properly.

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3

You are right, tickets do not typically vanish, but I submitted for this a few months ago as well, the ticket went to processing then just… wasn’t there anymore. The only ones I see are from item restores two years ago.

Phone call back did not work because it was linked to the phone number with the account. The phone number is no longer in service. I can’t add a phone number without authenticating. The loop is a little too loopy.

I should clarify, for some reason, I can get to the forums and account fine. I just can’t change anything without a phone authenticator I no longer have or the number that is linked to it. And since deleting the battle.net app after the incompatible issue earlier today, I can no longer log in to battle.net either.

This is something I should have fixed when the phone changed, but I could not. It is also something that should not take repeated tickets of the same issue to resolve spanning months either if circumstances prevent me from being able to do things immediately as was the case when the I lost the phone an number associated with it.

I’m frustrated with the situation. I just want it resolved finally. I can’t even update my address, it is still the APO from Germany. I find that part funny.

4

I’m sorry that you seem to be having issues Ingolfr, but to be clear, tickets aren’t ignored or deleted.

Did you submit the ticket anonymously? The only tickets I see before the ones you listed are item restoration requests using the self help option.

Again to be clear, we do not delete tickets. Even if the ticket was abandoned there would still be record of it that I could see. There is none, which makes me think the submission was anonymous and couldn’t be associated with an account (otherwise it would have been attached to this Battle.net).

We don’t because on the flip side of that you had hundreds of folks with legitimate issues not able to get through to the hold queue at all. You had thousands of folks who would just call, because they could, who didn’t have an issue that our Support staff could help with. Like bug reports, game suggestions/complaints, requests for game hints, etc…

Things are a little crazy right now, but our staff are doing what they can do get to these issues as quickly as possible.

In your case, that first ticket was the self help option to remove your Authenticator. The second is a standard request that went to Account Services. Those tend to be a priority and you should likely hear back in the next few hours.

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5

Thanks for the response. I don’t understand either, but the anonymous thing makes sense. I was sure it was submitted properly under my account. It is whatever though. I’m just happy to hear something.

Just so I know, when this happens, will the authenticator and phone number it is attached to be gone so I can add new ones; or is there another step involved? It has been too long for me to remember honestly.

Thanks again!

6

If they are able to use the ID attached to verify your identity they should be able to simply remove the Authenticator on it. Once they do that you should be able to add a new one.

Be sure to copy down your Serial Number and Restore Code on the new one. That will help if you ever have to remove it again.

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7

One of them just got cancelled after processing. That is frustrating. I guess it is the automated one?

8

Yes, it is likely the self help option couldn’t be processed automatically. Your ticket to staff is still open and should be answered soon.

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