Our login recovery process applies in very specific, rare situations:
- You have lost both your login information and access to your email address.
- You have two-factor authentication configured, your two-factor device is lost or broken, and you don't have one-use recovery codes saved.
- We determine that both control of a membership and the associated email address have been hijacked or transferred to someone other than the named member.
The worst case scenario is that you have two-factor authentication configured that isn't working and you didn’t save any one-use recovery codes and you don't know your login and password and your member contact email address isn't working. This case is so spectacularly unlikely that even if your recovery settings are lower, you must complete all possible verification steps to regain access to your membership. Seriously, don't let this happen!
To complete the login recovery process, a certain number of login recovery actions must be completed successfully. The process is designed to be mildly inconvenient for our members and impossibly difficult for others. Members who keep good records, always make sure their contact information with us is up-to-date, and set up additional recovery options can complete the process with as little as 10 minutes of work on their part. Most members complete it with less than 30 minutes of work.
Although burdensome and inconvenient, the process is typically not actually difficult unless there are extenuating circumstances. For example, if you gave us a fake name when you signed up, you're probably about to have a very bad day.
For more information about the login recovery process, please review the entire Login Recovery section of this FAQ.