How to access my clients' Google Local accounts?

[Greg]

Hi there,

Help required urgently...

I administer several Google+ entities for several of my clients which include Gmail and Google+Local accounts. However, my laptop and a couple of my backup drives were stolen. All my Google setup details for my most recent clients (last 4 months) are gone.

And because I used RoboForm to remember sophisticated access details, I can't remember the either the user names and passwords for the Gmail accounts etc. And that means I can't access their Google+Local accounts either.

I have tried to use the password assistance page that Google provides but have not been successful. While I remember the name of the User and the email address, I can't get access to change the password. My fault I know....I should have set up recovery emails and phone numbers!!!
Is there another way of contacting Google to get the passwords updated?

Or is there another way of getting into their Google Local accounts?

Any assistance will be greatly appreciated....
Regards
GregI

 

[Eric Rohrback]

So just to clarify - There are no security settings at all on the accounts? Were you a "manager" of the page or the "owner" of the client pages? I'm just trying to understand all the details for this situation.

 

[Greg]

Hi Eric,

Okay let me give you more information:

1. I first set up a Gmail account for each client using their names and birth dates etc
2. I then set up a Google+ and a Google+Local account for each client.

So each time I logged in to change or verify the listing I was acting as the client directly.

However, now as my PC and backups are gone, I don't have the passwords for the Gmail accounts which as you know is the first point of entry to all Google accounts. And Google makes it very difficult to access and change the passwords.

So I guess my question is - how can I get access to the Google+Local listing for each client? (bearing in mind that each listing is already verified)

Thanks
Greg

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hi Greg,

Just answered over at the G forum but wanted to share my comments here too.


That's got to be so frustrating! I've never been in this situation but I would think there is some type of password recovery option that should work. But you tried that?

Maybe you can call support. Would need to enter the client's correct email address for that account. Not sure what type of proof they would need to insure you weren't just trying to hijack accounts. Also don't know if they would do multiple clients on one call.

Suggestions for next time. Don't know if Roboform has a back up or easy print option but that would be good to have.

When I still worked on clients I had a fairly simple system. Easy for me to remember but hard for anyone else to crack.

1st 3 characters or initials of business. So "Alpine Family Dentistry" = AFD (or could be ALP) then after 1st 3 letters I would add the same characters for all clients. So for example AFD28#481*2 then the next client "Dallas Dental" would be DAL28#481*2.

So that way as long as I had the long string memorized or written down, the 1st 3 letters were easy for me to figure out for each client.

Then for backup I would save the 1st 3 letters in Google docs or wherever and not have to worry about security. I would just put Dallas Dental = DALregnum and no one would know even if they hacked me that was for. As long as you remember what regnum is, then you are good.

Let us know how you get it resolved, so we can help others than may end up in the same predicament.

 

[Greg]

Any thoughts anyone?

 

[Greg]

Hi Linda,

Thanks for the reply....and for the tips too...

Yes have tried the password recovery option but the questions they ask such as when you initially set up the account and last logged in make it difficult. Without my records from my PC I don't remember when I did these things. Trying to get everything matched up to prove I am not a hacker is difficult.

Do you have a number to contact support? I have searched but can't find a local number for Google support in South Africa? (they do list a support number for Adwords but no other form of support).

If push comes to shove and I had to set up each account from scratch, Gmail and then Google My Business, how would I get Google to either delete or merge the accounts?

Or is it possible to set up another Gmail account and then somehow get that linked to the Google+ and Google My Business accounts?

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Regards
Greg

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Hi Greg,

I would also love to know if you find a better solution to this problem. I was in a situation recently where I was trying to help a client get access to an older Google account that he forgot the password and recovery info for. Unfortunately, I was told that if you don't know any of the recovery info there is little that Google can do, for security reasons.

However, there might be some ideas within the Google Account Recovery Help Center - https://support.google.com/accounts/?hl=en#topic=3382255

 

[Greg]

Any ideas?