Wrongfully banned account + Apple subscription lock = unable to use ChatGPT at all — please help

Hi,

I’m writing because a wrongful account ban has triggered a chain of issues that has left me with no way to access ChatGPT Plus at all — as a paying customer.

What happened:

My account was banned shortly after I purchased ChatGPT Plus via Apple Pay. I strongly believe this ban was a mistake — I had done nothing that violated the Terms of Service. My only action prior to the ban was completing a legitimate payment. I submitted an appeal, but it was rejected without a clear explanation.

To continue using the service I was paying for, I created a new account. But now I’ve hit a second wall:

“Your subscription is associated with a different account.”

Because the original (wrongfully banned) account is still linked to my Apple ID in OpenAI’s system, my new account cannot subscribe via Apple Pay.

The result:

  • Old account: wrongfully banned, cannot log in
  • New account: blocked from subscribing due to the Apple ID association left behind by the banned account
  • Net outcome: I have zero access to a service I paid for in good faith

What I’ve tried:

  • Cancelled the subscription via iOS Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions
  • Waited for the billing period to fully expire
  • Contacted support — was told this is an Apple-side issue and nothing can be done

What I’m asking for:

  1. A proper review of the original ban — I believe it was wrongful and would like it reconsidered
  2. If the ban cannot be reversed, please clear the Apple ID subscription association so my new account can subscribe normally

I want to be a paying customer. I was one. The ban was a mistake, and the subscription lock is a direct consequence of that mistake. It’s not fair that I’m being penalized twice — first by losing my account, then by being unable to start fresh.

I hope OpenAI takes this seriously. Losing a loyal customer over an erroneous ban is an outcome that benefits no one.

Thank you for your time.

Thanks for flagging this here @trojsn88

To help us look into this further, could you please share the case ID/number for the appeal or support request you submitted? Once I have that, I can check the related case details and investigate the account issue further.

~ Smith