I'm looking for recommendations for a web-based email account (that isn't Gmail)

[Tuvok Obama]

I've used Gmail for years without any problems. Today I changed my password (which I do on a regular basis), but now Gmail won't let me back into my account.

When I tried to use the password recovery function, I wasn't offered the chance to answer my security question. Instead I had to give them another email account (I don't have another, so I gave them the email address of a friend who will help with the recovery process).

Part of their investigation included this required question: "When did you open your account?" How would I know that? The only waay I could pin down the month and year would be to look at my inbox.

There is no way to contact a live person at Gmail or Google to explain the urgency of having immediate access to my email account. They have my phone number, but haven't tried to call me. They have my security question, but haven't asked me for the answer.

Instead, after I filled out their form, they posted text that promised they would investigate and get back to me (presumably at my friend's email address) "within 24 hours."

However, I checked their own policy page and learned that it's not "within 24 hours," but instead it's "at least 24 hours." Further checking indicated that locked-out users have often waited days with no response.

So, whether or not Gmail ever decides to allow me to access all those sent and received emails, attachments, drafts, etc., I need a new web-based email address.

I'm wondering if DUers can recommend email services like Hotmail, Yahoo, AIM ... something else ... anything but Gmail.

Thank you.

[sakabatou]

1. I've used Yahoo for years

It's pretty good.

[struggle4progress]

2. IIRC AOL went free on the webmail some years ago

[Bryan]

3. I've used Yahoo for a decade, and it's been just right for me

They're switching to a new version, which is now in beta. Haven't had time to switch, but here's a review:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2380293,00.asp

[wysimdnwyg]

12. The new version of Y!Mail is very nice

It's much more responsive than the old version, and looks much better. If you use Y!Mail, you should switch over to the new version.


Bryan, like others here, I've been using Yahoo for over a decade, and I like it. Their spam filter has improved dramatically over the past few years, too.

[freshwest]

15. Thanks for the review, I've been putting if off as long as I could. But they said if I didn't,

They'd do it themselves and I'm afraid I'll lose my settings. I reset back to Classic to slow down their spam.

[freshwest]

4. Yahoo's been very reliable for me for over a decade. I had hotmail, but it didn't work as well.

It's a real shame about you not being able to get into gmail. I hope you can get in somehow and get your mail off, transfer your email addresses, etc. Yahoo does try to get you to upgrade on occasion but the free yahoo is fine. They also link you to IM, your cell, etc. Still can 't imagine what's going to happen with your data. Awful.

[hailhydra]

5. Yahoo!

Or rather rocketmail.com :D

[quakerboy]

6. Yahoo, hotmail, mail.com

Yahoo and mail.com have done a good job for me, without collecting the kinda spamload that some seem to get. My longstanding hotmail account collects a fair bit of spam, but since its my "hand it out to anyone when i do anything" account that's to be expected. and its pretty good at filtering accurately.

[chollybocker]

7. I've had the same hotmail account for 20 years.

Never had a problem.

[Tuvok Obama]

8. Thanks everyone

[Betty88]

9. hotmail locked me out of an account I had for years

and I could not get it back. The email I like best is the one provided by Time Warner along with my service I admin it and if I have an issue, never did, I could get a live person on the phone.

I really hate the way the online email companies are getting it seems impossible to recover an account if you don't give them bunches of personal info right up front. Example, hotmail wants a phone number, dude your not getting my phone number linked to a trash email account.

[freshwest]

10. Yeah, I lost a ton of contacts from a hotmail account because I hadn't signed in for 30 days.

After that, it became my 'you don't know me' account.

Only friends get my yahoo address.

[bikebloke]

11. Spray.se

Out of Sweden. I log on about once a year and still have the account.

*Note, it is in Swedish.

[av8rdave]

13. I've tried Hotmail and Yahoo!

Yahoo is much better, IMO.

Hotmail has an awkward interface, and frequently runs into password problems.

Yahoo! has been pretty much trouble free.

[Philippine expat]

14. I have used yahoo, excite and hotmail

to me hotmail has aa awkward interface
excite locked me out because I didn't log on for 60 days and I couldn't get my account back
Yahoo has never given me any problems and I have had them for well over a decade