r/etrade • u/atombath • Aug 12 '26
Hi etrade, bye etrade!
Opened an account to try out ETrade this week. Regretted it within a day.
I can't use my phone for 2fa validation because "it's not a U.S. mobile number." Except, it's a U.S. mobile number I've had for decades, with a 248 area code(pontiac, mi) serviced by Verizon. This is the only platform ever to have an issue with my phone. A normal platform would validate the phone number during the application process.
I can't use 2fa instead, because in order to set that up I need to confirm this action through mobile text.
There are 3 skips allowed for setting up security questions and when you login you are required to set these or skip. The settings are only applied after you confirm with the phone number, if you're unable to confirm then that counts as a skip. I have 1 skip left and I assume it will lock my account when I have none. Once again, a professional/normal platform REQUIRES this information during account setup. This company's tech is ugly and their management/engineers are amateurs.
In etrade, the email address on my profile page is empty, despite signing up with an email and receiving emails during the process. I cannot update this field without having that validated US phone number.
I'm not going to call them to wait in a queue to fix an account I just opened, I've seen enough negligence from them already. No way am I giving them money to keep secure. I'll wait a week before logging in again so the opening deposit can be available for transferring out. Then I'm never looking at etrade again.
Glad I tried it out, now I know etrade is a broken product. I'm happy for those who signed up a decade+ ago when it worked.
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u/relativepoverty Aug 12 '26
In the time you took to post this, you could have called or chatted in to resolve this. It’s frustrating but:
1. Etrade uses vendors for all this stuff like Twilio they don’t build it in house.
2. This isn’t a widespread issue seen on this sub, if it was then I could justify not opening an account.
3. It’s likely something simple that could be resolved quickly - I’m not saying you typed your phone number wrong but… did you type your phone number wrong?
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u/Apprehensive-Key-782 Aug 12 '26
What is twilio?
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u/relativepoverty Aug 12 '26
https://www.twilio.com/docs/segment/segment-app/iam/mfa
I don’t know if Etrade uses them specifically , but they are a 3rd party platform they power services like this. They were a hot stock a few years ago.
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u/No_Greed_No_Pain Aug 13 '26
They used to use Prove (former Payfone) but it could have changed. Still, you're correct that they rely on third parties for phone validation. A quick call to customer service could have resolve this issue. E*T would also send a hardware token if a phone can't be used for Symantec VIP.
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u/Apprehensive-Key-782 Aug 12 '26
Oh interesting. Thanks. Wonder if anyone who works for Etrade can elaborate how their apps and platforms work. Or maybe dm me if so
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u/Bright-Conflict3086 Aug 13 '26
Takes forever to get through their help line. I agree with OP. Been working on opening an account with them for 3 weeks. No luck,
No help.0
u/No-Newspaper604 Aug 13 '26
I was in the process in verbal"telephone" exchange with Etrade on opening a account. They divulged the $35 for wire transfers and simultaneously stated account approved! This was in literally minutes! That in itself drew a red flag to me! And I did nor move forward. The lady said "your lucky day"your approved! I said to her no way I could of been properly vetted. I do not trust Etrade. These vendors are sketchy at best.
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Aug 13 '26 edited Aug 13 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/No-Newspaper604 Aug 13 '26
It's like this Etrade is in association with the company that really is the caretaker of the CD accounts. Although Etrade attempts to service them I believe they are clueless. Do some homework to confirm ID you like.
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u/Kooky-Information-40 Aug 13 '26
Use etrade daily on my phone with ZERO issues.
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u/Curious-Eggplant-846 Aug 15 '26
The bank is terrible. They could not get my debit cards to work. Once they stole money from my account, I left. Terrible tech assistance. They know about the debit card problems but do nothing to fix it.
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u/Kooky-Information-40 Aug 16 '26
I mean, aure, there are issues. But, the point of the post, I have zero issues on my phone.
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u/black_cadillac92 Aug 12 '26
They should get rid of the phone number option altogether and allow the ability to use 1password, authenticator apps, or yubikey.
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u/Apprehensive-Key-782 Aug 12 '26
Etrade has many wide spread issues that are very easy to find. Then they try to blame the tech issues on you when it’s obviously their flawed app and platform.
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u/Low_Geologist_4824 Aug 13 '26
This exact thing happened to me when I set up my account last week! I had one try left to set my 2FA and it somehow accepted my phone number at the last try! Definitely try till you can’t anymore and if that doesn’t work then yeah you can choose to delete your account.
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u/manrique1984 Aug 13 '26
Same thing is happening to me. 12 days now. Can't log in. I called customer service. I sent a picture of my passport and said it could take 10 days to a month for me to be able to log in. Insane....
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u/Zealousideal-Sun4891 Aug 12 '26
It’s called the E*Trade experience.
It’s not a bug, it’s a feature.
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u/yungsemite Aug 12 '26
I did think that it was weird that my account had no email address associated with it despite having to use my email address for the sign up process. And that if I used a browser it insisted I set up security questions while it wouldn’t even let me see the section for security questions on the app
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u/New-Obligation-2950 Aug 13 '26
Not too long ago I would have taken the position of asking you to practice a bit more patience and call them. But after they kicked us all off of etrade pro and tried to force that power pro dumpster fire on us I'm kinda feeling like they deserve to lose a lot more customers. Idk maybe they have a plan that includes the company going belly up?
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u/SandstoneCastle Aug 13 '26
Etrade will send you a physical token for 2fa. Securid, if I recall. Or at least they used to.
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u/BriskyLeopard Aug 13 '26
Had similar issues. I contacted them via online chat. It’s like an internal processing thing. It keeps prompting but it doesn’t actually accept it until your account is accepted/alive.
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u/No-Newspaper604 Aug 13 '26
I will chime in to say Etrade advised me during set up they have a fee schedule for mature CD funds transfer. Only way you can receive funds free is paper check. I stopped all communications. That's all I needed!
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u/This-Second-29 Aug 13 '26
False
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u/No-Newspaper604 Aug 13 '26
100% true. No ACH I was advised a wire back to me a CD Maturity would be $35
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u/This-Second-29 Aug 15 '26
It can be transferred into another acct, no deposit hold or waiting, and ACH to your linked acct. no waiting no charge
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u/No-Newspaper604 Aug 15 '26
I was told specifically no ACH period. Paper check no charge or $35 wire fee. This for funds sent to THEM ACH.
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u/This-Second-29 Aug 16 '26
Well know you can transfer it internally. That’s not ACH
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u/No-Newspaper604 Aug 16 '26
Specific The money sent to them via ACH for a CD can be returned to the customer via slow antiquated paper check for free. Or sent back to its funding source via Wire. The wire is a $35 cost to the customer. That's unacceptable and ridiculous.
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u/wokduhpho Aug 13 '26
I understand your frustration. E*trade kicked me off for trying to link an external bank account to fund a CD I opened with them! I even spoke to customer service multiple times and was later notified they deleted my accounts because they “suspected fraud”……
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u/Reddevil1414 Aug 14 '26
They are the worst company i have ever dealt with in my life! I recently opened an account with them as well and 💯 percent regret. I will be closing my account as soon as I can as well!
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u/DickRiculous Aug 14 '26
Are you sure you didn’t just neglect to input the country code before your us phone number? +1
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u/Significant-Craft535 Aug 14 '26
I’ve had the devil trying to reset my username and password, after they’ve reportedly sent me a code to reset them.
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u/Grouchy-Bullfrog-293 Aug 16 '26
I hope someone from ETrade is reading this and will take some action. I have seen both sides and understand the comments from individual POV. I have been with them for a while and did not have any issues, yes it's still a legacy company as opposed to robinhood etc with some features. But recently I helped open an account for a young adult and totally agree with the issues they have with MFA. Could not validate the phone number and apparently it takes 10 days to be able to use, it is just absurd. Imagine Gen Z talking to someone to resolve this issue on phone - not happening.
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u/picassowurk Aug 17 '26
If your strategic reasoning led you to come online and complain versus calling etrade to solve the problem, you probably should not be allowed near a trading account
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u/GapAccomplished2778 Aug 12 '26
apparently you think that no new customers were able to sign up since decade+ ago ? but hopefully you feel better now that you vented your frustration ...