Can I have my email address back? (Xbox 360 annoyance #010)
by Christopher Grant 
{ Jan 2nd 2006 at 6:30PM }
At some point following our gala 48-hour Xbox 360 gamathon, we got the idea to check some funny gamertags to see if they were available. For the sake of this example, let's say we picked "xXDr.UweBollXx" just to have some kicks and play with the free 30-day Xbox Live Gold membership. During the signup process the system requires a Microsoft .NET Passport account to link to the gamertag. The request (though having a slightly Big Brother feel) was understandable, so I entered in my 8-year old Hotmail account (which I've had since it was called HoTMaiL). Recently I undertook the task of transferring my original Xbox gamertag, "persnfrmporlok", to the 360. Here's where it gets ugly.During the transfer process I was again required to link my gamertag to a .NET Passport account, so I naturally punched in my trusty Hotmail address. I was informed that the account already had a gamertag linked to it and only one was allowed. No red flags yet; surely this could be solved simply. I would only need to switch the .NET Passport for "Uwe Boll" to a newly created address (let's call it uweiswonderful@hotmail.com) thus freeing my original Hotmail account to be linked to "persnfrmporlok." Now if only I could figure out how to do it...
Right about now you should see where this story is going: I could not change the email address and needed to open a new .NET Passport account for my "persnfrmporlok" gamertag. After several calls to 1-800-4MY-XBOX I was told by a very helpful representative that the linking was "permanent." You see, Microsoft was "cracking down" on people switching email addresses, a practice that was previously allowed on the original Xbox.
Cracking down? What does that mean? How could this be abused? The functionality is for our convenience, not for billing; they already have my credit card number, address, and real name! I can assure them that's a much better way of commucating with subscribers than a easily forgotten free webmail account. The sad truth is, despite my long history with that Hotmail account, the increasingly irrelevant Hotmail service is still the slowest, ugliest, and most spammed webmail account I have. For a console that trumpets loud and wide, "It's all about choice" the decision to remove this choice is inscrutable.
Xbox 360 annoyances: 001, 002, 003, 004, 005, 006, 007, 008, 009
Other Xbox 360 delights: 001, 002, 003, 004
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Borat @ Jan 2nd 2006 7:06PM
This is seriously very annoying. Why can't we just switch our gamertags between different email addresses?
I recently got a new gamertag through a 2 month trial, and I can't link it to my hotmail address, since my previous gamertag is still attached to that. Creating a new address is just too annoying.
jl @ Jan 2nd 2006 7:37PM
You don't have to link it to a Hotmail address. Create a Passport from any existing email address, and just use that. Two out of my three GTs are linked to Gmail addresses :)
C. Grant @ Jan 2nd 2006 8:12PM
jl: I know, my new Passport is linked to my domain email. The point is it's only removing any reason for me to use the increasingly worthless Hotmail acct. I don't want to be bothered with opening, remembering, managing, and checking a dozen email addresses when every other service I've *ever* used has allowed me to make the decision.
When I switch email accounts, domains, schools, etc. I have always had the option to switch whatever to my new address. Furthermore, that this functionality was previously available and has been deliberately removed is strange. Why encourage users to create a new phoney email address they will never check? Everything about this policy rubs me the wrong way.
Iced_Eagle @ Jan 2nd 2006 8:17PM
Or if you _need_ to use the passport, you can simply totally erase the account (www.passport.net I believe) and then recreate the account and you can relink it that way... That is what I had to do, and it was annoying as hell, yes, but it worked... You lose _anything_ (including your MSN messenger buddy list) assosciated with that passport account though.
AndrewNeo @ Jan 2nd 2006 8:19PM
I have this problem even worse. I signed up on xbox.com without even having an xbox Live account and when I went to sign up for Live on the original xbox (don't have a 360) it wouldn't let me use the gamertag I associated with my passport (even though it didn't really exist!)
So then I had to make a new gamertag, and I can't link it to my only passport account. Wonderful.
jason w @ Jan 2nd 2006 8:34PM
So an Xbox 360 annoyance is now not being able to cheat the system. So you cant get a 30 day free trial to screw over the paying customers. Most of these 30 day free passes are used by those who like to come in and piss off all people who have feedbacks to protect. So now is MS's fault that you cant screw with people and get something for free you already have. Also dont say you just want to change your name, since live now lefts you to that with the push of a button.
C. Grant @ Jan 2nd 2006 8:51PM
I think you're wrong there jason. Think about what you're saying. If this is just to stop people from ripping off paying customers (that's me, thanks) then they would probably also not want to rely on a simple free webmail account to prevent that. It's an annoyance because I have a legitimate problem as a paying customer (not interested in going in there to "screw with people." How about credit card information linked to a mailing address, the same info they would need to open an account for you? As for Live letting you change your gamertag, it's a little more complicated than the "push of a button" i'm afraid. It's about $10.
Rocket @ Jan 2nd 2006 9:49PM
This is not an annoyance, other than those who create a bunch of different accounts to cheat. If anything you got caught, and now you're pouting about it.
ill trooper @ Jan 2nd 2006 11:33PM
Rocket, Jason W... Linking a different e-mail address is not CHEATING. You never gave up on a sad old e-mail account that has become riddled with junk mail? What if you linked to your work e-mail, only to change jobs a year later?
E-mail should have nothing to do with a transaction that involves a legal credit card and a system that worked well before. Think about what you're saying and get off Microsoft's dilz... 'Yes' people like you are confusing - you never think any one of these things will touch you because you ONLY think this is inconvenient to 'cheaters' - I hope you don't get too attached to your gamertag.
More 'Patriot Act'-style nonsense that keeps their talons in you and gets annoying for the legitmate situations like I mentioned above. My thought is, if you buy a headset and a one-year subscription, leave me alone and in my 11th month, send me some reminders to renew. If I opt not to, I lose my gamertag and log-on abilities until I pay again. Those of you who get on Microsoft's side sound like the pouty little bitches.
I would be more upset, but I can't resist the ease of use that XBox Live has - it's quite a conundrum. They can do whatever they want until more user-friendly choices for online play are available - hey, that's the same sort of power AOL used to have! Were you defending them back in the day?
mirobin @ Jan 3rd 2006 3:40AM
Look, 98% of the people who want to "change" the live-account linked with their passport were playing modders with hacked halo2 maps playing with their xbox turned upside down; they would eat through trial memberships like candy.
Yes, it sucks for the 2% of people who have a legitimate reason to switch around their account. It also sucks that your car will get stolen if you leave the keys in the ignition, it sucks that you have to go through "security" in airports, and it sucks that you have to present proof of ID when cashing a check.
People are dicks. Fact of the matter is that this wouldn't be an issue if people weren't ass-pirates who get off on ruining other people's fun.
So, what is worse ... offending the rare 2% of people who can't easily change the live account linked to their passport, or the not-so-rare 98% of people trying to be a giant butt-munch?
Stefano @ Jan 3rd 2006 4:48AM
An annoyance is when we meet something that piss off during a common operation.
Live! is based on the idea of profile.
An [b]unique profile[/b], ratings, comments, etc...
Man, ANYTHING that keep poeple from making more avatars like "xXDr.UweBollXx" or the like just to piss player is right.
There's NO WAY, unfortunately, to keep in a definitive way, so is obvious that all you have to do is just a fake email.
But right as you said, this is an annoyance.
But in my point of view is a good annoyance.
Because it prevents "a bit".
You wanted to play fair?
Just use your gamertag.
CuddleFish @ Jan 3rd 2006 8:17AM
I don't see what the problem is. I have my passport linked to a very old MSN email address that doesn't even exist anymore but all correspondence regarding billing is sent to my yahoo email. Can you not change your billing/contact info anymore?
C. Grant @ Jan 3rd 2006 11:02AM
#10, 11: What you're failing to take into account is the trial membership doesn't matter! I can't change the Passport on my *paid* membership. "You wanted to play fair? Just use your gamertag." I AM using my gamertag, that's the whole point! I just didn't want to transfer it over to someone else's Xbox 360 initially, since I couldn't administer it from my regular Xbox anymore. After that initial trepidation, I did so but it was already too late.
Entropyzenith @ Jan 3rd 2006 11:21AM
Well I have my XBL account linked to a .net passport I created in early 2004. The email account that the .NET passport uses is no longer valid. I cannot change it and have not recieved any notifications from Microsoft, or XBL even though I changed my contact email address in the .NET account. This is not an issue of trying to cheat, or get a free account. If ANYONE wanted to do that, all they would need to do is create a bogus .net account linked to a temporary gmail/hotmail/yahoo address which is easily obtainable and get their 30 day trial account. The functionality that Microsoft has removed does not prevent people from being able to log on with new random accounts like "xXDr.UweBollXx." It prevents people from being able to change the email address that is linked to their current, valid, gamertag so they can still recieve information about their account.
Robert @ Nov 2nd 2009 10:23PM
FYI: A Passport is not an email address. The email address is simply a way to log into your Passport account. Your Gamertag is not linked to you email address - it is linked to your Passport, (which is linked to an email address). You CAN change the email address related to your Passport.
https://accountservices.passport.net/uiChangeName.srf?lc=1033
,- Email account
PASSPORT--<
`- GamerTag
MonocularJack @ Jan 3rd 2006 2:24PM
I agree in theory that a paid membership should have more account options than a trial and that you should be able to change your e-mail address. Before I settled on my current address I went through a whole slew of really lame addresses that I thought were cool when I was teenager.
On the other hand, making lame GamerTag's because you're bored is so juvinelle that I'm glad you had trouble with it. I hate seeing names like "i.c.weiner@hotmail.com" or some other idiotic, "dude, look at my funny GamerTag, that's sooo funny dude" type name.
Robert @ Jan 3rd 2006 5:12PM
(my previous post didn't keep my formatting)
GamerTag Passport Email
Change your passport email address here:
https://accountservices.passport.net/uiChangeName.srf?lc=1033