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SOT: Problems creating gmail account

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  SOT: Problems creating gmail account Woody <harrogate3@ntlworld.com> - 2026-09-08 15:31 +0100
    Re: SOT: Problems creating gmail account Graham J <nobody@nowhere.co.uk> - 2026-09-08 15:38 +0100
      Re: SOT: Problems creating gmail account Richmond <dnomhcir@gmx.com> - 2026-09-08 16:53 +0100
      Re: SOT: Problems creating gmail account Woody <harrogate3@ntlworld.com> - 2026-09-08 19:36 +0100
        Re: SOT: Problems creating gmail account Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-09-08 19:45 +0100
          Re: SOT: Problems creating gmail account Woody <harrogate3@ntlworld.com> - 2026-09-08 20:11 +0100
            Re: SOT: Problems creating gmail account David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid> - 2026-09-08 20:49 +0100
            Re: SOT: Problems creating gmail account Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-09-08 20:56 +0100
        Re: SOT: Problems creating gmail account Graham J <nobody@nowhere.co.uk> - 2026-09-08 21:19 +0100
          Re: SOT: Problems creating gmail account David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid> - 2026-09-08 22:20 +0100
            Re: SOT: Problems creating gmail account Mark Carver <mark@invalid.com> - 2026-09-19 19:50 +0100
        Re: SOT: Problems creating gmail account Richmond <dnomhcir@gmx.com> - 2026-09-08 22:11 +0100
        Re: SOT: Problems creating gmail account JMB99 <mb@nospam.net> - 2026-09-09 08:40 +0100
    Re: SOT: Problems creating gmail account David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid> - 2026-09-08 18:27 +0100
      Re: SOT: Problems creating gmail account Abandoned Trolley <that.bloke@microsoft.com> - 2026-09-09 07:56 +0100
        Re: SOT: Problems creating gmail account Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-09-09 10:32 +0100

#57696 — SOT: Problems creating gmail account

My wife is trying to open a gmail account but keeps getting refused.
She should have an account firstname.surname@gmail.com but Gmail is 
unable to find such, so she tried to open a new account. Filled in the 
necessary and when it came to email address she was offered two 
(unsuitable) addresses and the option of choosing her own. She entered 
firstname.surname@gmail.com and was immediately told that this username 
is already in use.
How can one end of gmail be unable to find an address and at the same 
time refuse to create the identical address as it was already in use?

Help?

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#57697

Woody wrote:
> My wife is trying to open a gmail account but keeps getting refused.
> She should have an account firstname.surname@gmail.com but Gmail is 
> unable to find such, so she tried to open a new account. Filled in the 
> necessary and when it came to email address she was offered two 
> (unsuitable) addresses and the option of choosing her own. She entered 
> firstname.surname@gmail.com and was immediately told that this username 
> is already in use.
> How can one end of gmail be unable to find an address and at the same 
> time refuse to create the identical address as it was already in use?

Moral: don't use gmail.

But seriously, if you try to send a message to her 
<firstname.surname@gmail.com> address does it bounce?  If so, we would 
be more convinced that the address does not exist.


-- 
Graham J

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#57698

Graham J <nobody@nowhere.co.uk> writes:

> Woody wrote:
>> My wife is trying to open a gmail account but keeps getting refused.
>> She should have an account firstname.surname@gmail.com but Gmail is
>> unable to find such, so she tried to open a new account. Filled in
>> the necessary and when it came to email address she was offered two
>> (unsuitable) addresses and the option of choosing her own. She
>> entered firstname.surname@gmail.com and was immediately told that
>> this username is already in use.
>> How can one end of gmail be unable to find an address and at the
>> same time refuse to create the identical address as it was already
>> in use?
>
> Moral: don't use gmail.
>
> But seriously, if you try to send a message to her
> <firstname.surname@gmail.com> address does it bounce?  If so, we would
> be more convinced that the address does not exist.

Gmail ignores full stops in email addresses. Maybe that has something to
do with it. Maybe try firstnamesurname in whatever dialog it is.

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#57700

On Tue 08/09/2026 15:38, Graham J wrote:
> Woody wrote:
>> My wife is trying to open a gmail account but keeps getting refused.
>> She should have an account firstname.surname@gmail.com but Gmail is 
>> unable to find such, so she tried to open a new account. Filled in the 
>> necessary and when it came to email address she was offered two 
>> (unsuitable) addresses and the option of choosing her own. She entered 
>> firstname.surname@gmail.com and was immediately told that this 
>> username is already in use.
>> How can one end of gmail be unable to find an address and at the same 
>> time refuse to create the identical address as it was already in use?
> 
> Moral: don't use gmail.
> 
> But seriously, if you try to send a message to her 
> <firstname.surname@gmail.com> address does it bounce?  If so, we would 
> be more convinced that the address does not exist.
> 
> 

Just tested as you suggested and it came back immediately as an unknown 
address. We have always used firstname.surname format so that is not the 
issue, and as we have a somewhat unusual surname the blocking I would 
have thought was unlikely. Ah, but of course gmail is worldwide so...
Hmmmmm...

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#57701

Woody wrote:

> Just tested as you suggested and it came back immediately as an unknown 
> address. We have always used firstname.surname format so that is not the 
> issue, and as we have a somewhat unusual surname the blocking I would 
> have thought was unlikely. Ah, but of course gmail is worldwide so...
> Hmmmmm...

have you tried first.last@googlemail.cpm instead?

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#57702

On Tue 08/09/2026 19:45, Andy Burns wrote:
> Woody wrote:
> 
>> Just tested as you suggested and it came back immediately as an 
>> unknown address. We have always used firstname.surname format so that 
>> is not the issue, and as we have a somewhat unusual surname the 
>> blocking I would have thought was unlikely. Ah, but of course gmail is 
>> worldwide so...
>> Hmmmmm...
> 
> have you tried first.last@googlemail.cpm instead?


Er, how do I do that? Everything I try only offers an @gmail.com address.

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#57703

On 08/09/2026 20:11, Woody wrote:
> On Tue 08/09/2026 19:45, Andy Burns wrote:
>> Woody wrote:
>>
>>> Just tested as you suggested and it came back immediately as an 
>>> unknown address. We have always used firstname.surname format so that 
>>> is not the issue, and as we have a somewhat unusual surname the 
>>> blocking I would have thought was unlikely. Ah, but of course gmail 
>>> is worldwide so...
>>> Hmmmmm...
>>
>> have you tried first.last@googlemail.cpm instead?
> 
> 
> Er, how do I do that? Everything I try only offers an @gmail.com address.

you can't, the domains are interchangeable. Are you sure she didn't have 
it and delete it? If so you can't get it back unless it was very 
recently....

https://support.google.com/accounts/thread/258113909/recover-deleted-gmail-account

Dave

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#57704

Woody wrote:

> Andy Burns wrote:
>
>> have you tried first.last@googlemail.cpm instead?
> 
> Er, how do I do that? Everything I try only offers an @gmail.com address.

Maybe they no longer allow creating new googlemail.com addresses?
They used to offer it in the uk back when another company had a 
trademark claim on "gmail" ...

<https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10096107>

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#57705

Woody wrote:
[snip]

> 
> Just tested as you suggested and it came back immediately as an unknown 
> address. We have always used firstname.surname format so that is not the 
> issue, and as we have a somewhat unusual surname the blocking I would 
> have thought was unlikely. Ah, but of course gmail is worldwide so...
> Hmmmmm...

Do you have documentary evidence of the firstname.surname format? 
Possibly the address book of somebody who sent messages to that address 
in the past?

This would at least give us independent confirmation that the address 
DID exist.

-- 
Graham J

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#57707

On 08/09/2026 21:19, Graham J wrote:
> Woody wrote:
> [snip]
> 
>>
>> Just tested as you suggested and it came back immediately as an 
>> unknown address. We have always used firstname.surname format so that 
>> is not the issue, and as we have a somewhat unusual surname the 
>> blocking I would have thought was unlikely. Ah, but of course gmail is 
>> worldwide so...
>> Hmmmmm...
> 
> Do you have documentary evidence of the firstname.surname format? 
> Possibly the address book of somebody who sent messages to that address 
> in the past?
> 
> This would at least give us independent confirmation that the address 
> DID exist.
> 

If it did exist and was deleted google won't let you re-create it.

Dave

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#57763

On 08/09/2026 22:20, David Wade wrote:
> On 08/09/2026 21:19, Graham J wrote:
>> Woody wrote:
>> [snip]
>>
>>>
>>> Just tested as you suggested and it came back immediately as an 
>>> unknown address. We have always used firstname.surname format so that 
>>> is not the issue, and as we have a somewhat unusual surname the 
>>> blocking I would have thought was unlikely. Ah, but of course gmail 
>>> is worldwide so...
>>> Hmmmmm...
>>
>> Do you have documentary evidence of the firstname.surname format? 
>> Possibly the address book of somebody who sent messages to that 
>> address in the past?
>>
>> This would at least give us independent confirmation that the address 
>> DID exist.
>>
> 
> If it did exist and was deleted google won't let you re-create it.
You're (probably) right. I deleted my late father's gmail address 8 
years ago.
I've just tried to re create it, won't let me, says the username is 
already in use. He had quite a rare first name, so perhaps no one else 
in the world has attempted to use it ?

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#57706

Woody <harrogate3@ntlworld.com> writes:

> On Tue 08/09/2026 15:38, Graham J wrote:
>> Woody wrote:
>>> My wife is trying to open a gmail account but keeps getting refused.
>>> She should have an account firstname.surname@gmail.com but Gmail is
>>> unable to find such, so she tried to open a new account. Filled in
>>> the necessary and when it came to email address she was offered two
>>> (unsuitable) addresses and the option of choosing her own. She
>>> entered firstname.surname@gmail.com and was immediately told that
>>> this username is already in use.  How can one end of gmail be unable
>>> to find an address and at the same time refuse to create the
>>> identical address as it was already in use?  >> Moral: don't use
>>> gmail.  >> But seriously, if you try to send a message to her >>
>>> <firstname.surname@gmail.com> address does it bounce?  If so, we >>
>>> would be more convinced that the address does not exist.
>> 
>
> Just tested as you suggested and it came back immediately as an
> unknown address. We have always used firstname.surname format so that
> is not the issue, and as we have a somewhat unusual surname the
> blocking I would have thought was unlikely. Ah, but of course gmail is
> worldwide so...  Hmmmmm...

Where are you doing this? in an app? in an email client? on
accounts.google.com?

Maybe she put a number on the end then forgot, often people do for
example firstname.lastname3@gmail.com

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#57710

On 08/09/2026 19:36, Woody wrote:
> Just tested as you suggested and it came back immediately as an unknown 
> address. We have always used firstname.surname format so that is not the 
> issue, and as we have a somewhat unusual surname the blocking I would 
> have thought was unlikely. Ah, but of course gmail is worldwide so...
> Hmmmmm...


I am often checking names on war memorials on the CWGC site and 
regularly surprised the number of people with what I thought was very 
unusual name.

Cancelled addresses - I sure that if you had an EMail address 
fredbloggs@gmail.com and cancelled it, you would not want someone else 
setting a new account with the same address in a year or so, getting 
mail that was intended for you?

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#57699

On 08/09/2026 15:31, Woody wrote:
> My wife is trying to open a gmail account but keeps getting refused.
> She should have an account firstname.surname@gmail.com but Gmail is 
> unable to find such, so she tried to open a new account. Filled in the 
> necessary and when it came to email address she was offered two 
> (unsuitable) addresses and the option of choosing her own. She entered 
> firstname.surname@gmail.com and was immediately told that this username 
> is already in use.
> How can one end of gmail be unable to find an address and at the same 
> time refuse to create the identical address as it was already in use?
> 
> Help?

"Recently" or perhaps "within living memory" gmail altered the rules 
about which e-mail addresses it considers "the same". So if her original 
address was "firstnamesurname" without the "." you can't create 
"firstname.surname" but it won't let you log in with the name with the ".".

If was used and is now deleted that will also be blocked

Dave

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#57709

> 
> "Recently" or perhaps "within living memory" gmail altered the rules 
> about which e-mail addresses it considers "the same". So if her original 
> address was "firstnamesurname" without the "." you can't create 
> "firstname.surname" but it won't let you log in with the name with the ".".
> 

> Dave


I have also "within living memory" received emails addressed to a "dot 
free" gmail address (in all other respects identical to mine) - but the 
problem simply disappeared.

I didnt waste any time trying to forward the email or contact it (=myself?)

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#57711

Abandoned Trolley wrote:

> I have also "within living memory" received emails addressed to a "dot 
> free" gmail address (in all other respects identical to mine) - but the 
> problem simply disappeared.
> 
> I didnt waste any time trying to forward the email or contact it (=myself?)

I've had people email their similarly-named brother at my gmail address, 
they weren't even grateful that I pointed out they (their brother) had 
made some sort of mistake ...

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