My email is not being recognized by certain companies...they have the proper address but I try to get a password reset and nothing comes

Question

I can receive many emails, but certain companies, ie Ebay, Ancestry.com, a few other companies that recognize my email address, I can't login...when I request a password request , they state they have sent a code and there is no email with a reset code at all..I feel I've been hacked

Answer 1

Hi Raymond Carbonara,

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum.

I understand how frustrating this can be, especially when a website recognizes your email address, but the password reset message never shows up in Outlook.com.

I see there is already a Q&A Assist answer in this thread. The guidance there is generally correct for checking common Outlook.com causes such as junk folders, blocked/safe sender settings, and mailbox rules. Have you had a chance to try those steps yet? I would like to add a few targeted checks that often apply when the missing messages are only from specific companies.

1. Check that your Microsoft cloud storage is not full: If your Microsoft cloud storage is full, Outlook.com may stop receiving new mail. You can review your storage status and free up space, then request the password reset again. Storage limits in Outlook.com - Microsoft Support 
2. Check Outlook.com view filters and the Other tab: If Focused Inbox is enabled, the message might appear under the Other tab, or a view filter could hide it. This is a quick way to rule out “mail is there but not visible” before deeper troubleshooting.
3. Ask the company for the exact sender address used for the reset email: Password reset messages often come from a different address or domain than the company’s normal emails (for example, an automated no-reply service). Ask the company to confirm the exact “From” address/domain and whether your address is suppressed in their sending system due to previous bounces.
4. If nothing is found in Outlook.com, ask the sender to check delivery using Sender Support: Microsoft’s Outlook.com guidance indicates that if you are not receiving a specific email and there is no sign it reached your mailbox, the sender may need to refer to Sender Support for delivery guidance. https://sendersupport.olc.protection.outlook.com/snds/Index

From the forum side, contributors can help you verify mailbox settings and common filters, but there is no access to external companies’ delivery logs or service-side diagnostics. If you would like Outlook.com support to review the account from the service side, you can contact support in Outlook.com:

1. Go to Outlook.com and sign in.  
2. Click the Help icon (question mark) in the top right corner.  
3. In the Help pane that opens, type a brief description of your issue (e.g., "cannot receive emails"), then press Enter.   
4. Scroll down the page until you see "Still need help?", click Yes.   
5. Select "Chat with a support agent in your web browser."  
6. Review the description of your issue and confirm your email address (ensure it's an email you can access).  
7. Click Confirm to create the service request and then Start chat to connect with an agent.  

I hope this clarifies why the reset emails may fail only for certain companies and helps you move to the quickest resolution.

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Answer 2

For password reset emails that never arrive from specific companies, the most likely causes are filtering, blocking, or a problem on the sender’s side rather than a hacked Microsoft account.

Try these steps in Outlook.com / Outlook on the web:

1. Check all mail folders
   • Look in Junk Email, Deleted Items, Clutter/Other, and any custom folders.
   • Use search on a keyword like the company name or “password reset.”
2. Check junk and safe sender settings
   • In Outlook on the web, open Settings → Mail → Junk email.
   • Make sure the companies’ addresses or domains (for example, @ebay.com, @ancestry.com) are not in Blocked senders and domains.
   • Add them to Safe senders and domains so their messages are less likely to be filtered.
3. Check rules and forwarding
   • Go to Settings → Mail → Rules and delete any rule that might move, delete, or forward messages from those senders.
   • Go to Settings → Mail → Forwarding and remove any forwarding address that should not be there.
4. Confirm the exact email address used
   • Ensure the companies are sending to the correct address, including the right domain (for example, outlook.com vs outlook.co.uk, hotmail.com vs hotmail.co.uk).
   • Small spelling differences (like rachel vs rachael) will prevent delivery.
5. Check for account security issues
   • If there are signs of compromise (unexpected drafts, rules, or forwarding), follow Microsoft’s account recovery and security guidance:
     • If sign-in stops working, use Recover your account at the Microsoft password reset page and follow the steps to reset the password and verify identity.
6. If still not receiving from those companies
   • Contact the companies’ support using another email address or their help portal and ask them to confirm that messages to the Outlook/Hotmail address are not being blocked or suppressed on their side.

If the Microsoft account itself stops accepting the correct password or shows “We couldn’t find an account with that username,” use the account recovery flow and, if needed, contact Microsoft support as described in the references.

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References:

• Troubleshoot Microsoft verification code issues
• My username and password have stopped working