Xbox expiry flaw could delete your Gamertag

 

Did you use a browser-based email service when you signed up for your Xbox Live account?

If so, you might want to log into that account and send an email once in a while. Letting your email address expire may cause you to lose your Gamertag forever.

GamesIndustry.biz reported this week that a number of Xbox Live customers are finding their account information irrevocably lost because they've let email accounts with services like Hotmail expire from disuse. This can happen even if a user has a non-expired email attached to the account as a secondary email.

This occurs because every Gamertag must not only be registered on Xbox Live's servers, it must also be synched up to a Windows Live ID. Changing your Xbox Live email doesn't automatically change your Windows Live email.

And if your Windows Live email expires, your Gamertag is deleted along with it.

MSN Hotmail accounts expire after 60 days of nonuse, and Windows Live Hotmail accounts are deleted after 120 days of nonuse.

GamesIndustry.biz calls it a "serious design flaw" and says Microsoft customer representatives alerted to the problem advise the only way to fix the issue is sign up for a new Gamertag. Of course, that means you'll lose your coveted Gamerscore.

More importantly, however, you could lose all your saved progressions in games that record your history online, like Rock Band and Guitar Hero. It may also cause issue with you accessing any downloaded content, like songs, and some game saves.
This only affects those Xbox 360 users with Gold-level memberships to Xbox Live. Those with Silver memberships, however, may find themselves unable to upgrade their Gamertags to Gold.

Microsoft advises that they are investigating the problem and suggest anyone who has experienced this problem call Xbox's customer support line. Although Microsoft says the problem isn't very widespread, it has happened to gamers in my household, and it's frustrating — not only because of the inescapable frustration it causes but also because calls to Xbox Live's customer support offer very little help or solace. Granted, there's little agents can do until Microsoft fixes the problem systemically.

If this or something similar has happened to you, I'd like to hear from you. Email me at Edie@gamehounds.net.
UPDATE: Representatives for Xbox contacted me with the following statement:

People with dormant Windows Live IDs can continue to enjoy the benefits of their Xbox LIVE Gamertags on their Xbox 360 consoles, including earning Achievements; however, they will not be able to use their expired Windows Live IDs for activities such as account management on xbox.com. An Xbox LIVE Gamertag is unrecoverable from the system only when the associated Windows Live ID has become dormant and the Gamertag has been deleted from all Xbox 360 consoles. We are actively working on an update that will allow you to link your Gamertag to a new Windows Live ID if it becomes dormant. Customers with issues regarding their Xbox 360 or Xbox LIVE account should visit xbox.com/support so we can assist you.

However, I do want to point out that, from my own personal knowledge, a Gamertag doesn't need to be deleted from all consoles to become unaccessible. It can also be a Gamertag that just has never been upgraded from a Silver account. If your Windows Live ID goes dormant before you decide to upgrade to a Gold account, you will be unable to upgrade that Gamertag. If we hear any new developments, you'll find out here.