I can't even log in anymore. It keeps telling me to verify that the account really belongs to me. First, it makes me verify via whatsapp, which is fine, but then it takes me to a screen asking for pictures of my ID. It won't take my passport, and I can't figure out how to get customer support while logged out. I tried creating a new account, but it wouldn't let me do that either without uploading DNI card.
It's hard for me to troubleshoot what you're experiencing without seeing firsthand. But I was just able to create a fresh and brand new ML account, with no DNI. It was a bit of a pain, and I'll explain. I suspect some combination of cookies, IP address recognition, and/or your phone number being associated with more than one account may be causing conflicts for you.
Here's the process I just had to go through and how I overcame the roadblocks I encountered:
- Clicked on the "create new account" button, and then "Soy Persona Fisica"
- At that point there's four steps you have to enter or complete in order: E-mail, your name, phone validation, and creating a password
- In the email step I entered a brand new Gmail address
- In the name step I entered my first and last name
- In the phone validation step I entered my current Argentina phone number that's associated with my existing MercadoLibre and WhatsApp accounts
- This phone number was rejected because it matches my existing MercadoLibre account, therefore it seemed a fresh phone number would be required.
- For the sake of the experiment, and because I wanted to see if I could work around it, I used a mobile app called Numero to pay $11.99 for a one month subscription to a fresh BA phone number
- I returned to MercadoLibre and entered the new phone number from Numero, and it was accepted, but then it has to be verified as well
- MercadoLibre gave me three options to verify the number: SMS, via phone call, or via WhatsApp
- Numero numbers from other countries normally allow incoming SMS, but not Argentina numbers for some reason, so SMS verification was out. I then asked MercadoLibre to call me via the Numero app. I tried this several times and the phone didn't ring (not sure why), so that only left WhatsApp remaining as a verification option.
- I have a spare phone laying around so I installed Whatsapp on my second phone, and then used my new phone number to create a new Whatsapp account.
- Whatsapp requires verification as well, and SMS is the default option (which, sigh, doesn't work with my Numero number). After a few minutes elapsed, Whatsapp enables the option to receive a verification code via phone call. This time my phone did ring and I was able to answer the incoming phone call via the Numero app, and verify my new Whatsapp account.
- Now back to MercadoLibre, I requested a verification code be sent to my new Whatsapp account, and MercadoLibre gave me a fresh error message saying I've asked for codes too many times and I'm apparently required to wait 24 hours before trying again.
- I suspected this "block" was probably cookie based, so I deleted my entire browser history, refreshed MercadoLibre, and started the account creation process again.
- When I started the MercadoLibre account creation process the second time, I entered my email as the first step, but when I went to enter my name on the second step, the site refreshed itself automatically, a url with the letters "KYC" briefly appeared in the address bar, and then MercadoLibre returned to the previous screen with my full name and a green check mark next to it. This occurred without me entering my name and normally shouldn't be possible since I had completely erased my browser history and started a new session. KYC is usually bank or security industry speak for "know your customer," and I'm guessing they used my IP address to somehow detect that I was still the same person from the previous browser session.
- Now back to the phone verification screen, I again asked for a Whatsapp verification code. This time the 24-hour "block" had disappeared and I was able to receive the code successfully.
- Finally after all that I was able to complete the fourth and final step in the account creation process, which is making a password...and...
- Success!
It was a pretty exhausting ordeal, but I now have a new MercadoLibre account, and at no point in the initial account creation process was I asked for a DNI or asked to provide photo verification. The biggest pain was the phone verification since a new local phone number was required for me to create a second account.
To complete the experiment I just placed a 26.675 peso order using the new account and using the same U.S. Visa card associated with my existing account (which MercadoLibre oddly doesn't seem to mind). In order:
- I added the item to my cart
- Went to my cart and clicked "Continuar compra"
- Selected the option to delivery to a nearby kiosk for free
- On the payment screen I selected "new credit card" and then entered my card number, name, expiration, security code, and my fake DNI number that I always use (which MercadoLibre also oddly doesn't seem to mind).
- Selected payment in 1 cuota
- On the final screen (factura information) I again entered my fake DNI number, my name, and my barrio and street name. I left the street number and apartment number boxes blank as they're optional.
- Submitted the order, got the green check mark that the order was a success, and my U.S. Visa card was just charged $24.72
- The order appears to be processing as normal, and my credit card is saved for future use in my profile.
If I was going to continue to use this new MercadoLibre account, I'd leave everything else in my profile untouched, except for adding Google Authenticator under the security options. This would allow me to eliminate the need for continued SMS or WhatsApp verification codes on every login attempt, and I could then dump my new Numero phone number as it's no longer needed.
So very long story short, it's still possible to create a MercadoLibre account and place orders without a DNI or photo ID verification...because I've been doing it for six months and just did it again tonight with a brand new account. But I should heavily emphasize that it's not
easily possible - in fact, MercadoLibre seems hell bent on making it as difficult as humanly possible for tourists to spend their money and support the Argentine economy. I'm pretty tech savvy, and I had to find similar workarounds to use MercadoLibre when I was in Colombia, so at this point I've sorta learned how to defeat their "firewalls," but I can easily see why most people would get about five minutes into the above process and give up as it's intentionally designed to be inaccessible to anyone other than citizens or residents.
Anyways,
@lostravenblue sorry you're still having issues. I hope something out of what I just wrote is of help or use. Maybe one of these days I need to attend the local coffee meet and greet and do tech support for folks for a few hours, lol. Good luck, and feel free to PM me if needed.
