[BUG] Existing Max subscriber locked out across web, desktop, and CLI — magic-link/OAuth login routes to “create account” (recurring backend auth-routing failure, see #36797 #39788 #51002 #57164 #60022)

Preflight Checklist

• [x] I have searched existing issues and this hasn't been reported yet
• [x] This is a single bug report (please file separate reports for different bugs)
• [x] I am using the latest version of Claude Code

What's Wrong?

I am an existing, actively-billed Claude Max subscriber. Every login entry point — claude.ai web, Claude Desktop, and Claude Code CLI — routes me to the new-user onboarding / "create account" page or fails authentication, as if my account does not exist. My subscription is active and still being charged.

This matches the recurring backend identity-mapping failure in #19160, #36797, #39788, #51002, #57164, #60022.

Affected entry points (all three):

• claude.ai web: magic-link login redirects to claude.ai/onboarding "Let's create your account" with my email shown as verified.
• Claude Desktop: same redirect to onboarding.
• Claude Code CLI: claude login opens browser directly to the create-account page; CLI returns API Error: 401 Invalid authentication credentials. The welcome screen reads my cached local profile but every API call is rejected 401 — confirming rejection is server-side, not local.

Account email: hi*@gmail.com (magic-link only, never Google sign-in)
Invoices: NVJM9V5G-0024 (Max, May 25 2026), NVJM9V5G-0014 (Pro, Apr 24 2026)
Original support email: June 3 2026. Support chat Conversation ID: 2154745*16748. Over two weeks, only Fin AI replies, no human.

I have deliberately NOT clicked "Create account", to avoid creating a duplicate account under a different auth provider as documented in #51002.

Already tried (all failed): multiple browsers, incognito, cleared cache, multiple devices, claude logout + re-login, cleared local CLI credentials. Nothing changed on my end.

What Should Happen?

A verified email that maps to an existing Max account should authenticate into that account and route to the dashboard across all clients (web, desktop, CLI). Please perform a backend identity remap so my account email is correctly associated with my existing, actively-billed Max account, and restore login. I do not want a new account. Please confirm with a ticket reference.

Error Messages/Logs

Steps to Reproduce

1. Existing Claude Max subscription, email magic-link auth.
2. Attempt login on claude.ai web / Claude Desktop / Claude Code CLI.
3. Magic-link / OAuth completes email verification, but the Anthropic-side handoff fails to map the verified email to the existing Max account.
4. Result: web/desktop land on onboarding "Let's create your account"; CLI returns API Error: 401 Invalid authentication credentials.

Note: this is a backend auth-routing issue, not reproducible via a code sample — it depends on account state. Same pattern as #36797, #39788, #51002, #57164, #60022.

Claude Model

None

Is this a regression?

No, this never worked

Last Working Version

_No response_

Claude Code Version

2.1.185

Platform

Anthropic API

Operating System

macOS

Terminal/Shell

Terminal.app (macOS)

Additional Information

This is an account/auth backend issue affecting an active, billed Max subscriber — not a Claude Code code defect. Filed here because Fin AI support could not escalate to a human after the June 3 2026 email (Conversation ID 2154745***16748), per precedent in #51002 and #57164. Web, Desktop, and CLI all affected.