So....what's with this kinda awful password reset system?

My wife tried to log in for the first time in over a year tonight. She had forgotten her password. After putting in her email for a password reset, the process is asking for her game serial code in order to get a password reset? We bought the game almost 6 years ago, and that email is long gone.

So, instead of playing GW2 tonight, we have to wait for our support ticket to be handled, which may take days. Might I make a suggestion that this system be changed to do what pretty much most of the internet does, and just send a password reset link via email?

Did you go to this linkhttps://account.arena.net/password-reset

Because I did and didn't need to game code for it. It just sent a link to my email. If she had an authencator on the account, then yes, she needs more to reset.

The alternative, @Hickeroar.9734, would be making it easier for scammers to take over our accounts. We should all want companies to be reasonably strict about requiring proof before granting access to the account.

Arenanet has always said that you keep your serial codes for this exact situation, even going back to GW1. You could have easily written/typed it down and put it somewhere. Honestly, I am with on illconceived with this one. You don't want scammers with a few scraps of your info taking everything you worked hard for, do you?

Considering the sheer number of hacked emails and subsequent problems for mmo companies and players, I'd say every extra bit of security is a good thing

If the email has changed, or in other words, does not match the original email on file from 6 years ago, the CS Team would, of course, require another form of identification to assure control of the account is handed to the proper owner.

@Hickeroar.9734 said:My wife tried to log in for the first time in over a year tonight. She had forgotten her password. After putting in her email for a password reset, the process is asking for her game serial code in order to get a password reset? We bought the game almost 6 years ago, and that email is long gone.

So, instead of playing GW2 tonight, we have to wait for our support ticket to be handled, which may take days. Might I make a suggestion that this system be changed to do what pretty much most of the internet does, and just send a password reset link via email?

The current system is here for good reason: To reduce account theft. Any password recovery system is another way attackers can take over your account and the measures you mention make this process much harder.

if she has bought anything from the in game store or xpacs, a couple of bank statement transaction numbers from purchases will do if you can search back far enough

Several years ago, during the Battle for Lions Arch event, my email was hacked, and they used that to gain control of my account. I was literally locked out for 30 days, because I wasn't the only one that had their account hacked. However, the hacker did not have the serial code for my account, which I did. And believe me, it came in handy to get my account back. When I had finally regained control of my account, I found everything that could be salvaged and sold, WAS salvaged and sold. I was lucky, since anet had recently implemented the account Snapshot recovery. It recovered my account couple days before my account was hacked. If I purchased the physical copy of the games, I keep the serial code in the box still, and i keep that box safe. Heart of Thorn and Path of Fire codes, I printed out my email copys and placed those in my box too, for the game. So in the future if I ever have a problem, they know that I am the one and only account holder for my account, because I have the physical copy of the serial code.

It's a HORRIBLE system, keeping a serial code for a digital purchase (as a sole means) is dumb and backwards. Far better to use payment method or security question methods. But, I guess they sell more game copies this way, I wasn't happy but here I am back on a fully loaded account.

E-mail addresses and cell phone numbers can change over time, and copies of 6 year old e-mail messages are not kept by most normal users. This "requirement" flies in the face of common sense precautions. I lost access to my original account I played pre-release because I was unable to retrieve my account after 3 years away . I had my log in information -just not the serial code.

Trion Worlds also was pretty bad, they didn't allow you to update your e-mail account -even before hand when I knew my primary e-mail was changing to a paid e-mail service from a free web mail. That kind of thing is grating to me as a customer because it shows the company doesn't account such things -a lack of imagination.

The serial is only requested if you're attempting to recover an account from an unknown location and the account doesn't have 2FA enabled. This prevents compromised emails from immediately gaining access to the account, though they will get in eventually since the email likely contains enough information to phish support. If you don't known your serial, support will allow various alternatives, such as screenshots and the personal information you used to register the account.

As Healix states, Serial Keys aren't the only information used to prove ownership of an account. If other information that proves account ownership can not be provided, then perhaps the account should stay locked. No one wishes access to their account to be given out willy-nilly.

Keeping up with your Serial Key is a good thing to do anyways. It means that if someone did manage to hack your account by getting the password changed through other means, you can prove without question the game is yours. I bought the CE and I keep the case in a safe place. Heck I still have my old boxes for Everquest, Everquest 2 CE, NWN and NWN2 on hand. Stuff like that is always worth keeping up with.