plummerld's profile

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229 Messages

Saturday, July 23rd, 2022 12:39 AM

Closed

Eliminate "Add your mobile phone number" prompt

After not occurring for months, now, when I access my email via XFINITY.COM, I'm being intercepted with the "Add your mobile phone number"

Per the information within Comcast, they request a recovery option, stating "private email or mobile phone". I've given the private email, but the system is now requiring me to enter a mobile phone number. I refuse to enter my mobile! On the surface there is no way to dismiss this request, it's either input it or ask me later. I want neither.

I subjected myself to the misery of online chat. It truly was miserable. I started with one person, who was completely ignoring what I was saying, all of a sudden I was handed over to a second person. Had to explain the situation all over again, they do not read what has been occurring withing the existing chat. Same thing, again after many futile attempts to communicate, I was handed off to a third person. Same thing happened! I was then handed off to a fourth person. At this point it was starting to feel like I was getting somewhere.

The unending chat then ended with me being told:

"Here, I have selected your personal email address as preferred option for recovery option. Now, you won't receive any such messages to add your contact number for this account"

Great I finally got through to someone! This, of course, was completely wrong. Absolutely no change in behavior.

OK staff, let's get a ticket started and try and solve this!

Accepted Solution

Contributor

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229 Messages

2 years ago

@Again  @XfinityBrie​  @XfinityJoshuaE​  @XfinityAnna​  @XfinityElizabethA

So, just to hopefully let you all know. I found the issue involved with the webpage popup, telling me I need to add my Mobile Phone. Within the hard to probe depths of Comcast, I found the following article:

https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/account-protection

Under the paragraph addressing Password Recovery, it says "We recommend that you have a personal email address, mobile phone number or secret question and answer listed on your Xfinity account so that we can assist you in case you need to recover or reset your password. You must have at least two recovery options set up in your account for security purposes.

I have always had a personal email address, but no mobile phone number. The popup was not occurring. I have found several instances in the online documentation that still lists just having one of the two options being satisfactory. It now appears that they have since added the secret question option, and now require two to be present. Guess what, I added a secret question and the popup no longer appears.

Comcast has a bunch of clean-up to do, with respect to making the new requirements/options clearly stated. The popup itself could have clearly given the requirements, rather than simply saying I must add a mobile phone. This simple change would have saved me from chatting with four different people, all of them not knowing about this. It would have saved me spending time on the forum, with people not knowing about this. It would have saved me from multiple phone calls to support, all of whom knew nothing about this.

Have a great day.

Regular Visitor

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7 Messages

@plummerld​ Thank you! I think this worked for me; haven't had a pop-up message yet. It also eased my frustration of it not accepting my mobile number because it's associated with another account. Apparently each Xfinity email address needs its own mobile phone number. Well, I have 3 addresses and 1 phone, so I kept getting the pop-up. Anyway, thank you again for the "secret question" solution. 

Regular Visitor

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7 Messages

Okay, the pop-up telling me to add my mobile phone number is back. I double-checked the account and I have an outside email address and a secret question and answer. Still only one phone number. This is ridiculous. Wouldn't be a big deal if I didn't have to access this account multiple times a day. 

(edited)

Contributor

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342 Messages

Hello@Kabocha10  thank you for reaching out through our forum. We really appreciate your feedback. I will pass along your feedback to my support teams, we are always looking to improve our customers experience. You can also provide feedback using this link https://comca.st/3p7HXtX. Thank you for taking the time to reach out to us.

I no longer work for Comcast. 

Contributor

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229 Messages

2 years ago

What on earth does it take to get some response on this????? After my chat fiasco, I gave up and tried calling (I know.....). After an unbelievable amount of effort, the support person said, I've fixed your issue, please wait for two hours. This was probably so the person would be off duty at that time.

Two hours later, I still get the demand for my Mobile Phone Number, but with a surprise this time. This time, instead of the entry field showing:

(###)-###-####

It is prefilled with my landline phone number, all I have to do is request a verification code to be sent to my landline!!!!! Either that or Ask Me Later.

This is beyond ridiculous, I'm embarrassed to have spent 40+ years as a software engineer, and have to see this kind of trash. The worst part is that I'm paying an embarrassing amount of money for this.

Again, does a rational/intelligent support person even exist???

(edited)

Problem Solver

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908 Messages

Hello @plummerld. Thank you so much for taking the time to create this post for our Xfinity Community Forum. I apologize for the delay in our response and can understand your frustration with the Xfinity My Account app. 

 

To clarify, the two-step verification is an account security measure and entering your mobile number here would enable you and only you to send yourself a text with a security code if you were not able to access your email for the code. If you do decide to enter your mobile phone number here, you would not need to use it if you didn't want to, but it will be there as a back-up option if you ever need it. If you do not choose to enter your mobile number, you can select the option for "maybe later".

 

As of right now, this is how our Xfinity My Account is set up to function. But, we always appreciate feedback like this, and I will be happy to pass this along to improve the Xfinity My Account app experience. 

 

 

 

I no longer work for Comcast.

Contributor

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229 Messages

@XfinityElizabethA​ so, are really telling me that every single customer is required to have a cell phone???? I don't think so!

OK, let's address the Xfinity My Account, please notice that I'm not talking about the Xfinity My Account app, this is on a computer, using a browser! Under Contact Information, it lists the following:

> Account Phone Numbers : xxx-xxx-xxxxx

> Comcast.net Email : ####@comcast.net

> Personal Email : ####@gmail.com  (PREFERRED)

+ Add a Verified Mobile Phone Number

Additionally, there is a screen that says : @@@@, keeping your profile updated with at least one method is the best way to secure your access to your account.

See what it says there? At least one method. I have provided one method, that does not depend (luckily) on Comcast. This is the "back-up option if you ever need it". Now back to the original topic. I want this interfering screen to go away. Make it so.

Problem Solver

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874 Messages

We really appreciate your feedback @plummerld. This document provides details regarding the reason behind the request https://comca.st/3OOSNPD. I am not showing any way around the option. That being said, we are listening, and I can truly understand how this has caused a headache for you. I will pass along your feedback to my support teams, we are always looking to improve our customers experience. You can also provide feedback using this link https://comca.st/3p7HXtX. Once again, we really appreciate your loyalty and are grateful for our customers' such as yourself! 

I no longer work for Comcast.

Contributor

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229 Messages

@XfinityAnna​ unbelievable. Does anyone ever read the posts or the links that you send out????

I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT THE XFINITY AUTHENTICATOR APP!!! This app, as the linked article states, is for a mobile phone!!!

As I said in the reply you are responding to, I am talking about a computer browser, accessing my email via xfinity.connect.com. I am not using a mobile phone to access email through Xfinity.

Read what I just said, COMPUTER BROWSER. Accessing email through xfinity.connect.com, via the web, does not require the use of a mobile phone. Does anyone understand the concept??? I'm beginning to not think so. Believe me, I will be more than happy to send some feedback to "Tom".

(edited)

Problem Solver

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874 Messages

@plummerld, I understand you are frustrated, and I would be as well if I was in your shoes. I have read your post, replies, and comments. I understand you are using the browser and not the app. I linked that article specifically because section 5 provides details behind the reason we ask for a cell phone number (for security). As a support agent, we are unable to change the website functionality without providing feedback to further support teams. I understand this is not what you wanted to hear, and for that I apologize. I have notated your concerns, and would be happy to provide updates further once we have information to share. 

I no longer work for Comcast.

New Poster

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5 Messages

2 years ago

I also have this pop up when I log into my account.  I also do not want to give Xfinity my Cell number, and would like to have this request permanently stopped. 

Contributor

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229 Messages

@bill5252​ look at the accepted solution above. The Outside Email and the Secret Question has stopped the mobile phone request for me. Look at this difficult to find link:

https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/account-protection

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