API Appeal stuck in escalation for 2.5 months - Deeply regretful of the misunderstanding

API Feedback
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Hello OpenAI Team and Community,

I’m reaching out here with the hope that a staff member might be able to help me look into an API appeal that has been pending for over two and a half months.

Back in December, my account was deactivated by the safety filters. Looking back, I can completely understand why the system flagged my requests, and I want to express my deepest apologies for the alarm it must have caused. I was asking for coding assistance for a chatbot project that included some mature string handling, which triggered a severe safety flag.

It was a genuine misunderstanding on my part regarding how the API should be used and what kind of code context is acceptable. I deeply regret the situation and want to assure the team that I have completely removed all of those elements from my project. Moving forward, I am absolutely committed to strictly adhering to the safety guidelines.

I submitted my appeal explaining the context, but the process seems to have stalled:

  • Dec. 29, 2025: Submitted my detailed appeal via email.
  • Jan. 4, 2026: Received the automated confirmation.
  • Jan. 12, 2026: Received an update from support stating: “We’ll need assistance from a colleague to move this forward.”
  • March 16, 2026: No further updates since.

I know these escalated reviews take a lot of time and care, but I was really hoping someone could take a look at my account. I’ve learned my lesson and would love nothing more than to just get back to building safely.

Account Details:

  • User ID: redacted

Thank you so much for your time, patience, and understanding.

Best regards,

Tom

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Hi everyone,

We’re sorry for the frustration this has caused. Individual account suspensions, deactivations, and ban appeals can’t be investigated on this public forum because reviewing them requires private, account-specific information.

Please use the appeal link in your account-notification email. If you can’t access that email, submit the official appeal form. You may also contact OpenAI Support privately at support@openai.com Please don’t post email addresses, user or organization IDs, billing details, appeal references, or other personal information here.

We’re closing this thread. Please don’t open additional public topics for individual account suspension, deactivation, or ban appeals; continue through the private appeal or support channel so the appropriate team can review your account. Thank you for understanding.