topic Re: WHAT A PALAVER (To Access Community This AM) in Discussions & Feedback

WHAT A PALAVER (To Access Community This AM)

Cleoriff — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 08:32:05 GMT

It seeems a few of us couldnt get onto community this morning as O2VM wanted to link my accounts.

Bit stupid as I don't have any VM products.

Normally I log on via PC.

Click on sign in link to Community and voila I'm in.

Not this morning.

I was presented with a VM/O2 page requiring me to set up email address and password for VM

Once I'd done that, they wanted phone number to send 2FA.

Gave them phone number and code never arrived.

Then 20 mins later code arrived on phone but when I put it in, I was told time had run out.

Then they locked me out.

Rinse and repeat for nearly an hour.

Then i was asked to set up a passkey.

I did that and again was told they would email me for verification.

Guess what, the email didn't arrive.

Then I realised I HAD to set up a VM account to link both together.

I used same email address and password I had for O2 and suddenly after 95 minutes of faffing about I clicked sign in (for Community) and I'm in.

I know this has happened to @pgn and @Bambino

@Dave-O2 can you check this out please?

If I have to face this every morning, I'll never get on forum as I can't for the life of me remember what I did to conquer the VM instructions to get on here.

PS, also had same issue with phone.

Major problem was, VM failing to send texts in a timely manner and the same for emails. Then having the nerve to tell me they had expired. If I don't have any VM products, why be subjected to this?

RANT OVER!!

Re: WHAT A PALAVER (To Access Community This AM)

Cleoriff — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 08:43:42 GMT

These were all the VM emails which arrived too late to verify.!!

Notice the top one states I've linked the two accounts successfully. 🙄

Re: WHAT A PALAVER (To Access Community This AM)

pgn — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 09:03:16 GMT

That damned SMS from VMO2 never, ever came - and when it did, thankfully, it worked.

I ranted elsewhere, now added just below, especially as I think Dave is out until Tuesday

https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Off-Topic/William-s-1st-Birthday/m-p/1801716/highlight/true#M324831

All consolidated here:

---

what broke with Forum Sign-on earlier?

A nice flashy VMO2 screen insisted on registration of an alternate e-mail address, insisted on oauth as login method and flatly refused to send an OTP to my phone. For almost an hour.

Then I eventually, after changing my password (in a different and incognito window on MyO2 web site, and adding a second e-mail address (!), accompanied by much cussing and swearing 🤬) received, out of the blue, with no warning SMS, just this:

And I could proceed. So from 08:10ish to 09:10ish, no warning just "computer says no".

What gives, @Dave-O2?

Re: WHAT A PALAVER (To Access Community This AM)

Enlli — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 08:47:37 GMT

Had the same. At least I can use biometrics to log in on the phone

Not sure what will happen later when I try the computer.

Re: WHAT A PALAVER (To Access Community This AM)

Enlli — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 08:54:21 GMT

OK tried logging in on Chrome running in Linux

Got a QR code which I had to scan on my phone

Then I had to use biometric log in on said phone to authorise my computer.

Not sure what would happen if I had not got the phone

Re: WHAT A PALAVER (To Access Community This AM)

Cleoriff — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 09:01:23 GMT

@Enlli

As I rarely use my phone, biometrics wasn't an option 😂

I was also presented with a QR code to scan but I ignored that (as I use PC 99% of the time)

I did set up a passkey but bottom line, I don't want (or need) this palaver every morning when I attempt to sign in on Community!

I have an O2 account only. Nothing with VM, so this mornings 90 minute exercise was pretty pointless.

I wonder how many new members this will affect?

Re: WHAT A PALAVER (To Access Community This AM)

pgn — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 09:01:33 GMT

Clearly O2 don't care to hear from their customers 🧐🤨

By making it harder to get through to anyone who is capable of helping or can/will help...

Re: WHAT A PALAVER (To Access Community This AM)

Cleoriff — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 09:07:41 GMT

PS just had ANOTHER code sent to phone at 9am. By that time (and god knows how) I was already in.

I'd requested the code at 08.35. Took them 25 mins to send a code!

Re: WHAT A PALAVER (To Access Community This AM)

Enlli — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 09:08:43 GMT

Once the passkey is set up and applied to your computer, log in becomes much easier.

Just rebooted and then tried.

As to the phone and the MyO2 app logging in by fingerprint is much easier for me.

Re: WHAT A PALAVER (To Access Community This AM)

Cleoriff — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 10:19:35 GMT

@Enlli wrote:
Once the passkey is set up and applied to your computer, log in becomes much easier.
Just rebooted and then tried.
As to the phone and the MyO2 app logging in by fingerprint is much easier for me.

@Enlli

Just had to go through same palaver with my phone. However, it was easier as they asked me to input passkey

although no space for same.

So I clicked 'Try Another Way' and the option to put my password appeared. Put in password and I was in.

So my question is this, when I sign into community on PC, my O2 email and password are already there. I just click sign in and I'm in to Community. I NEVER TOUCH ANYTHING VM related.

Will it be the same when I next log on?

Unlike you, I don't want to risk trying it in case I have the 90 minute saga all over again. 😂

Re: WHAT A PALAVER (To Access Community This AM)

Enlli — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 10:35:25 GMT

@Cleoriff Should be the same, then.

Obviously a move to bring things nearer together across O2 / Virgin after the last failed attempt

Re: WHAT A PALAVER (To Access Community This AM)

Kei-M_O2 — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 10:37:04 GMT

Morning all,

@Dave-O2 is holiday today, but as you've noticed we've made some changes to the log in. We're combining the accounts across O2 and Virgin Media to reduce the number of log in details our customers use across our various different apps and services. This will result in a simpler system as our brands come closer and closer together.

That said, we're aware of some of the issues being reported here and we're working to fix them. We apologise about any issues you've experienced.

Thanks,

Re: WHAT A PALAVER (To Access Community This AM)

pgn — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 10:50:23 GMT

Well there we go, trying to get on via laptop fails ATM:

Chrome browser ...

And now giving...

Good luck @Kei-M_O2!

Re: WHAT A PALAVER (To Access Community This AM)

Cleoriff — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 10:51:34 GMT

Thanks @Kei-M_O2

It really would help if O2 thought to inform members in advance, that there will be a change to save (me) a lot of stress.

I've reached the stage of not wanting to sign out in case I have this damn 90 minute palaver all over again.

PS: Not blaming you at all, just those who thought this change would be a good idea!

There are people like me who rarely, if ever, use phones to work on Community. I am on my PC 99% of time.

I feel the changes only seemed relevant to those using phones for access.

Re: WHAT A PALAVER (To Access Community This AM)

Cleoriff — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 10:58:09 GMT

@pgn wrote:
Well there we go, trying to get on via laptop fails ATM:
Chrome browser ...
And now giving...
Good luck @Kei-M_O2!

I presume your error @pgn is due to them working on it now.

When we were trying around 7am, I doubt the maintenance staff were on duty.

Re: WHAT A PALAVER (To Access Community This AM)

jonsie — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 11:30:53 GMT

Quite ridiculous shenanigans trying to get set up and sign in

Just managed after 2 hours

Had to follow the same processes as everyone else

Re: WHAT A PALAVER (To Access Community This AM)

pgn — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 11:55:55 GMT

@Cleoriff - The pain in the backside at first login around 8am for me was the fact the SMS sent to my number *never arrived*, despite several resend requests after a few mins had elapsed.

The e-mails arrived pretty quick, but were nigh on useless, resulting in a lot of going around in circles.

And I still can't login in my laptop - probably as Administrator rights are revoked by a security policy, leaving me having to use Google Keep or Gmail draft to transfer screenshots, etc from laptop to mobile in order to post... 🤬

Edited to add the login on laptop seems to now offer the prompt for my e-mail address and follows through, as @Enlli outlines above, lets you scan a qr code on the phone and authenticate that way.

What the benefits of this upheaval are to O2 customers (and Virgin too I guess) will doubtless all come out in the wash... 😳😳

Re: WHAT A PALAVER (To Access Community This AM)

Cleoriff — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 11:53:54 GMT

@pgn

I had the same issue re SMS. 4 of them came in BUT 25 mins after request had been made so I kept being told

" No longer valid, this number has timed out" Then locked me out!!

I did try phone and have to say was given the option to use password eventually and then I was in. Not used phone for 2 hrs up to 12md, so I was logged out. When I clicked on my avatar, it logged me back in WITHOUT having to sign in!!!.

As I say, I really don't want to go offline on PC, in case I have to go through all this again!

Are you able to get on PC now @pgn

Re: WHAT A PALAVER (To Access Community This AM)

Mi-Amigo — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 11:56:56 GMT

@Kei-M_O2

Thank you for your post with regards to the sign in issues.

I realise it is not down to you but could you please inform us

Why were we not informed of this change in advance ?

Surely, as Community Managers, you must have had some advanced knowledge this was coming...

Also can you let us know what other surprises are coming - fore-warned is fore-armed.

On a different, but related issue,

Why is that "tell us what you think" pop-up back ?

Thanks. Look forward to your reply.

Re: WHAT A PALAVER (To Access Community This AM)

pgn — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 11:58:16 GMT

@Cleoriff wrote:
Are you able to get on PC now @pgn

Yep, have managed to jump that hurdle too, as of about 30mins ago as per my edit further up this thread.