> As I do not own a US phone anymore, the number they have on file is that of a friend, and I was calling from my French number.
They tend to have zero tolerance policies for stuff like this so it is no surprise that they locked your account. It's terrible that they have no alternative identity verification protocols in place.
Offer to verify your identity through a notary.
Yes, looking back this was a mistake, but I would never have imagined that it would go this bad...
At some point, one guy did mention something about having my identify verified through a notary if I could back to the US, but he could not guarantee this would work. Also, I read a bunch of other complaints saying that trying this was just way for them to keep you quiet for some time. But I'll keep this in mind as a last resort, thanks
A notary should be able to verify your identity in France as well. That's one of their main services. I think this is one of those situations where you have to send them legalise for them to feel reassured.
They tend to have zero tolerance policies for stuff like this so it is no surprise that they locked your account. It's terrible that they have no alternative identity verification protocols in place. Offer to verify your identity through a notary.