Family Plan Removal - Address Verification

[zilai]

Recently, I was removed from the family plan I have been in for years without notice. After me and my family plan owner dug through our emails, we discovered it was due to an address verification issue. After adding my address to my account, I learned I can't rejoin for 12 months, which seems unfair given I wasn't notified properly. Notifications weren't sent through the Spotify app, only via email, which can be easily overlooked especially when using a secondary email as many of us do.

I'd like to request assistance with rejoining my family plan as creating a new account would mean losing years of history.  Additionally, I suggest reviewing the verification process to include in-app notifications for better visibility, especially when users have been paying for your services for years. For something with such long term consequences, it is unreasonable to not even incorporate a grace period after being forcibly removed from the plan.

[jonnalcantara]

i didn’t verify my address to my plan in time, so I lost access to my family plan with my household for 12 months. Is there seriously no way I can get around this? I lost access to all my playlists. 

[Axkaban]

Having the same issue here! I didn't have an address listed and had joined the family plan over 6 years ago. Just got removed this morning and like Zilai, as I tried to rejoin, I got the 12 months ban. I haven't moved, so the verification shouldn't have been an issue, should've been a mention from Spotify if I am now able to have an address in my account too.

100% agree with the requests above.

[cmjd]

We had a similar issue - it took me a long time to find it, but I found a chat feature in the spotify support (logged in on my computer from the website, not in app) and explained and then they changed something in our account and then told me to try joining the plan again and it worked. So worth trying that if you haven't yet. 

[Moritzhae]

Can you specify where you found the chat? Same issue here. Thanks

[ecv5420]

My wife just upgraded her account to a Duo account and sent me an invite.  When I click on the invite, it tells me the following:

---

You can’t join this plan

We couldn’t confirm that you live with the plan manager for this Premium plan. You can join someone else’s plan again in 12 months.

Or find another Premium plan that’s right for you.

---

I updated my address yesterday to my current house and my wife updated her address today when she upgraded her account.  We confirmed that both addresses match in both of our account pages.

We would really appreciate fast help here as we would need to cancel the Duo billing by end of day today if we can't get this to work...

Plan

Free/Premium

Country

US

[Axkaban · Accepted solution]

Same here, had to go through customer support, found here: https://support.spotify.com/us/contact-spotify-support/

[ecv5420]

As an update -- I described my issue to a Spotify support bot (by basically copying and pasting this post to the chat window) and it said "We've made some changes to your account backstage. Try your invitation again, you should be able to join the Family plan now."

And it worked!  It asked me to confirm my address (which is a little weird considering my address was already in place in the app).

[maggiezzz]

Same thing happened to my daughter today. they told me to update my address, which I did- now she gets message she has to wait 12 months to re-join! The gave her some BS about a google map update.  I'm trying to find the darn "chat" button!  GRRRR

[zilai]

Thank you! I was able to access this link and (like cmjd mentioned) was able to tell the chatbot that I had an issue joining the family plan. After ensuring my address was updated, I re-accessed the family plan invitation link and was able to join.

Spotify should still re-evaluate this process and consider:

1. in app notifications
2. clearer communication
3. an in app warning the day before they intend to remove a family member
4. a post-removal grace period and process for people to address issues

😞

[GaSnovais]

Hello,
My wife forgot to confirm adress and now he can't join to the plan Premium Family, just for 12 months. What can i do to that?

Thanks for help.

[mr_kellyparker]

i had the same issue and used that chat support via the link in a reply. they were able to get it cleared up for me. i could imagine this is a headache for users and customer service. A 7-day window to confirm or be kicked off for 12 months is absurd.

Here's the link... https://support.spotify.com/us/contact-spotify-support/

[perpetual121]

I literally can't be bothered to go through customer support. Too many issues with spotify now. They are the most expensive service for lower streaming bitrate as a starter but this sort of half effort implementation to ensure accounts aren't miss-used is the last straw. 

I've had my mother thrown off as she rarely reads her emails and now the account I created to be assocaited with our google home account and I can't find any email asking for adress verification anywhere. I've also had to create this account as spotify apparently won't let you stream from two locations at once from the same account which is great when my wife wants to listen to music at home via google home and I want to listen whilst out. 

It's simply too much hassle for this level of premium. If you are going to charge more than everyone else then provide a better service. Currently I feel like I've got to constantly manage my subscribtion and I've got better things to do. 

[godzilza]

A family member got removed from our Family Plan without warning.
He received an email that reads:

"We believe that you’ve been using this plan from a country other than the country where the plan owner purchased the subscription. Premium Family is only available for family members that live together."

We live at the same address, his Country is set to the same country as mine (account admin). When I resent the invitation (I can see a spot opened up) - he is unable to pass Address Verification even though he enters the exact same address as is listed on our account.

Tried incognito, different devices and browsers. Nothing worked!!

[godzilza]

Folks, I reached out to them through the Messaging system - no help. Told my brother to get his own subscription.

Reached out to them again via Twitter. Still no help. Told me they didn't have any more info (AI responding?) and that was it. 

8 years of using Spotify, I guess it's time to move on.

[godzilza]

Another note based on sifting through the forum posts. Another member (German) actually had their account banned, preventing them from joining a family subscription. Same situation as my brother. There seems to be no other solution than buying a separate subscription (not happening). Twitter support is now ignoring my DMs...

If you're in a similar situation, you might want to look into alternative music platforms.

[moomoocoww]

I have the same issue, the customer service rep I got was terrible and ended the chat on me without hearing my reply. The rep's name is Sonali D.

[moomoocoww]

I have the same issue, the customer service rep I got was terrible and ended the chat on me without offering any solutions or helping me out. The rep's name is Sonali D, not sure if you got the same rep.

[godzilza]

Ditto, spoke with like 3 or 4 different representatives and they kept bouncing me around. Once on brothers account (the chat was dropped before I got any answers), then Twitter (they still haven't acknowledged any of my follow up messages), and a few times through my admin account. 

The CS is ridiculous! I don't understand why it's so hard for them to tell me what the issue is. Ugh! 

[ArtofMrD]

I (plan manager) forgot to update the address of my account when we moved - cause 'LIFE'. Wife got prompted to verify address and put the NEW address in before I did. I have (since waking up) updated the plan's address. I tried sending her a new invite - and now it says she's locked out for 12 months. WHICH HAS MADE IT REALLY AWESOME OVER HERE.

I get that she lost access until I changed the address - but why, now that the address is correct, is she unable to join a plan for 12 months?!