I've been locked out of my AWS account that I set up while working at my old job. I used my personal credit card for the free tier services, but I lost access to that account after leaving. My charges started at $30 a month and have now skyrocketed to $170, even though I'm not using the services. AWS support stated they can't help with changing the password or stopping the charges since I can't verify my identity with my old employer. I've tried contacting them, but no luck. I was told to cancel my credit card, but I'm not sure if that's the best solution. Any advice on how to resolve this situation?
3 Answers
Honestly, you should explore why your old job can't be contacted. Depending on your situation, they might still owe you something. But be mindful, mixing personal and work accounts is risky. Stick to separate emails and devices to avoid problems like this in the future.
You should seriously consider canceling your credit card. Just tell your card provider it was lost if you have to, and get a new card to prevent those charges from continuing. You can add the new card to your side project’s account. It’s risky keeping that card active when you have an account you can't access anymore.
That makes sense, but be aware that some providers let recurring charges go through even after you change your card number. If canceling the credit card doesn't work, you might have to look into shutting down the entire card account altogether.
It’s basically like you’ve lost control of that account, so just cancel the card and start fresh. You can always change it for the other subscriptions later.
Why not just cancel the credit card altogether? This happens often, and if you can’t get through to AWS to fix this issue, I’d say it's worth the few hours it takes to update your payment info everywhere else. In the end, what’s $170 every month for something you're not even using?
I agree with the need to cancel the card, but you should certainly check if there’s a way to dispute the charges as well since it’s technically not an account you control anymore.
That’s true, but it sounds like OP made the choice to use their personal credit card. They should be accountable for keeping their work and personal finances separate.