PAYG number disappearing from O2 account and told new limits on how many numbers on accounts

[jyloox]

Hi

One of my existing PAYG numbers diasppeared a few days ago from my O2 online account (where I have 2 Pay Monthly contracts and had 4 PAYG numbers for last 3 years).  I thought I may have left it too long between making calls on the PAYG number (even though I have notes in my diary to remind me) and the number might therefore have been suspended. When I used it to make a call however it still worked and still reported my PAYG balance.  I was also able to add it back onto my O2 online account.

I checked again today and the same PAYG number had disappeared again although I used it and it was still working - making calls etc.  When I tried to add it back into my O2 account online this time I got the message that "There are no products or services associated with the number".  I spoke to O2 customer services who managed to add it back into my account but said it would keep happening as I had "too many numbers" on my account.  Customer Services says there is a new rule that you can't have that many (ie 4) PAYG numbers on the account and that all PAYG numbers have to be on separate accounts with separate emails so it will "keep happening" (ie PAYG numbers disappearing from my account if I don't move the PAYG numbers onto separate accounts).

Has anyone else come across this issue? I haven't had any communication from O2 to this effect so can't decide whether it is Customer Services not knowing what is going on with the number and telling me a story that fits the facts or whether this is a change in their rules. It will be a pain if I have to set up separate accounts for each PAYG monitoring their balances - they only get used/topped up infrequently as they are Classic PAYG numbers and used in car trackers/spare phones etc.

Thanks

[pgn]

Probably the Customer Services team dragging responses out of their backsides again, @jyloox - I know people who have all their PAYG and Contract phones in a single MyO2 account. Persist with them via 202 or 4445. Think about the instance of people with phones and watch contracts, they will have possibly 2 products per user for PAYM, as well as any PAYG phones, and then a tablet or two equipped with SIMs - sounds to me like a tall story from O2. Or they got confused - O2 used to limit how many PAYG phones could be topped up from the same Credit or Debit card, at a time - no more than 2 PAYG numbers per card - not even sure that is a limitation any more.

As for the deactivation, there are rules requiring one chargeable call to be made within a six month window to prevent the number from being deactivated. This seems to be something you have done, so not sure why the number has disappeared, unless...:

There is also a migration to a new billing and account management system, called 360, in progress, so it could be that phones in your MyO2 are not all being migrated at the same time and may reappear after 24 hours. Info here: https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Welcome-News/O2-System-Updates-360/m-p/1598402/highlight/true#M39424

Process for adding products is probably something you already know, but shown here for ref: https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/My-O2/Where-is-Bring-in-new-products-on-My-O2-app/m-p/1574727/highligh...

[Breanna]

Were you able to get this sorted @jyloox?

[jyloox]

@Breanna- Well, having spent an hour on it over 3 calls with customer services I decided I had better things to do for now and created a new account for the PAYG number. It seems happy to stay in its "new home"! (Each time I added it to my existing account and it then disappeared the only way to be able to do anything with it (ie be able to access it to check a balance or top up) was to ring customer services. It appears that whilst I can't see it after it "disappears" it does remain linked to my account in the background.) Not ideal but as customer services couldn't provide any other help - just the same answer, too many numbers - I had no alternative.  I may try removing it from its new home and adding it back to my existing account in a few months time in case the systems issue mentioned by @pgn is the issue and resolves itself over time.

[Breanna]

A workaround of sorts, I suppose. At least you know where it lives!