Tell HN: DigitalOcean, Linode refuse to create new accounts with FastMail email

Posted by enhray on Friday February 12, 2021 @06:58AM
from the self-post dept.

Hello!

I've decided to post it there given how popular FastMail seems to be within the Hacker News community.

Earlier today I've tried to create new accounts on both DigitalOcean and Linode using my new FastMail address which I created after finally deciding to leave GMail for good due to the recent Google ban wave.

I've used the same FastMail email address and credit card number for both accounts.

The credit card is the same one I typically use on the net. I use it for my Netflix and PrimeVideo subscriptions and for my Vultr account without an issue.

DigitalOcean locked the new account within seconds after payment method confirmation. Later, support told me that "After review, we have determined that restoring access to your account is not possible".

Linode took about twenty minutes to review my account, and in the end I got a letter saying "the account you attempted to create has been canceled".

In both cases I saw that the test transactions were handled correctly by my bank, which led me to believe that the problem was that FastMail email address had triggered some security checks.

( 7 comments | 13 points | on HN )

Re:Tell HN: DigitalOcean, Linode refuse to create new accoun... by m-p-3 on Friday February 12, 2021 @08:56AM (#26113647)

Have you tried to bring this up with FastMail support as well? Maybe they can put some pressure on their end on DigitalOcean and Linode?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Tell HN: DigitalOcean, Linode refuse to create new accoun... by LinuxBender on Friday February 12, 2021 @07:11AM (#26112810)

Have you asked them on each of their forums if there is a policy on what domains are acceptable to use for email to avoid having the account locked out? Their users will want to know if they are at risk.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Tell HN: DigitalOcean, Linode refuse to create new accoun... by enhray on Friday February 12, 2021 @07:59AM (#26113141)

This is a great idea! However, I highly doubt that they will disclose this information.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Tell HN: DigitalOcean, Linode refuse to create new accoun... by LinuxBender on Friday February 12, 2021 @08:05AM (#26113183)

I agree. The reason I suggest it is to draw their communities attention to it, in the hopes their admins might be more willing to email you individually with a non boiler-plate answer or be more helpful to you.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Tell HN: DigitalOcean, Linode refuse to create new accoun... by outsomnia on Friday February 12, 2021 @07:24AM (#26112904)

> which led me to believe that the problem was that FastMail email address

... or your IP address, or name, or history of payments with the card, or...

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Tell HN: DigitalOcean, Linode refuse to create new accoun... by mkl on Friday February 12, 2021 @07:13AM (#26112829)

Are you using a *@fastmail.com address, or your own domain? If not the latter, it would be easy to switch to that.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Tell HN: DigitalOcean, Linode refuse to create new accoun... by enhray on Friday February 12, 2021 @07:58AM (#26113137)

Switching to a personal email domain and another credit card did the trick, at least with the DigitalOcean.

[ Parent | on HN ]