Re: Can't add son to Family Plan?!

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03 - Managing my Xbox LIVE account

Adding/changing security proofs, managing Gold subscriptions, Microsoft Account info and more.
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Can't add son to Family Plan?!

Answered (Not Verified) This question has suggested answer(s)
Level: 1
4 Mar 2012 9:43 AM

Recently, our Gold Family membership ran out. At the time, I was the main account holder and my boyfriend and our two children were added t the family. Seeing as my boyfriend is the much more active gamer, it was inconvenient for him to need to be granted an allowance to buy games. We decided when the family plan ran out (which it did last night) that he would be the main account holder this time and add the rest of us. However, while myself and our daughter were added to the family without error, we can not add our son to the family either through the website or on the Xbox itself. The only thing we can think of is that there is an issue with parent IDs. My WLID is the parent ID for him, but it is his father trying to add him to the family plan. When we try to add him through the website, it asks to sign in as the ID being added. We sign in as my son, and it asks for the parent ID to sign in, which I do. At that point the process resets back to needing my son to sign back in, and the loop never breaks. We've tried multiple browsers on multiple computers and always the same result. If we try to add him via the Xbox, everything works up until the point where we reach the "do you want to join this family?" screen. Once "yes" is clicked on, an error pops up saying "Can't sign in using your Windows Live ID". We bought the family pack so that all four of us could have Gold accounts and this is not acceptable. Someone please assist!

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All Replies
    Level: 1
    AmbLevel1
  • 4 Mar 2012 10:16 AM
    Suggested Answer

    to put family settings on u have to go to settings  family click on and fill all of the the page in if still cant set up  call uk 08005871102 if not in uk go to support on xboxlive.com home page and all the other numbers will be there if dont know passwwored call support same way told u last time if still need help invite me to a xbox live party or chat  PRO iFuNfUh

    • Not Ranked
    • Level: 2
    AmbLevel6
  • 4 Mar 2012 10:29 AM

    @PRO iFuNfUh - I dont think she mentioned Family Settings, this is a Family Pack issue.

    But yes, your best net is to call support for you region, it sounds like there may be an issue with the credentials for your sons account, hopefully its an easy one to resolve!

    Good luck!
    • Level: 1
  • 9 Mar 2012 6:59 AM

    I have the same problem - I spent over an hour with XBL support and they were unable to resolve it. There are clearly some significant bugs with Family pack and/or parent ids.  My only remaining option is to cancel my Family Pack membership.
    • Level: S
    Support
  • 9 Mar 2012 9:04 PM

    Hey there Clear! I understand you are having some issues adding your son to a new Family Plan. Just to be sure we have all the basics covered, are you certain that you are the Parent Account for your son's account, and that you are entering the WLID and password for both accounts correctly?

    You can confirm Parent status by logging in to your account, navigating to the Settings Hub, and looking under Family. Does your son's Avatar show up here?

    To confirm WLID/passwords, can you simply try downloading each profile with the credentials? If they work, then we know those are solid. Let me know what you find out here and we'll go from there. Thanks!


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    • Level: 1
  • 21 May 2012 5:20 AM

    In the same boat. I can't add my daughter to the family pack. I was able to create her a gold account with a 48 hour free pass, and she can log in and download her profile just fine, but when I try and add her, it just comes back with the error "Can't sign in using your Windows Live ID".

    I can use her account anywhere just fine, it just wont add to the Family plan we have already set up for my other child.

    Xbox support person was unable to help. They were stumped.
    • Level: 1
    AmbLevel2
  • 21 May 2012 5:33 AM
    Suggested Answer

    If you're trying to to add your son to a family pack where the primary account holder isn't already the parental ID attached to his account... unfortunately this can't be done, there is no way around it. Your account would need to be the parental account again for him to be included in the family pack... or whatever parent ID is associated to the account. For a family pack, the primary holder is the parental account. If that doens't match what is already attached to the account, you will be in an endless loop and/or receive the error message you had before. Also, you cannot add members on the website for a family gold account. This can only be done on the console to add members. They all need to be on the same console to be added to the family pack. For anyone else having issues, and the parental ID is the same email used for the primary account, there may be an existing billing issue or account information issue that would need to be cleared up, and for that, you can contact Xbox customer support. For NerdBrick, your issue is different... Your problem was adding that 48 hour trial. Those trials are only able to be used on silver accounts w/no exisiting gold. If one is active on the account, no gold can be added. You'll need to wait until that expires before you can add her to the family pack. I hope this helps. ~Ciao!

    Suggested by
    • Level: 1
    AmbLevel2
  • 21 May 2012 9:25 AM
    Suggested Answer

    You have to make sure that the profile your adding is downloaded to the main account holders console. So basically recover the profile on to the main console. This is mandatory for having somebody added to a family account. I just went through this no more than a week ago.
    Suggested by
    • Level: 1
  • 7 Jul 2012 6:03 AM
    Suggested Answer

    I don't know if anyone is still looking for the answer, but here it is:

    Sign in to the account you're trying to add to the Xbox Live Family, and go to their Account Settings. You should see an option "Promote Account." Select that, and you'll be able to add that account.

    The problem is that you're trying to add someone else's child to your family. You need to "promote" that child back to an adult before adding him/her to your own family.

    Put differently: that account was previously a member of a different Xbox Live Family. "Promoting" that account removes it from that Xbox Live Family completely (not just Gold status), allowing you to add it to a new one.

    • Not Ranked
    Suggested by
    • Level: 1
    AmbLevel3
  • 7 Jul 2012 12:54 PM
    Suggested Answer

    I had this same issue when I bought the family pack...I was able to add my wife and daughter with no issues..but the 4th account would take.What I did is I waited a couple days and tried it again and it worked fine.this has happened twice now for my family pack.So I would wait 2-3 days and try it again.If it does not work then call XBL via phone and see if a tech can help ya in other ways to get the account added.I have two xbox's here at my house and they did not have to be on the same console at all.You just have to have the gamertag placed in correctly and you should be good to go.
    • Level: 2
    AmbLevel4
  • 7 Jul 2012 6:56 PM

    This one is a lot more simple than everyone is making it seem. Just sign in to the parent's windows live ID on live.com, and change the password for it. There is a loop that has caught me too, same thing that is happening here. By changing the password, you pull the wrench out of the system. I've spoken with at least 30 people who have had this problem, and this fix works every time. I can confirm it works, I had the problem myself.
    • Level: 1
  • 24 Jul 2012 10:20 PM
    Suggested Answer

    When the Xbox asks for the email address connected to the child account put in the parents email address/password instead and it will work (parents email address being the one used to verify the child's account when it was first created or to accept changes to the child account), I think this only happens when the parent email address is not the same as the primary account holders email address. I have just had this problem tonight. Xbox support told me of this and it worked first time

    • Not Ranked
    Suggested by
    • Level: 1
  • 11 Jan 2013 10:35 AM

    I can confirm this - I am the primary Gold on the family, but my fiancee has a teenage son and she is the parental account for him. I got the "Can't sign in" error on the Xbox console when trying to use his email and password, but if I select his profile to add, then use my fiancee's email and password to sign in, it works perfectly. This is obviously a policy-related issue and the Xbox team should provide a more helpful error message to help solve the problem - the parent who is the Gold Family primary is not always going to be the "parent" account for the child, especially with two techie or gamer parents, or in the case where the "parent" might not be the biological parent.
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