topic Re: Pay As You Go phone not working in Discussions & Feedback

Pay As You Go phone not working

Anonymous — Mon, 18 May 2015 11:38:05 GMT

I have had a Pay As You Go Phone for some time and do not use it very much. Some years ago it seems to have been moved to a tariff that did not need regular top-ups because I had a large credit balance through regular top-ups and little usage. This suited me as it was only for very occasional use.

I have noticed that text messages were not getting sent so I did some checks at the end of next week because I need the phone tomorrow. I found that it was not sending or receiving texts and voice calls were not working.

I contacted O2 online and they suggested trying the SIM in another phone, there is no O2 shop near me so I called in a local phone shop. It did seem to work in another phone so I bought a cheap one.

But it stopped working later with all calls failing.

I cannot check the credit balance either because that fails.

The shope did mention that many people in the area had been having problems with O2 for a few weeks.

So I contacted O2 online again. They were unaware of any local problems.

They could not check my account with doing a security check which involved sending a text message but of course I am not receiving text messages! CATCH 22?

I have a bought a new Pay As You Go SIM card (NOT O2!) so I have a phone tomorrow.

I have a strong suspicion that the problem is the local one I was told about or there have been some changes to the no top-up Pay As You Go Account but no one seems to know anything about that tariff.

I wonder if anyone has any ideas.

(I had to open a new registration on this forum because I cannot log into MyO2 even though tried various passwords that I have noted down and of course I cannot retrieve my password without the phone working. CATCH 22 again!)

Re: Pay As You Go phone not working

Cleoriff — Mon, 18 May 2015 11:44:03 GMT

Firstly with regard to the sim issue. You would have needed to use it to make a chargeable call or text at least every 6 months...else the sim will become deactivated...

Secondly re your log in details..if you contact @Toby the community coordinator (via private message)...he may be able to help with this...

Re: Pay As You Go phone not working

jonsie — Mon, 18 May 2015 11:44:43 GMT

The sim needs to be used to make a chargeable call every 6 months. It sounds as though is been disconnected so you need to speak to customer service to get the credit transferred to your new sim.

Re: Pay As You Go phone not working

Anonymous — Mon, 18 May 2015 12:15:35 GMT

I am fairly sure that there will have been at least one call over the last six months, certainly been text messages sent.

If it had been disconnected then why could not have told me when I contacted the Help desk online?

On the second call to them I was told that they needed a security check which was my credit balance but I cannot check my credit balance to tell them.

Re: Pay As You Go phone not working

Cleoriff — Mon, 18 May 2015 12:20:31 GMT

Although I have a contract phone, I keep an old one with a PAYG sim in (as back up) I didn't use it to call anyone for 6/12 so the sim was deactivated (with no warning) Luckily I noticed pretty quickly and rang customer services and it was set up again.

I can understand the need for security checks. After all a sim not used for some time could have been picked up by anyone.. if you wanted to transfer credit onto a new sim this would be a problem?...

Re: Pay As You Go phone not working

viridis — Mon, 18 May 2015 12:25:52 GMT

Help desk online?
Do you mean live chat by any chance?

Re: Pay As You Go phone not working

Cleoriff — Mon, 18 May 2015 12:30:04 GMT

@viridis wrote:
Help desk online?
Do you mean live chat by any chance?

If it was Live Chat...there is the answer.....Would have been much better to speak to someone over the phone...

Re: Pay As You Go phone not working

Anonymous — Mon, 18 May 2015 12:37:50 GMT

@viridis wrote:
Help desk online?
Do you mean live chat by any chance?

Yes

Re: Pay As You Go phone not working

Anonymous — Mon, 18 May 2015 12:40:41 GMT

@Cleoriff wrote:
Although I have a contract phone, I keep an old one with a PAYG sim in (as back up) I didn't use it to call anyone for 6/12 so the sim was deactivated (with no warning) Luckily I noticed pretty quickly and rang customer services and it was set up again.
I can understand the need for security checks. After all a sim not used for some time could have been picked up by anyone.. if you wanted to transfer credit onto a new sim this would be a problem?...

I deliberately did choose O2 on the new (probably temporary) SIM, partly because of these troubles and also because comment in local shop who probably have a better idea of whether there are problems on the network than someone looking at a computer screen hundreds of miles away - I worked in telecoms and have plenty of experience of people with blind faith in what the computer says.

Re: Pay As You Go phone not working

Cleoriff — Mon, 18 May 2015 12:42:40 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@viridis wrote:
Help desk online?
Do you mean live chat by any chance?
Yes

Then that could have been the problem Live Chat are not renowned for this sort of help. As I said in my post above....it would have been far better if you had phoned and spoken to customer Services

http://www.o2.co.uk/contactus

Re: Pay As You Go phone not working

jonsie — Mon, 18 May 2015 13:01:08 GMT

O2 won't tell you when they deactivate a sim, they just presume it's no longer in use. Calling them within a few months would normally mean they can reactivate it and restore the credit. I have to do it every year when my son comes back to the uk on his annual visit.

Re: Pay As You Go phone not working

Anonymous — Mon, 18 May 2015 15:05:29 GMT

@jonsie wrote:
O2 won't tell you when they deactivate a sim, they just presume it's no longer in use. Calling them within a few months would normally mean they can reactivate it and restore the credit. I have to do it every year when my son comes back to the uk on his annual visit.

I will call in their shop tomorrow and see if I can get any sense out them.

Re: Pay As You Go phone not working

Anonymous — Tue, 19 May 2015 07:54:24 GMT

It looks as if the local mobile was right, I switched on the old O2 PAYG phone when I got up to Inverness this morning and it burst into life with all the text messages I had been sending as tests pouring out. I was also now able to do credit balance check. It will be interested to see if not working when I get home as that would prove they have a network fault.

Re: Pay As You Go phone not working

jonsie — Tue, 19 May 2015 08:50:19 GMT

Good to know and thanks for the update. Check your home postcode here : http://status.o2.co.uk

Re: Pay As You Go phone not working

Anonymous — Tue, 19 May 2015 14:41:57 GMT

Back home and stil working, it sounds as if they have fixed their fault at last. But will be monitoring it!

Re: Pay As You Go phone not working

jonsie — Tue, 19 May 2015 15:02:47 GMT

Hope it's sorted for you then @Anonymous

Re: Pay As You Go phone not working

gindygoo — Sat, 23 May 2015 20:12:25 GMT

Btw, if u contact @Toby via pm he will be able to get your original community account up and running again (u created that one for this problem). Glad you're sorted,

Charlie.

Re: Pay As You Go phone not working

Anonymous — Mon, 25 May 2015 19:20:14 GMT

Looks as if there is a fault again!

It was working yesterday.

Calls fail, texts not received, 'Show Balance' not available i.e. the same as a week ago.

Network checker shows no faults i.e. the same as a week ago.

I have sent a report in.

Re: Pay As You Go phone not working

viridis — Mon, 25 May 2015 19:20:31 GMT

Check any other thread on the community and there is the answer

Re: Pay As You Go phone not working

Cleoriff — Mon, 25 May 2015 19:21:43 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Looks as if there is a fault again!

It was working yesterday.

Calls fail, texts not received, 'Show Balance' not available i.e. the same as a week ago.

Network checker shows no faults i.e. the same as a week ago.

I have sent a report in.

MB

The O2 network has been down today...It is being worked on and many people are now OK