Why am I locked out of TA

Question

Hi everyone, I have been a member of TA for 20 years. Recently, I have been locked out of my account and haven't been able to make any posts for over a month. I have always posted under jlr51 and know many of you! So, about six months ago, apparently hotmail was dissolved and I had to open a new email account under outlook.com. I have had many issues with everything since that time - it has been a huge headache. So I think this TA issue might also be related to the email issue.

I can't remember the last time I had to use a password to access my TA account. I just click on my TA icon and it brings me right to my account where I have posted for many, many years without using a password. I now get a pop up box that wants my non-existent password and wants to know if I want to log in using Google or email. Well, the only email that TA recognizes is my previous hotmail account which I can no longer even access. I tried using my new outlook account and doing a reset password, but I get a message that TA will send me a reset link to my new email if they have a matching account, which of course they don't. I am totally lost as to what to do. I have over 12,000 posts as a DE under jlr51 and I really don't want to start over with a new account name.

Has anyone else had this happen? Or can a TA admin help me out with this?

Answer

It sounds like you're dealing with a frustrating situation, especially since you've been such a long-time member of the TA community. The issue with your email change and being locked out of your account is unfortunately not uncommon, especially with services that tie accounts to specific email addresses. Here's a step-by-step approach you can take to resolve this issue:

1. Try Resetting Your Password via Email

It sounds like you've already tried using the password reset option, but TA is only recognizing your old Hotmail account, which is no longer active. Since the system is likely still tied to your Hotmail email, here are a couple of things to try:

Check all possible recovery options: Even though you’ve switched to Outlook, check if you can still access your Hotmail account (sometimes old accounts may still be accessible via Outlook, or there might be an option to recover it). This would allow you to reset the password for your TA account using the old email.
Reach out to TA support: Contact the TripAdvisor support team directly (through their official contact page or via social media channels) and explain your situation in detail. They may be able to help you recover your account even if they cannot send a reset link to your old Hotmail account. Provide as much detail as possible, including your old Hotmail address, the username "jlr51", and any proof of your identity that they may request.
Check if you can use Google login: Since you mentioned that TA asks if you want to log in via Google, you can try logging in this way, if you linked your TripAdvisor account to your Google account. Even if you don’t remember linking it, sometimes services automatically associate accounts with Google credentials.

2. Contacting TA Admin or Community Help

If the above steps don’t work, it’s worth reaching out to TripAdvisor’s community moderators or admin team directly. Sometimes, long-time members may have access to more personalized assistance. Here are a couple of ways you can get in touch with them:

Via TripAdvisor Help Center: Visit the TripAdvisor Help Center and search for issues related to login or account recovery. They may have a dedicated page for account-related issues that could help clarify the next steps.
Social Media: If you're not getting a response through the Help Center, consider reaching out via TripAdvisor's official social media accounts (such as Facebook or Twitter). Many users have had success getting responses through social media support.
Community Forums: If you haven’t already, you could try posting in the TripAdvisor forums for advice from other members who might have faced similar issues. Sometimes fellow users may have workaround solutions or suggestions that worked for them.

3. Consider Creating a New Account (As a Last Resort)

If you’re unable to recover access to your old account, creating a new account might be the only option. While it would mean losing your post history and DE status, it might still allow you to get back into the community. If this becomes necessary, make sure to use your new Outlook email and update any other account details to prevent future issues.

New Account: If you decide to start fresh with a new account, ensure that you inform TripAdvisor support about your situation so they might be able to transfer your old posts or at least recognize your long-time contributions. It’s worth asking if they can merge the accounts, especially given your DE status.

4. Prevent Future Issues

Once you've resolved the issue, consider updating your TripAdvisor account to ensure it’s tied to your current email (Outlook). You can also link it to your Google account or another recovery email for added security, which could prevent any future problems with login or account access.

I hope this helps you get back into your account! I recommend starting by contacting TripAdvisor support directly, as they are best equipped to assist with account recovery issues like yours.