If your Child's Account was Suspended due to a false birth year being entered...

[ecachuh]

***UPDATE 2/1/2024:   Please click "Go to Solution" at the top of these posts, some have green check mark.  @DerekVM has graciously shared his experience and it has indeed worked for him.   Not saying it will work for everyone or every issue, but it's worth a try.  Patience is important.  Thanks again Derek!

    -   My post below, outlines how to make proper Parent/Child supervised account.  

    -   His solution below, outlines how to possibly get items back from the suspended account.

First and foremost:

- I am just a parent like most of you.  This is what worked for us when our 11-year old's account was suspended and then permanently disabled.  (False year was entered).

- Before doing anything, do your research!  I've learned a lot, and every day there are more and more posts from parents who are completely lost by what is happening with their accounts.  

- I'm just trying to give out information and help if possible.

*Note: If anything is incorrect or should be added, please let me know and I will edit this post.

Posted - 1/8/2024 (rev 1)

Revised - 1/11/2024 (rev 2),   2/6/2024 (rev 3)

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** Everyone has to have their own account that is based on their age.  

- If your child is 10-12, they must have a supervised account.

- If an account was made for a 10–12-year-old by a parent or a child, and a different birth year was entered to bypass age related restrictions, then Meta will suspend it automatically for Violating their Terms of Service.  

- Meta will then ask for ID.  They don't want the parents ID. If you send them a 10–12-year-old child's ID, whatever form you may have, the account will be permanently disabled. 

- The main account is called the Admin account. Children 10-12 are not allowed to use an admin account.

- If you have already redeemed any freebies (i.e., trial periods of Meta +, free games, etc.) these will be disabled along with the account.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

** SOLUTION OPTION (No this solution does not get your items back.  It just gets your child playing again at least)

1) Create proper age-based accounts.   You can create a new account to replace the suspended one.

- Make a parent (Admin) account.  

- Within your parent account, you will create a child account. (Child accounts need their own separate email and login, so have this information ready.)

- You will need to have the Meta phone app as well.  (Phone app uses the same Meta login as on your computer).

- You will need to verify your accounts multiple times so keep your parent and child emails/passwords handy.  

- Yes, you can add more child accounts to your parent account.  Do so the same way you added your first.

2) Confirm you're a parent or Guardian

- You will need a credit or debit card

- You need to enter Zip Code - In the Meta app, your phone will automatically pull up the number pad.   If you reside in UK, Canada, or anywhere else that uses Postal Codes (containing letters):   a) Confirm using a computer or b) type postal code in empty text or somewhere else, copy, paste into zip code field.

3) Factory reset your device

https://www.meta.com/help/quest/articles/fix-a-problem/troubleshoot-headsets-and-accessories/trouble...

4) Update your device if needed.  The device will prompt you.

- In general, your device will not update if it is tied to a child account that has been suspended.

5) Pair Parent account onto headset first 

RANDOM TIPS:

~ ~ You can support up to 5 child or teen accounts. 

~ ~ I do NOT recommend using Facebook or Instagram to login.  If something happens to your social media or Meta Quest accounts (i.e., gets suspended or disabled), all Meta accounts will likely be affected. 

~ ~ Parents / Admins must be at least 18 years of age.

~ ~ If your new headset won't update, it could be because it's tied to a child account that is not supervised.  Your headset must be linked to an Admin account, or a supervised child account.

~ ~ Parents, please do NOT make an account for yourself and let your child use it.  

~ ~ Meta and Horizons have the same login but are different (Horizons = forums, messaging, player avatar settings, and a lot more)

~ ~ Your purchases are linked to your Meta account.  If your Facebook is used in Meta account login, and you delete your Facebook account, then your Meta account, games, and content are also deleted.  (You have 30 days until your FB account is completely deleted so you can always log in to cancel the deletion).

~ ~ Only the Admin on the headset can share their apps with the other users on that same headset.

HELPFUL LINKS:  

**When using any of the links below (except for 'Family Center'), notice on the left-hand side are all the articles that will answer most of your questions.  

Family Center (your dashboard is in family center, then click on teens account) (see activity and adjust parental settings)

https://familycenter.meta.com/dashboard

Meta Horizon (help & support articles)

https://www.meta.com/help/quest/articles/horizon

Create and manage a Meta account for your child.

https://www.meta.com/help/quest/articles/accounts/account-settings-and-management/create-manage-meta...

Confirm you're a parent or guardian.

https://www.meta.com/help/quest/articles/accounts/account-settings-and-management/confirm-parent-or-...

Getting parents started with Parental Supervision

https://www.meta.com/help/quest/articles/accounts/parental-supervision/get-parents-started-with-pare...

Factory reset your Meta Quest headset.

https://www.meta.com/help/quest/articles/fix-a-problem/troubleshoot-headsets-and-accessories/trouble...

Meta Quest Support (PM / Private Message) (Click "Send a Message")

https://metaque.st/CommunitySupport

[ecachuh]

Ours is still suspended too.  It's been since Christmas Day.  Some are getting their accounts taken care of.  I would use the chat feature before I would DM.  I already DM'd them so I'm not allowed to ask about it in chat since a case is open supposedly.  

As far as the past 14 days thing, get on a chat about it, or you can still put in a request.  I have 2 games that aren't allowing my son to play.  He is the secondary account. I'm putting in for 2 refunds because I was talking with chat for almost a week of that time.   They need to disclose that their games won't work, or don't app share etc.  People wouldn't buy them if they knew this.   Anyway different subject I guess.

[Showie0418]

Ive used the chat, the DM, and the proper support case. But its still not going anywhere. In fact, my support case now says we are working on it and we will get back to you. So I email and say, hey! Its been 10 days and I havent heard anything, I just want to check in. I will get a reply from another brand new person, (Seriously, what kind of ticket queue doesnt assign tickets to a person? I have had emails from 20 people. TWENTY) and she will say I am working diligently on your case and will get back to you! Ten days later it is rinse and repeat. I am telling everyone I know NOT to buy one. This is purely a scam. That is my honest thought at this point. They released a product that they cannot support with a KNOWN glitch costing users hundreds of dollars and they will not actually offer any assistance. This is fully a scam. 

[ecachuh]

https://www.meta.com/help/support/?b=quest

Then just follow the instructions on screen.  After you finish, you can open a chat or message them.

[Showie0418]

Yes. 

[ecachuh]

Ya know, I saw that if your account is dormant for a while (not sure how long), that it gets deactivated and you lose your games.  A few people on the forum made posts about it.  

Everyone is losing way too much.  This is really the most horrible company I have every in my life dealt with.  What they are doing to people is so wrong.  They are literally controlling every aspect of every purchase that we make.

[Showie0418]

Completely agree. Never in my life have I had such problems with customer support. And the size of meta? Please. This is ridiculous. It cannot be true that no one on the support team can unlock our accounts. 

[DerekVM]

I'm surprised everyone is still having trouble with this issue. Once we created a new child account, which was supervised by a parent account, it was very easy to transfer all the purchases to the newly created child account. We did need to transfer each purchase one at a time, each with a new support request, but everything was eventually recovered. 

The original child account, which was created as an adult account incorrectly, will never be restored. Transfer your purchases as soon as possible because eventually the banned account will be removed. 

 We are also receiving the emails from Meta with instructions to restore the original child account but they don't work. At this pint we've abandoned the original account and look forwrd to it being deleted so the email address can be released. We've moved on to a new account (new email) with all the games transferred so the child seems happy and oblivious to the fact that the account is not the one the child originally created. 

They will never say the following is true but my impression is: 

* Original banned account cannot be modified to make it valid

* Original banned account cannot be recovered

* Purchase can be transferred to a valid account

* Some purchase might be refundable

Good luck.

[ecachuh]

I agree!  I just wish they could speed up the process.  So many people still waiting.

[Showie0418]

Well, theyre telling me the purchases cant be transferred. Also, the frustrating thing is that I had made a child account, but the child account would not sync to the headset despite multiple factory resets. So the kid had to play on my account, which got banned. My account was also synced with my facebook, instagram, and threads accounts. So they are ALL gone. Along with all of my purchases. I never got any instructions at all to restore the original admin account or the child account which is gone because the admin account is gone. Ive had TONS of emails back and forth with absolutely no real help. 
 AND the account was reported initially because some little sh*t head wanted the weapon my kid in had gorilla tag, so they reported the account to make my kid disappear so they could take the loot. It is literally that easy and you just lose all of your purchases, your meta accounts you've had since 2007, and they get zero help. It is honestly pathetic. Meta will not refund my purchases and is telling me they cannot be transferred. And they cant unlock the account. THAT is why this is absolutely infuriating. 

[DerekVM]

Yes, you are in a bad situation. Child playing on and adult account is a big no-no.

My best suggestion is to factory reset and start over with all new email accounts. Email accounts you have not used on any other meta platform. This should at least get you a working headset. 

Then you can start the process of trying to get your FB/Insta account back. The other account is lost. 

Once I had a valid account getting the purchases transfered was easy. Lots of chats and emails but not complex. I'm sorry to hear transfers are not working for you but it might be a side effect of you not having any valid accounts at the moment. 

Get new Gmail accounts and start fresh. Work on refunds and transfers after you are back online.