Okay, you probably recall that I bought a new 2011 Ford F-150 and received it about two months ago. At that time, I registered it with the Ford Motor Company at their web site (using my Mac.com email address) where I was encouraged to set up my SYNC account with my mobile phone number so that I can get emailed vehicle health reports and whatnot. I didn’t do that. I live in a non-AT&T service area and therefore cannot use much data on my iPhone without incurring the wrath of AT&T and risking cancellation of my phone service.
Today I checked my Mac.com email and found two emails. The first:
From: syncinfo@ford.com
To: [myAddress]@me.com
Date: Sat, 16 Jul 2011 14:00:47 -0400
Subject: Thank you for setting up your SYNC Account!
[myAddress]@me.comWelcome, Marvin!
We’re so happy you activated your SYNC Owner account!
Blah-blahbity-blah.
The second email advised:
Date: Sat, 16 Jul 2011 14:11:20 -0400 (EDT)
From: “syncinfo@ford.com” <syncinfo@ford.com>
To: “[myAddress]@me.com” <marconi@me.com>
Subject: Important information about your SYNC account
Dear Marvin Khudaverdyan:
The mobile phone number 999-822-9497 is no longer Active in your SYNC account.
The mobile phone number 999-822-9497 has been made Active in another SYNC account, and therefore is no longer the Active mobile phone number for your SYNC account. You will not be able to access SYNC Services or Vehicle Health Report with this mobile phone number during the time it is Active in another account.
Blah-blahbity-blah..
So, I replied to the second email asking what was going on. I’m not this Marvin guy so what’s he and the Ford Motor Company doing using my Mac.com email account? This resulted in an auto-responder saying:
Emails to this mailbox are not monitored.
For Sync related assistance, please submit your inquiries by clicking <http://www.syncmyride.com/Own/Modules/PageTools/ContactUs.aspx>here (or typing <http://www.syncmyride.com/Own/Modules/PageTools/ContactUs.aspx)or>http://www.syncmyride.com/Own/Modules/PageTools/ContactUs.aspx)
So I went to the linked web site and started to fill out the Contact form. That’s when I received an invitation for a Live Chat. It went like this:
Please wait for a Sync Agent to respond.
Thank you for contacting the Ford & Lincoln-Mercury Sync Support Center.
You are now chatting with ‘Chauntay’
How may I assist you?
you: I received an email thanking me for setting up my SYNC account — something I have not done. I only registered my truck. I did NOT associate a mobile phone number with a SYNC account.
you: The email said: “Marconi@me.comWelcome, Marvin! We’re so happy you activated your SYNC Owner account! ”
you: Then I got another email saying: Dear Marvin Khudaverdyan: The mobile phone number 999-822-9497 is no longer Active in your SYNC account.
Chauntay: I can assist you with SYNC. Chauntay: When you register the vehicle with any Ford Web site a SYNC account is created.
you: I am not Marvin Khudaverdyan. I am Warren Michelsen.
you: You’ve let someone else into my account?
Chauntay: May I have the VIN please?
you: I don’t have that handy.
you: The email address I used when registering is [myAddress]@Mac.com, in case that helps.
Chauntay: I can look into the account to identify the issue.
Chauntay: May I have your full address please?
you: You want my mailing address?
Chauntay: May I have the mailing address please?
you: Warren Michelsen PO Box 4540 Page, AZ 86040
Chauntay: Thank you.
Chauntay: May I please have the make, model, and year of the vehicle you own?
you: 2011 Ford F-150
Chauntay: Thank you.
Chauntay: There is no active account for your VIN in the SYNC Web site.
Chauntay: Someone may have typed your email address in error when creating a different account.
Chauntay: That would explain why you received the email saying the phone number was no longer active.
you: No account. I didn’t think so. All I did was register my truck. I did not set up SYNC. I did, however, give Ford my email address. That’s why I’m writing. There’s obviously a problem!
Chauntay: When the mistake was realized, the correct account was created and the phone number was moved to where it belonged
you: Why did I receive two emails?
Chauntay: One email indicated the account was created, the next email stated the number was no longer active in the account.
you: Yes, apparently in MY account. How did that happen?
Chauntay: Someone used your email address in error. Chauntay: It is likely a coincidence that it is your email address.
Chauntay: This does not affect your vehicle or your SYNC features.
you: What a coincidence, they just happen to use my email address…and I just happen to have recently registered my vehicle with Ford using that address.
you: So, tell me, do I or do I not have a SYNC account? You told me: “When you register the vehicle with any Ford Web site a SYNC account is created.” Then you said there is no active account.
Chauntay: Typically an account is created when you register at www.fordowner.com or www.flmowner.com. There is no account for the VIN I see here.
Chauntay: If you would like to verify the VIN I can wait.
you: You mean, go out to my truck and jot down the VIN?
Chauntay: Yes.
you: Not gonna happen today, Chauntay. Honestly, the Microsoft software of your web site seems to be as bad as the buggy software in my Navigation System. This all sounds very insecure, which is one of the reasons I never set up SYNC with my mobile number. I’ll check the VIN some other day and check back then.
Chauntay: Is there anything else I can assist you with today?
Chauntay: We have not heard from you. Do you wish to continue the chat?
Chauntay: Since we have not heard from you, we will be closing this chat session. Please feel free to contact us in the future for any assistance that you require.
Chat session has been terminated by the site operator.
Sheesh.
Marvin