Talk21 emails via web and iOS have totally stopped working

[Gaud74]

We have been using Talk21 for over 20 years either from my PC, iPhone or iPad with very little issues.  last week my emails started saying invalid password or email, to retype my password.  initially it was just my iPad, then my iPhone and yesterday even the web browser stopped letting me in.  I stopped using the iPhone mail app and iPad mail app as this wouldn't work.  I tried just retyping the password, then deleting the account from the iPad , rebooting and creating a new account but the mail.btinternet.com is not responding.  so I just used the webmail to access my emails.  Today I am being told that I need to recover my account.  I follow the steps, fill in my details,  I am told they are incorrect so I then click 'I can't remember my security information'.  I get a web page to call BTINTERNET and the number isn't associated to any organisation so now I have no access to my emails.  My Son-in-law is an IT specialist and he has confirmed that he gets the same issues trying to access the email account.  I am now locked out of my account and have no way of contacting BTINTERNET to get help.  This Talk21 email account is my primary email address and for a retired 70+ person, I find this very frustrating.  I am now at a loss. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

[gg30340]

Are you using the email address format:- (your user name)[email protected]

[Gaud74]

Hello,

Yes,  I have been using the [email protected] setting.  I get the same issue logging in to btinternet web mail.  So I currently have no access to my emails. We have tried everything suggested online.  All my bills come to this email address.  Changing my email address and notifying everyone will be a major inconvenience and I can’t be doing that.  If there is a way to speak with someone from btinternet (considering they are a communications company and list a contact number - that doesn’t work) or they resolve their issue with talk21 email access.  I have read that someone else is having a similar issue.

[imjolly]

you can try phoning BT CS 03301234150 and see if the can help.  I strongly suggest you start to move your emails from t21 so some other source like gmail.   

[Gaud74]

Hello,

Thank you for your reply.  I have been trying to get through to CS since yesterday but not having a client account number the automated service will not put me through.  I stopped my internet service with BT years ago but retained my talk21 email as it was permitted by BT.  I will try again but so far no joy.

[imjolly]

not having BT broadband you are fortunate that you still able to use BT email but new customer no longer can get email from many providers.  Just recently Virgin have notified customers with Virgin email addresses that they will no longer provide email facilities and they are being moved to email company Junara.  first year is free then you need to pay monthly to keep email.  Just wonder how long before BT follow Virgin?

[Kimberlin]

ISP’s who provide email services to former customers without a charge clearly make no money from those customers so it could be argued that if they then provide a sub par service it really isn’t the ISP’s problem. BT cleverly charge almost £100 a year to those who are happy to fork out that amount of money every year for their so called ‘Premium’ email service. Whether BT’s email service is any the better for the charge, only the paying customers know the answer to that question.

Quite frankly I applaud Virgin or any other ISP for offloading long gone customers. Staying with a particular email provider is 100 percent a choice by the user. I’ve ditched and switched plenty of email providers in the last 15 years, you just make a decision and get on with it, not sit there and complain because it’s too much bother or hassle.

There are at the end of the day plenty of other ‘free’ email providers out there who arguably provide an even better service than BT. BT would do well to learn from other providers who currently carry former customers for free and make some money out of them.