[SOLVED] Unable to access the store: 403 error upon login

[Daube]

Hi A2A,

I am currently unable to access your store from any device. I always end up with the 403 potentially unsafe operation error message.

This issue was already faced in the past when I was in a business trip in Asia, both in Taiwan and in Japan.
After shortly coming back to my home country (France) in June, I was finally able to access the store from my home computer, create my account, transfer my previous purchases, and benefit from the P3Dv4 Spitfire reduced price. However, today I cannot access the store anymore.

I have tried both from my smartphone and my home computer, same results.
In the past, I couldn't access from Taipei hotel wifi nor taiwanese mobile 4G wifi (phone and computer)
I couldn't access either from Tokyo home wifi nor japanese mobile 4G wifi
Now I cannot access from France either, land internet or 4G internet.

Funny thing is, I was trying to create a new account for my brother to offer him the new Spitfire.
Since I couldn't access the store, I asked him to create his account from his own smartphone, which uses a different provider than mine. He had the 403 error as well. Then he proceeded to his own computer in his own house, and ALSO faced the 403.

What is going on here ?
I cannot access my account and my purchases anymore.
My brother cannot even BECOME a new customer.
Isn't there a problem with your security settings ?

EDIT: modified topic title

[Lewis - A2A]

Hello,

what security software are you running, and have you asked your ISP what might be happening?

Since we have no other reports of this something is a miss with your particular area, or a bad ip or something.

thanks,
Lewis - A2A

[Nick - A2A]

Hi Daube,

Probably also worth running your IP address through one of the blacklist checker websites, for example https://www.blacklistmaster.com or https://www.whatismyip.com/blacklist-check.

Thanks,
Nick

[Tim-HH]

Hi,

I would recommend to use Opera with its built-in VPN function. It is very easy to use and should solve the issue for now.

Greetings
Tim

[Daube]

Thanks for replying.

On my professional computer, I have the McAfee solution for security.
On my home computer, I just have the standard antivirus/firewall embedded with Windows 10.
On my telephone, there is no antivirus software at all.
Also, each time I restart my phone, I get a different IP address. Nevertheless, I always get the 403 error.

Concerning the links above, I have just checked the second one with my current professional computer (I'm still in the office right now).
In the first link, I got almost all "not listed", but two "failed" and one "timeout" ?
In the second link, only "No" for all lines.

I will try the same from home tonight.

[Daube]

I tested from home yesterday, and my IP is indeed listed as "blacklisted" on one or two lines.
I rebooted my phone several times, each time getting a different IP address, but each address is also blacklisted on a few lines.
Then what can I do ?

[Lewis - A2A]

You want to be contacting your ISP and pretty much demanding they sort the issue if they are assigning you blacklisted ip's

[Nick - A2A]

Or you could try what Tim-HH suggested above: install the Opera browser, enable its VPN feature and see if that will allow you to access the webstore.

https://help.opera.com/en/latest/securi ... ivacy/#VPN.

Thanks,
Nick

[Daube]

I have downloaded and installed Opera, activated the VPN setting, got the blue "VPN" icon in the address bar, and successfully achieve to get yet a new 403 error when trying to log in to your store.

I'm going to contact my internet provider.
For the moment, I'm glad the A2A store is the one and only store in the whole FS world to use this "security" system.
I really hope other store will never use that.

[CAPFlyer]

So you hope no other place that processes financial transactions and (while encrypted) handles data through it that includes at least partial private information like passwords, credit card numbers, and your personal address information uses a system that has a modicum of security and rejects IP addresses which have been identified by 3rd party security groups (well respected ones at that) as being the source of activity which could be nefarious in nature? I'm sorry, that seems to me like you're advocating that instead of holding your ISP to do its job and ensure that IPs that get blacklisted are investigated and the persons using them dealt and either quarantine those IPs from other users or have them un-blacklisted once the problem user is dealt with, that A2A and other FS sites make their sites less secure.

This is not a "security" system. It is a Security System. It's A2A actually being responsible for trying to protect your information. Instead of continuing to bash on them for trying to help you, maybe try encouraging other FS shops to do a better job of protecting your information.

[Medtner]

So you hope no other place that processes financial transactions and (while encrypted) handles data through it that includes at least partial private information like passwords, credit card numbers, and your personal address information uses a system that has a modicum of security and rejects IP addresses which have been identified by 3rd party security groups (well respected ones at that) as being the source of activity which could be nefarious in nature? I'm sorry, that seems to me like you're advocating that instead of holding your ISP to do its job and ensure that IPs that get blacklisted are investigated and the persons using them dealt and either quarantine those IPs from other users or have them un-blacklisted once the problem user is dealt with, that A2A and other FS sites make their sites less secure.

This is not a "security" system. It is a Security System. It's A2A actually being responsible for trying to protect your information. Instead of continuing to bash on them for trying to help you, maybe try encouraging other FS shops to do a better job of protecting your information.

Agreed, and also Occams Razor - incredible amounts of customers from all over the world are able to make transactions with A2A. There is no conspiracy or such nonsense - it would run contrary to good economics and also the conviction and trust the A2A people put behind their work. They want people to have their products (and with safety, of course).

I know such problems are frustrating, but keep at it, and it will be resolved. And also worth it - the AccuSim products are second to none!

[guillaume78150]

I'm in France, travel overseas and never got any connection problems with A2A.
Some years ago, our Cy IP was blacklisted and we were unable to even send a mail… This was addressed with our ISP, problem solved within 24 hours.
We never knew why it was blacklisted in the first place.

[Oracle427]

If your business send a lot of marketing emails, that can get you blacklisted if not cleared with your ISP. A piece of bad software that infects your computer can also do bad things unbeknownst to you. These things csn quickly get you blacklisted.

A specific IP address isn't the problem. It is an IP range.

[guillaume78150]

Right, we did not use email marketing but as the company moved the following month, we mailed our customers. Some server somewhere must have think we were spammers.

[Daube]

So you hope no other place that processes financial transactions and (while encrypted) handles data through it that includes at least partial private information like passwords, credit card numbers, and your personal address information uses a system that has a modicum of security and rejects IP addresses which have been identified by 3rd party security groups (well respected ones at that) as being the source of activity which could be nefarious in nature? I'm sorry, that seems to me like you're advocating that instead of holding your ISP to do its job and ensure that IPs that get blacklisted are investigated and the persons using them dealt and either quarantine those IPs from other users or have them un-blacklisted once the problem user is dealt with, that A2A and other FS sites make their sites less secure.

This is not a "security" system. It is a Security System. It's A2A actually being responsible for trying to protect your information. Instead of continuing to bash on them for trying to help you, maybe try encouraging other FS shops to do a better job of protecting your information.

You're probably right. I should be glad A2A's store is so secure.
Just it's a bit difficult for me to enjoy that to the fullest right now