Spotify support cancelled my subscription and blocked my account

[user-removed]

Plan - Family

Free/Premium - Premium

Country - Turkey

My Question or Issue

Today I decided to contact support as I was not able to understand why there were polish songs in my weekly discovery playlists. I signed in to my Spotify account in Spotify website and followed contact section to send an email to support. I dsicribed situation and asked what could be done to filter or remove polish songs form the playlist as this is something I never listen or intend to listen or ever alicked on like.

I received reply from Spotify Turksih support [ ref:_00DD0pxIW._50057217VrJ:ref ] giving me general answer that I have to listen to Spotify in online mode to have acurante predictions etc. I replied from same email address which is registered at Spotify saying that I listen this way as of 2013 and asked again if there was a way to kind of filter out polish songs. The next moment I received an automated email from Spotify saying that my subscription is cancelled. I then received another email from Spotify Turkey asking me to provide all kinds of proof that I own spotify account including credit card statements etc. My account was blocked imidiately and I had to create a new one just to send this question here. 

I asked basic question regarding playlist. I asked the qeustion logging to my account first and then proceeding to support/contact and sending a message. I replied email from support form the same email account which is also the same on my Spotify account. I never asked anything about subscritions, payments or account. 

Now my quesiton is, is't it no harassment by Spotify suppor to the customer who used Spotify as of 2013? Why my account was blocked so I can't access it? Why am I being asked for some crazy proof that I actually am ownign this account when I ask basic quesiotn about playlist contents? Since it's a family plan it effects my wife and daughter too. Since ther is not chat or number I can call I just want someone from Spotify out there to know about it as Spotify is not the last stremaing service in the universe.

[Katerina]

Hey there @user-removed,

Welcome and thanks for posting about this in the Community.

Here at Spotify, we always apply rigorous security practices to protect your information. If you notice any unexpected activities, we suggest following all the steps listed here. Keep in mind that when you reach out to our support teams, we may ask for some information like the one mentioned in the support site article for security reasons. 

If you have further questions regarding that, we'd strongly suggest reaching back to our support folks and they'll be happy to take a closer look backstage.

On another note, to avoid further confusion, we'd suggest making sure to close your second account by following the steps here once you've gained access back to your first account.

Let us know how you get on 🙂

[user-removed]

I agree with the OP.  Spotify should NOT be asking for credit card statements or personal information.  Simply reset the password and let the user log back on.  That is all the proof you need to know the account is in the orginal users control.

[Teppka]

Hi Katerina and thanks for reply. This is my restored account, the one I wrote first post is now closed.

I took same steps and after wasting few days my account was restored. Assuming I have controll over my email account and someone else only accessed my Spotify account then why not simply deauthorise all devices and make your system force to reset the password? Password reset link is sent to my email, I reset the password. Why ask all these documents? I was sending and receiving emails from your support to the regisdered email address in my Spotify account. It says that I control my email address, doens't it?

If your support teams assumes I lost access to my email as well then what's the point of asking all these documents? Spotify invoice is sent to an email address, CC statements are sent to the email address by the banks. If I lost access to my email accoun then anyone who controls it will have access to the same documents and will be able to send them to support just fine. So how is it a security check?

If spotify really is concerned with security of users accounts why not add second step verification? Send sms code to a registered phone number? 

I just can't unerstand logic in all of the above.

[user-removed]

Not to be Mr. Obvious here.... but two-factor authentication is a basic practice these days when it comes to security.  I don't see the option anywhere!!!  😕

[Katerina]

Hey there @Teppka,

Thanks for keeping us in the loop and glad to hear that everything is resolved now.

Keep in mind that we care deeply about the safety of your personal data. This explains why, in instances, we might ask for some additional details to verify the account's ownership.

If you're interested in seeing other security measures like 2-step verification, we'd highly suggest adding your +VOTE here. 

If you'd like more information on how the Ideas Exchange works, make sure to head here.

Have a lovely day!

[Katerina]

Hey there @user-removed,

Thanks for posting and welcome to the Community.

At the moment we don't offer 2-step verification. However, if this is something you'd like to see on Spotify, we'd highly suggest adding your +VOTE here. 

You can also find information on how the Ideas Exchange works in general, if you head here.

Have a lovely day!

[Teppka]

Well guys, I have few updates for you. Since during my first contact of Spotify I spent all my time trying to restore blocked account I had almost no input from Spotify Turkish support regarding actuall issue - polish songs in the Discovery Weekly playlist. What they said is it would not happen in future and if it does I should contact them again.

I made a msitkae contacting support again as with todays's update of Discovery Weekly playlist I again had polish songs which I never liked, never had in any of my playlists and always disliked before. And guess what, these idiots blocked my account again! This time they asked me to change password on my email and check my computer for viruses! They didn't even bother checking if there is something wrong with how Spotify composes Discover Weekly playlists - block account is the immidiate and only way to solve any problem!

I was informed that they have notice an anauthrosed usage of account. What? I set new password last week after they blocked it the frist time. Unathorised usage by whom? Where from, which IP address, which device? And how Spotify identifies an unotherised usage? I don't need to change my emal passoword as unlike Spotify Gmail offers two stage verification.  I don't need to check my computer for viruses because I use Mac.

And then it took my another hour sending them emails asking to unblock my Spotfy account which I paid for and want to use the service I am paying for. Again my problem was not solved, nobody gave me a valid answer why there are polish songs in the Weekly Digest, all I had was an email teelling me they give me back access to my account. And what really funny is they offer me to contact them again if I have any questins. 

1. you didn't answer my firest question which I emailed you twice

2. contact you again so you will keep blocking my account?

I need to understand why your Turkish support has one and only asnwer to all support email requests - block account access and cancell memberhsip?

[Teppka]

To make things worst I decided to try USA chat support.

The outcome of the chat was agent telling me:

"Having songs in your Discover Weekly that you never listened/liked to is an indication that someone gained access to your account."

Well, I hated to breake it to him that all of the songs in Discover Weekly playlists are songs that I never listedned to because that's the idea of this playlist - to compose new songs I never listed to.  Key word "Discover"? 

I was also informed that to have my Discover Weekly playlist fixed and not include polish songs I need to "listen what I listen and don't listen what I don't". Exceptional advise.

I really hope this consludes my experience with Spotity support and I really hope I will never ever have to contact them again.