diff --git a/automation-tests/browserid/README.md b/automation-tests/browserid/README.md
index df702c27ced028d9a83ae20ef4494914525b6b7a..5e4f0436395ce6b3d02aa0ea3c7f8694c1c78403 100644
--- a/automation-tests/browserid/README.md
+++ b/automation-tests/browserid/README.md
@@ -6,6 +6,12 @@ Documentation
 -------------
 See the project's [wiki](https://github.com/mozilla/bidpom/wiki).
 
+Running BIDPOM's Tests
+----------------------
+* two tests in check_sign_in.py require --email and --password flags. they can be skipped by using the "-m travis" flag
+* if running against a remote selenium server, add --capabilities={"avoid-proxy":true} to the command line
+* if experiencing TimeoutErrors from WebDriverWait, add the --webqatimeout=90 to the command line
+
 License
 -------
 This software is licensed under the [MPL](http://www.mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/) 2.0:
diff --git a/automation-tests/browserid/pages/account_manager.py b/automation-tests/browserid/pages/account_manager.py
index 3b97ce51193a4cfc4f2ca583878350541755f78d..74595fe65d912504ff3b3fe25200a5bfae635a78 100644
--- a/automation-tests/browserid/pages/account_manager.py
+++ b/automation-tests/browserid/pages/account_manager.py
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ class AccountManager(Base):
     @property
     def old_password(self):
         """Get the value of the old password field."""
-        return self.selenium.find_element(*self._old_password_field_locator).text
+        return self.selenium.find_element(*self._old_password_field_locator).get_attribute('value')
 
     @old_password.setter
     def old_password(self, value):
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ class AccountManager(Base):
     @property
     def new_password(self):
         """Get the value of the new password field."""
-        return self.selenium.find_element(*self._new_password_field_locator).text
+        return self.selenium.find_element(*self._new_password_field_locator).get_attribute('value')
 
     @new_password.setter
     def new_password(self, value):
diff --git a/automation-tests/browserid/pages/sign_in.py b/automation-tests/browserid/pages/sign_in.py
index 13df85c42538207f6bf452a936cee412e2aea1d5..3f374bc2440eaa1f2333d026004ade685f359e1c 100644
--- a/automation-tests/browserid/pages/sign_in.py
+++ b/automation-tests/browserid/pages/sign_in.py
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ class SignIn(Base):
     @property
     def signed_in_email(self):
         """Get the value of the email that is currently signed in."""
-        return self.selenium.find_element(*self._signed_in_email_locator).text
+        return self.selenium.find_element(*self._signed_in_email_locator).get_attribute('value')
 
     def click_this_is_not_me(self):
         """Clicks the 'This is not me' button."""
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ class SignIn(Base):
     @property
     def email(self):
         """Get the value of the email field."""
-        return self.selenium.find_element(*self._email_locator).text
+        return self.selenium.find_element(*self._email_locator).get_attribute('value')
 
     @email.setter
     def email(self, value):
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ class SignIn(Base):
     @property
     def new_email(self):
         """Get the value of the new email field."""
-        return self.selenium.find_element(*self._new_email_locator).text
+        return self.selenium.find_element(*self._new_email_locator).get_attribute('value')
 
     @new_email.setter
     def new_email(self, value):
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ class SignIn(Base):
     @property
     def password(self):
         """Get the value of the password field."""
-        return self.selenium.find_element(*self._password_locator).text
+        return self.selenium.find_element(*self._password_locator).get_attribute('value')
 
     @password.setter
     def password(self, value):
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ class SignIn(Base):
     @property
     def verify_password(self):
         """Get the value of the verify password field."""
-        return self.selenium.find_element(*self._verify_password_locator).text
+        return self.selenium.find_element(*self._verify_password_locator).get_attribute('value')
 
     @verify_password.setter
     def verify_password(self, value):
diff --git a/automation-tests/browserid/tests/check_add_email.py b/automation-tests/browserid/tests/check_add_email.py
index 79e1e00f9be379298ef5a7654125f8a9736c8a92..a8b54426dcb8c376d3432cf684655bd48eaec37e 100644
--- a/automation-tests/browserid/tests/check_add_email.py
+++ b/automation-tests/browserid/tests/check_add_email.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import restmail
 
 
 @pytest.mark.nondestructive
-class TestSignIn(BaseTest):
+class TestAddEmail(BaseTest):
 
     @pytest.mark.travis
     def test_add_email(self, mozwebqa):
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ class TestSignIn(BaseTest):
         signin = SignIn(mozwebqa.selenium, mozwebqa.timeout, expect='returning')
         signin.click_add_another_email_address()
         signin.new_email = user.additional_emails[0]
+        assert signin.new_email == user.additional_emails[0], "new email getter failed"
         signin.click_add_new_email()
         signin.close_window()
         signin.switch_to_main_window()
diff --git a/automation-tests/browserid/tests/check_change_password.py b/automation-tests/browserid/tests/check_change_password.py
index cb9e0501ae30a8c8b2b509e0b65c78caa649e586..1d74279ec2c0cb7e43214acc9b946ac0e27fd75e 100644
--- a/automation-tests/browserid/tests/check_change_password.py
+++ b/automation-tests/browserid/tests/check_change_password.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ from base import BaseTest
 
 
 @pytest.mark.nondestructive
-class TestSignIn(BaseTest):
+class TestChangePassword(BaseTest):
 
     @pytest.mark.travis
     def test_change_password(self, mozwebqa):
@@ -26,8 +26,10 @@ class TestSignIn(BaseTest):
 
         account_manager.click_edit_password()
         account_manager.old_password = user.password
+        assert account_manager.old_password == user.password, "old password getter failed"
         user.password += '_new'
         account_manager.new_password = user.password
+        assert account_manager.new_password == user.password, "new password getter failed"
         account_manager.click_password_done()
         account_manager.click_sign_out()
 
diff --git a/automation-tests/browserid/tests/check_reset_password.py b/automation-tests/browserid/tests/check_reset_password.py
index 6dced83572eded7d8ac17a8b7cdd173f22cd9f8e..a8cd17cf55d2afc4b1a6d71d99f07682b8b4b47e 100644
--- a/automation-tests/browserid/tests/check_reset_password.py
+++ b/automation-tests/browserid/tests/check_reset_password.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import restmail
 
 
 @pytest.mark.nondestructive
-class TestSignIn(BaseTest):
+class TestResetPassword(BaseTest):
 
     @pytest.mark.travis
     def test_reset_password(self, mozwebqa):
diff --git a/automation-tests/browserid/tests/check_sign_in.py b/automation-tests/browserid/tests/check_sign_in.py
index c273555cc7e0d027cc69be194cd1066eff55e9bd..8da48a5e5e8c68a32e2ee39907f9d7cfbed68f23 100644
--- a/automation-tests/browserid/tests/check_sign_in.py
+++ b/automation-tests/browserid/tests/check_sign_in.py
@@ -32,8 +32,10 @@ class TestSignIn(BaseTest):
         from .. pages.sign_in import SignIn
         signin = SignIn(mozwebqa.selenium, mozwebqa.timeout, expect='new')
         signin.email = credentials['email']
+        assert signin.email == credentials['email'], "email getter failed"
         signin.click_next(expect='password')
         signin.password = credentials['password']
+        assert signin.password == credentials['password'], "password getter failed"
         signin.click_sign_in()
 
         WebDriverWait(mozwebqa.selenium, mozwebqa.timeout).until(
@@ -59,6 +61,7 @@ class TestSignIn(BaseTest):
         signin.click_next(expect='verify')
         signin.password = user.password
         signin.verify_password = user.password
+        assert signin.verify_password == user.password, 'verify password getter failed'
         signin.click_verify_email()
         assert signin.check_email_at_address == user.primary_email