Attempt to Appeal Facebook Account Disabling – Letters Through the Photo ID Upload
Since Facebook has no live chat, customer service number, and the majority of their forum is copy-and-paste responses, even to unique situations like mine, I tried to get inventive with contacting Facebook.
Through the photo ID option for submitting your ID to prove your identity, I uploaded three letters to Facebook, explaining the situation, that my pen name and I were one and the same, and that I had bills, invoices, and other documents to prove it. I explained my business situation (the official Facebook pages I had created for websites, etc.). I asked for the opportunity to change the name and the image on my account to reflect the one on my driver’s license.
I changed the Microsoft Word docx letters to PDFs since you can’t upload docx and sent them through the photo ID upload option. I knew (supposition) human eyes would read the letters. Each letter had my contact information.
I never received a response to any of the uploaded letters.
Attempt to Appeal Facebook Account Disabling – Letters to NYC & LA Headquarters
The first version of the letters that I uploaded through the photo ID Facebook option I sent via UPS to Facebook’s California headquarters (1 Hacker Way, Menlo Park, CA 94025) and their New York office (770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003). I sent the letters with proof that my pen name and my real name belonged to the same person. The letters were on company letterhead, had my contact information, an apology, and a clear statement that all of this had been a misunderstanding, a mistake on my part about the usage of a pseudonym on their platform.
I never received a response to either of the mailed letters.
Attempt to Appeal Facebook Account Disabling – The NYC Trip
I personally went to NYC to Facebook’s office there to speak to someone in-person and to present the documents that authenticated my identity (my professional name and real identity).
I thought I could rescue this situation the way I had regarding an advertising deal years ago.
When I got to Facebook NYC dressed in a suit, I found one of the most professional and organized contract security staffs that I had ever seen. I walked in through the door, down the ramp to the front desk. I was asked who I was there to see. I informed the person behind the front desk, who was wearing a Facebook shirt, that I wanted to speak to someone at Facebook about an account that had been disabled in error. I was told to have a seat. I thought, finally, someone is coming down, I would be able to tell them what happened, that the name on my account was the professional name I have been using for ten years, that it wasn’t some fake name, that there was no malicious intent, that I wasn’t a Russian bot, that I wasn’t Taliban, and that I would change the name and pic on my account lickety-split if they would re-enable my account and give me access to it for five minutes.
After seating on one of their synthetic leather furniture pieces for about ten minutes, one of the security personnel approached me. I told him the situation and was lead to one of five terminals that housed what looked like an iPad touch screen turned sideways. I was told here was where I could ask my customer service question. I told the guard that I had a lengthy typed letter to show to a Facebook customer service person as well as accompanying documents.
I was told Facebook had no customer service personnel.
I couldn’t believe it.
I had no way of knowing if the uploaded letters through the photo ID option had been read or not but I figured the probability was higher that a note through this terminal would be read by someone that could assist me with my situation. I told myself to just to do it, breathed in, breathed out, and began typing the entire letter on the touch screen. I took me about forty minutes or so of standing there to retype and proofread the letter with two fingers. The guard helped me to periodically save my progress as I went.
I made sure the letter had my contact info and submitted it.
Before leaving Facebook NYC, I asked permission to take a bottle of water out on their water bottle machine. The lady behind the desk said go ahead – the water bottles are apparently free to Facebook personnel and their security staff.
I asked where I could catch a cab. I was told out the door and to the left at the corner.
I left Facebook NYC.
I spent nearly fifty dollars in cab fare to and from Facebook NYC from Grand Central Station. I spent forty-one dollars on the round trip train ticket from CT to NYC. It was an hour and forty minute train ride to NYC from CT and an additional hour and forty minutes back to CT from NYC.
I never received a reply from Facebook regarding the letter that I typed into the terminal in Facebook NYC.
Attempt to Appeal Facebook Account Disabling – Letters to Specific Facebook Personnel
I wrote six additional letters, including to specific Facebook personnel like Sheryl Sandberg and Mark Zuckerberg, and sent the letters through FedEx.
I never received a response to any of those mailed letters.
