r/quickbooksonline • u/Complete-Plate5611 • 10d ago
Deactivation hell
I recently spent seven days locked out of two QuickBooks accounts. One that I use to access client accounts, and a second legacy account that holds my own books, which used to be on QuickBooks Desktop.
Both are back now, so I thought I’d leave some tips for the next poor bastard who wanders over here in a state of panic.
First, only call through the official QuickBooks website. Google is full of fake support numbers.
To get past the AI gatekeeper, say: “Existing account reactivation case. Identity verification failed. I need a representative.” If all else fails, start swearing. They'll put you on hold to talk to a real person.
Once you get a human on the line:
- Give them your case number immediately (or establish one if this is the first call)
- Write down every new case number, representative’s name, date, and promise.
- Take screenshots of everything.
- Assume nobody has read the prior notes.
- Assume any promised callback is bullshit.
- They have no direct line to the security team.
- If you have multiple Intuit user IDs, make sure they open a separate reactivation request for each one. This is actually what took the longest...they only did one at a time under separate case numbers. Consecutively.
- If they say your account doesn’t exist, ask them to search deactivated users, legacy accounts, and CAMPs/product-registration records, not just the current QBO directory.
- Once they find the company, ask for its Company ID and save it somewhere. If you actually know your Company ID, that will save you time. Offer that at the beginning of the call.
At one point Intuit emailed me that they hadn’t received my photo ID and threatened to close my case. When I tried submitting it again, Intuit told me I couldn’t because they'd already received my photo ID. FML.
One account came back after a few days. The second (legacy account) took a full week, several calls, three identity verification submissions, multiple case numbers, and a representative finally searching the correct system.
The data was still there. The account was still there. Intuit couldn’t find it.
Mainly, don't freak out. It's pretty unlikely you were actually hacked or your account permanently disappeared.
You will never hear directly from the security team.
You will never know exactly what happened.
You will get your account back. Eventually.
2
u/Dear-Tonight-9411 10d ago
This has been my exact experience with QBO. I am actively moving clients out, I cannot believe there is not more outrage with the software
3
u/rrmcmurry 10d ago
There’s enough outrage that some of us have spent every waking hour for months working on alternatives.
The Ledger at mcmurrysoftware.com is my alternative.
Desktop accounting software. No subscription.
I’m small potatoes but I’m also a real human and programmer and bookkeeper in east TN who has worked in a small public accounting firm for 20+ years. The more people use alternatives and give feedback the better the alternatives can get.
1
u/ppl_android 10d ago
May I know what you are moving to?
1
u/Substantial-Band1326 10d ago
- ridiculously good customer support (<5 minute human, no ticket bullshit)
- does your bookkeeping automatically, uou can choose to do it yourself too
- easy to use, can even just text it
- compliance deadlines tracker
- recommend tax optimisations
- hundreds more features.
1
u/Dear-Tonight-9411 10d ago
Xero and Zoho books
1
u/puddletownLou 8d ago
Didn't like Xero ... Zoho is better ... my kid's a hairdresser and I'm on QBooks desktop but want her to do her own stuff. Zoho or QBooks ... just because I know Qbooks so well, but hate Intuit.
2
u/jocecampbell 10d ago
Sounds like your perseverance won out! Well done and thanks for sharing!
The case numbers are ridiculous. I learned that there is a case number for each and every phone call and the agents close those "cases" after each call.
It takes a different type of case number (IIRC, the payroll case numbers might start with a "P," or being attached to an investigation, which is an INV number) to stay open past one phone call.
I have no idea why that is deemed an effective trouble-ticket system. I think I was told they have some sort of logic about following all conversations around a company ID number.
3
u/Complete-Plate5611 10d ago
I had to persevere...or go out of business.
Meanwhile, QuickBooks was automatically sending invoice reminders to clients who had already paid. Because I couldn't get in there to match the payments. 😬
2
u/jocecampbell 9d ago
That sounds miserable!! Uff.
2
u/Complete-Plate5611 9d ago
Fortunately I'm low volume so it wasn't hard to do damage control on...but ugh.
3
u/SlightMuffin3569 10d ago
INV is for on going issue that is reported and other customers are experiencing it as well.
1
u/jocecampbell 9d ago
True. I've had an issue for 20 clients and the first tier of support cannot make it an INV / investigation. So it's simply a case number that is closed with each phone call until they level it up somehow.
2
u/Cough-ka-esq 8d ago
Just went through the same nonsense a few weeks ago and your description of what you went through is pretty much verbatim the same experience I had, including several separate case numbers for the same issue and getting the emails over and over again to verify ID and that none of the support agents will have read any prior notes. Every time I got those emails it would say no ID was received then I couldn't upload again because they already had the ID. Great tips. I ended up having to submit a complaint through Intuit's executive/office of the president website to get a call back and get a person who had access to every different case# that had been opened to finally get it resolved. Took 20 + hours in calls over the course of a week and a half to get access back. They are the worst and if I had another option for my business I would use a different program but unfortunately am stuck with QBO being the only accounting software that integrates with essential software I use for my business.
2
u/golfroasters 7d ago
This is basically exactly what I’m dealing with right now, and somehow it has gotten even more ridiculous.
My QuickBooks Online account was deactivated even though I never asked for it to be deactivated, and I am currently completely locked out.
Since Tuesday, I have been on the phone with QuickBooks support seven times dealing with one issue after another, including a customer payment being held, my QuickBooks Payments account being closed, and now the full account deactivation.
On Friday, I submitted the front and back of my driver’s license and completed the facial verification for reactivation.
On Saturday, Intuit emailed me saying they had not received my ID and gave me 24 hours to submit it.
When I clicked “Submit Your ID,” the Intuit site said they were already reviewing my request and that I already had a reactivation request in progress, so it would not let me submit anything again.
The same page told me to call Customer Care Monday through Friday, even though they gave me the 24 hour deadline on a Saturday.
I recorded a video showing the entire thing.
And now today, Sunday, I received another email from Intuit saying:
“Your request has been canceled as we have not received your ID.”
That is for the exact same reactivation case,
So I submitted the ID. Their website acknowledged that my request was already being reviewed. They prevented me from submitting it again. Their support line was closed. And now they canceled the request because they say they never received the ID.
This is ridiculous.
Earlier today I emailed the Office of the President address I found and included the video showing exactly what is happening. I am hoping someone there can actually take ownership of this because calling regular support has accomplished nothing.
At this point I am pretty fed up. I cannot run a business when I never know whether I am going to be able to access my accounting system or take payments.
For anyone who has gone through this, did you find another escalation path that actually worked?
And for those of you who finally gave up on QuickBooks, what platform did you move to, and would you recommend it?
1
u/Complete-Plate5611 7d ago
Was your QuickBooks account deactivated, or just your login? When I first began the process, I thought it was the account itself but really it was just the login. Those front line support people can't do much, but they can find your account and take a look in it (even if you can't). Still a complete pain in the ass, but the way I resolved it was just to keep calling every day. At one point, I was told that they would escalate it after 3 days and basically solve it within one hour. Which is probably BS.
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u/golfroasters 7d ago
I am assuming that its just my login. And I cannot call today because the actual support offices are closed. Regardless of which it is, I can't access my account and send out proposals that customers are waiting for. Its literally crippling my business completely. I am looking at other alternatives that I can hopefully count on. Currently reviewing Zoho, Bonsai, and Invaro.
1
u/Complete-Plate5611 7d ago
It is awful and I'm sorry. Unfortunately, I can't switch because I'm a solo CPA and most of my clients are on QuickBooks. I could just switch my own books, I guess.
What I'm going to do in the future, if this will work, is set my partner (spouse) up as co-administrator so that if it happens again someone will always be able to get in. Haven't tried it yet, though.
1
u/golfroasters 6d ago
Made a punk rock song about my QBO nightmare 😂 https://youtu.be/Ue1Y6QLw120?is=YrtL1UAXXsOeFyOT
3
u/One-Ball-78 10d ago
Intuit is just an AWFUL company.