Can't change email address in my SE account

[Lokithor]

I'm getting rid of my current email address so I'm in the process of updating all my web accounts, including SE.

I log in successfully into my SE account and navigate to change my account settings. It won't let me change my email address without first selecting my current security question and the answer. WTF?? I try all that I would know the answer for and nothing works. Therefore, can't change the email. Can't change the security question either because that first requires the same challenge / response.

I have NEVER seen any system that requires the answer to a security question to do anything when you are inside the secure environment. This is fucking stupid. I use my account ID, password and token and they STILL need the security question?

Get this. To send them an email within the environment, you must ALSO provide the same security question / response.

Someone please tell me I'm doing something wrong along with the right thing to do.

[Alhanelem]

I have NEVER seen any system that requires the answer to a security question to do anything when you are inside the secure environment. This is fucking stupid.It's not stupid, it's smart. You should be glad nobody who doesn't know your security question can change your information. It's particularly important for email address becuase once a hacker changes the email address, they iwll get all the notifications about password changes etc instead of you. It's a security measure. Write down your secret question answer- But really, your secret question should be something you know the answer to without having to think about it...

You are going to have to contact SE about a forgotten secret question. be prepared to have one of your registration codes and any other personal information that will identify you as the account holder.

[Kincard]

I have NEVER seen any system that requires the answer to a security question to do anything when you are inside the secure environment.

I'm pretty sure that's the standard thing other MMOs, banks, and most organizations do when it comes to changing important account information.

Although, one thing I do think POL does differently and should be changed is that it makes you choose the question each time instead of setting it as a specific question and just asking you that one. It's not easy to forget your mom's maiden name etc, but it is kinda easy to forget which question you chose months/years ago when you were setting up your account.

[Lokithor]

The problem I have is that the only 2 questions for which I would know the answer, my mother's maiden name and the name of my first school, neither work! I've updated dozens of email based services today, including banks, investments, etc. and none of them challenged me with the security question once I had logged in to their secure environment.

[Alhanelem]

Check caps lock key, its probably case sensitive. Make sure you spelled it correctly (and make sure you spell it correctly when you set up the secret question!)


none of them challenged me with the security question once I had logged in to their secure environment. The fact that your square enix account is arguably more secure than any of the other things you named worries me.

[Lokithor]

Fixed. I tried a bunch of misspellings for the answer until I found it. Still ridiculous that you need to enter your security question to change a setting once you've logged into your account using userID, password and token.

[Alhanelem]

Fixed. I tried a bunch of misspellings for the answer until I found it. Still ridiculous that you need to enter your security question to change a setting once you've logged into your account using userID, password and token.
Again, it's not ridiculous. It's good security. Too good for you, it seems. :p

My bank randomly asks me my security question whenever I log in- but when I say randomly, its "almost every time." But I don't complain about this- it just means it's that much harder for someone else to get in.

When else is it going to ask for your secret question if it doesn't ask when you log in? The only other sensical time to ask is when you're changing personal information. Secret questions have never been just for password retrieval.