O2 Web Top-Up not recognising a valid O2 PAYG number

[pgn]

My monthly web top-up for younger son's PAYG phone failed at the first hurdle earlier, complaining that the entered mobile number (tried with leading 0 or leading +44, no difference!) is not an O2 PAYG Number, see screenshot below.

Web top-up for his sister's phone worked fine.

I usually copy-paste the appropriate number from my phone contacts each time I top either phone up.

This PAYG number has never, since getting it direct from O2 some 3 or so years ago, been with another provider.

I eventually got the phone topped-up via 4444, using the credit card I usually use for the purpose of top-ups, see the PS below for observations on the 4444 service experience.

 - What has changed to make my attempted web top-up of the number fail all of a sudden?

PS. The 4444 top-up line works fine, but is (a) tedious, (b) error-prone as the number has to be manually entered, and (c) asks for details in a different order from the web top-up page - first the number to be topped-up, then credit card details, address validation and postcode validation next, then, at the very end, the required top-up amount.

The other PAYG number in the house whistled straight through the Web Top-Up process, weird!

 

 

[Dave-O2]

Thanks for the tag @pgn 

Let me get this checked out, I'll be back with an update when i have one to share.

[Oxonian]

Any news on this @Dave-O2 please ? The offending 08456 number on the O2 website, as flagged-up by @pgn, is still showing today :-

Topup | O2

https://www.o2.co.uk/topup

[pgn]

Any update on this one regarding charged-for numbers that should be free, or that should reference the zero-charge lo-call number rather than the (expensive) 08456... number, @Dave-O2?

T'has gone ominously quiet and still I see:

[Dave-O2]

Morning @Oxonian, @pgn 

I have requested a change on this page, however I am yet to receive any confirmation on this.

I'll chase this again 👍

[pgn]

@Dave-O2 - the page layout has changed, but the detail has remained the same for calling the O2 PAYG top-up line -please, please correct this, O2 are charging royally for calls to this number!

The number that is cheapest to call is 0345 606 2277 - and the £0.65p/min charge for the 0845 6... well, that's probably gone up with the new charges for out-of-tariff calls on a contract phone (5% rise per year every April, or so I have read!):

Despicable, but not unexpected, for O2, price-gouging!

[Cleoriff]

At least my guide shows the correct (03456) top up number @pgn !!

Guide How to Top Up (PAYG) 

[pgn]

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@Cleoriff wrote:

At least my guide shows the correct (03456) top up number @pgn !!

Guide How to Top Up (PAYG) 

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It does that, @Cleoriff - just a shame what those who are blithely unaware of your excellent Community guide see when they take the advice off O2's main Top-up page and find they have to call the publicised number... 😨

[Enlli]

I always find that O2 'incompetence' miraculously works in their favour

[Dave-O2]

Thanks for the nudge @pgn 

I'll chase my previous request to see where the team is at with this one 👍