Should Facebook Help You After It Locks You Out Of Your Account?

LINDON, Utah – Social media has become one of the most important ways in how the world communicates and how business gets done. That has prompted social media giants like Facebook to step up their security measures. Consequently, some people get locked out of their accounts. It happened to a Utah County woman and she could not get any response from Facebook. She and her husband reached out to the KSL Investigators for help.

Jared Platt runs a small business and understands the value of communication with his customers. Platt said he has received a far lower type of customer service from one of the world’s largest companies.

“We’ve been having some issues with Facebook,” said Platt.

Those issues surfaced last past December, when Platt’s wife got an email from Facebook saying someone had changed her password. She was not the one who changed it, so Jared logged on to try to secure her account.

“But in that process, I got kicked out,” Platt said of his attempt.

Since then, the Platts have been powerless in their attempts to get her back in.

“We followed their steps, their process that they asked for and never heard anything back,” said Jared Platt. “We have submitted that now – three or four times – and still have yet to hear from anybody back.”

Platt said he is frustrated that he cannot get anyone from Facebook to actually answer a phone call.

“It’s…it’s bots,” he said of the automated help systems that did answer his calls.

So, this time, the KSL Investigators reached out to Facebook on behalf of the Platts, by contacting the company’s corporate communications department. It even took us a few tries to get a response ourselves.

When we did, a spokesperson wrote they would “trigger a password reset” so Jared Platt’s wife “can take back the account.”

The reset never came said the Platts.

The KSL Investigators tried to follow up with Facebook, but the spokesperson has stopped responding to our inquiries.

Because communication is so important, telecom industries are heavily regulated. But social media companies, largely, are not.

That could change. Several members of Congress calling for tighter reigns on companies like Facebook that could force them to be more responsive.

“Very, very little if any customer service,” said Platt about his experience. He said he and his wife are still hopeful they will get access back into her account, eventually. But they are not holding their breath.

We pressed Facebook on what customers should do if they find themselves locked out, and the normal ways of getting back in as spelled out its help guides do not work. Again, we got no answer.

So beware: if you are someone who relies on Facebook to communicate, maybe you shouldn’t.