I received a call from a customer today saying that he hadn't received his access code, needs to use the site, and when can he expect to receive it.

The larger issue here is, why do I need an access code at all? The FAQ does a fairly good job of answering this, but just to delve a little further: The access code allows us to know that the e-mail address you used to register is a valid one, and not something like "[email protected]." It also protects against users who accidentally enter their e-mails with typos (I can't tell you how many times I've registered for sites as [email protected] when I meant [email protected]). We want to be able to notify our users about the site, and also allow them to request their passwords if they've forgotten them, and doing this requires a valid e-mail.

The access code is sent out immediately when you register by an automated system, so it's not about us "approving" your registration. It's a registration, not an application! If the e-mail you entered was valid and free of typos, you'll get the access code in a few moments. We ask users to wait 24 hours before contacting us because most e-mail programs automatically check e-mail only once every five minutes or more, and hiccups in the network DO occur.