Without using the words “set up automatic monthly payments” can you help me solve this riddle?
Though a non-typical situation that is unlikely to occur often - but which may occur to lots of people from time to time - I was out of country when our DVC loan payment was due.
In order to log in for loan stuff, it’s now two-factor — and I’m the text recipient.
I might have been in the air on my way to Africa or something when DH went to pay the loan and couldn’t get the text, so he put it aside for later … and promptly forgot about it. And it never came to mind again until I was trying to fiddle with something reservations-wise and got Rex.
It’s paid now. It wasn’t a matter of not being able to pay but it was overlooked because of two-factor (and now we have a late fee )
Does anyone have any ideas on how to work around the two-factor when the two-factor recipient is not available??
This is a problem, because the whole point of the two-factor is to ENSURE there isn’t a workaround!
Some places allow you to setup multiple two-factor sources. Maybe more than one phone number, or perhaps an email address as well, etc. I’m not sure if that is something the DVC site allows or not…but it is really the only thing I can think of.
I was logging into the DVC site to see if I can find where you set this, and I can’t even find how you set up two-factor authentication at all! Nice to bury something so key to the system. What if I got a new phone number? It really should be obvious how to change this setting. Still digging. Sigh
Okay. So when I log into the My Loans page, it does prompt me for which method to use for two factor…I can select my mobile number, OR my email address.
So I think in this case, your husband would have needed to be able to log into your email address as an alternative?
Is your husband not on this same account? If so, I would think he could have done this from his account instead, using his own two-factor method?
The whole DVC thing is under my account and I don’t think you can have two different accounts accessing it
He has my email login information but maybe he didn’t think to try that. It’s still not an ideal because not everyone will have this kind of transparency with their other. So there really ought to be another way.
I think he can get into it with his own login - and maybe he does - but what I mean is I think the two-factor still comes to me. What happens if your wife tries to do something with the loans section when logged in under her own account?
That, I’m not sure. We actually have never had a loan, so haven’t had to actually use two-factor to login. I just tried it now, myself, for the sake of this exercise. I’ll see if I can find an opportunity to have my wife try and report back.
Does the two factor on that site let you use an app like Authy or Google Authenticator?
If you so could have it on both phones - plus generate backup codes to use if neither of you can access the live code.
Another option could be to set up a free Google Voice number, use that for two-factor texting. You could both have the app on your phones and get the text for the same number - or you could just set up Voice to forward texts to the associated email address.
Google Voice is a free phone number you can add on to your Google Gmail acct.
So, you could create a Gmail acct you both have access to.
Set up a Google Voice phone number. There’s an app and can also login to web interface. It acts just like a mobile phone.
You both install Google Voice app on your phones - you both now have access to that number and any texts that come in.
Set up your two-factor accounts to use that phone instead of one of your direct phone numbers.
Down side: Sometimes you will find sites that will not be able to send a text to a Google Voice (or similar VoIP phone) number - it is a stupid limitation in 2023, but happens. (Chase can’t send a confirmation text to Voice when creating a new login, for example.)
If you don’t both want to install the Voice app on your phones for some reason, you can also set up any messages (aka texts) get forwarded to an email address:
To go further with that, if you didn’t want to have to login your phones to this new shared email, you could also set up the shared Gmail address to forward all email to both of your usual email addresses.
This was the answer that I was going to provide. My DH and I each have our own Google voice numbers but we also have a “home phone” google voice number (the irony is not lost on me) that we both have access to. It is also helpful in Europe where we also may not get text messages.
For more Google Voice fun: I haven’t had to set up a new Voice phone number in a long time, but you used to be able to search for a phone number using words.
Before my daughter had phone service, I set her up on Voice so she could text DW and I via WiFi - her number was something like 516-555-LILY.
You can pick a number in any area code you want, so if they still do that you could search for something memorable like:
(XXX) IMGREAT
(XXX) COOKIES
(XXX) DUMBASS
(^–No way assuming this is related to you, but is a funny word that popped in my head. )
or something to make the phone number memorable. But, I don’t think any of us even know phone numbers anymore since we have pocket computers, so more of a silly fun thing than useful.
If he has his own account to access the same DVC contracts, then his two factor should go to him.
I mean, DH dropped the ball, it happens, I’m not sure I’d be super concerned about workarounds for a system that is intended to protect against fraudulent logins.
He dropped the ball. Sometimes we can’t do things right when it’s top of mind. He should have followed up with you or figured out who to call to get the payment made.
It’s a totally normal and human thing to do. You (he) could probably call and beg forgiveness to get the late fee waived.
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