Disconnected Pay and Go Number?

[Anonymous]

Two Pay Monthly accounts with long held phone numbers,

Two new Pay & Go SIMs.

Not using the phones much as I'm abroad for 3 years, but wanted to keep the numbers and use on UK visits.

Live Chat, What could go wrong? Turns out I've lost my most important mobile number!

2/9/15

First attempt was going OK until I got unceremoniously cut-off without warning mid-conversation after 30 minutes. Lots of "Unable to connect to chat server" messages. I think this was 15 mins before the end of the day for Live Chat.

3/9/15

Started from scratch explaining what I wanted again. Told that the numbers would transfer to the new Pay & Go SIMs on 7/9/15. (Slight problem in that one of the Pay Monthly contracts didn't expire until 12 October, but I agreed to pay it off anyway. The other was a monthly SIM-only contract, so not a problem.) 

On the specified date only one of the numbers transferred, the other (the monthly SIM-only) remained a Pay Monthly contract in My O2.

23/9/15

Live chat. Explained I wanted to transfer my 2nd number onto the PAYG SIM and told it would be no problem. After I supplied my number and new SIM serial number, the Live Chat went down again without warning "server not responding". Possibly the end of their day again.

24/9/15

Live chat. Got transferred around 5 different teams before ending up back at the 1st one (Recontracts?) Explained I wanted to transfer the 2nd number (again) and was told it was no problem and the request had been set for 28/9. Transfer did not take place, number still appears under Pay Monthly.

29/9

Live chat first thing in the morning (noticeably much better service!). Explained what I wanted and was told that the transfer would take place the next day.

30/9 The transfer took place and I add the number into My O2 and it appears as a Pay & Go number with the Simplicity (NO ALLOWANCE) tariff, as requested.

You would have thought all was good now? Unfortunately not! Turns out that the 2nd number has been transferred onto the SIM where my first number was active. So now that first number is disconnected and lost for good!

I can't understand what has happened as the 1st number was working on the 1st Pay & Go SIM on 21/9. In the subsequent 4 chats about the 2nd number, I only mentioned the 1st number once and definitely didn't ask to transfer it onto the 2nd SIM.

Can anyone advise what they mean when O2 say the displaced number is disconnected?

The online chat advisor was unable to get this number back for me, but wouldn't answer my question about whether it was actually possible to get this number again.

I was only going to Pay & Go to supposedly make it easy to retain my 2 phone numbers. But, now with hours wasted on online chat, it looks like I've lost my main number anyway. There is nothing keeping me tied to O2 now and will probably jump to a new provider. 

Secondary point. I've seen many other people refer to chats being cut off or disconnected. If the service really does go down at 20.00 and cuts people off, why don't we get told when the cut off approaches? Or, is it down to individual advisors?

I was on a chat until 20.15 today, as the advisor patiently explained what had happened and when which actions had been made. It is good to know that Live Chat advisors can actually see a record of your account, even if they can't explain why things promised have not been done. 

Waiting for my husband to return with the now-inactive SIM. Can't explain how my 1st number got transferred from Pay & Go SIM 1 to Pay and Go SIM 2. I have saved all the online chat logs and can see that I gave the correct SIM serial numbers at the right time. Looks like there has been a mix-up of SIMs, somewhere along the line.

Anyone have experience regaining disconnected numbers?

Thanks

Monica

[jonsie · Accepted solution]

Once a number has been disconnected it is usually gone forever. I can only suggest 2 ways

1. Call customer service if possible 8.30am UK time. I don't know where you currently are but 13.10pm here here and customer service opens in just over an hour.

2. Make a complaint advising exactly what has happened and request the number back if at all possible. There is an email link within the link below.

http://www.o2.co.uk/how-to-complain

[Anonymous]

Thanks jonsie

You certainly know your O2 stuff! I will have another try to get this number back. Thanks for your advice.

UPDATE

Couldn't find an O2 email address on that page to send in a complaint.

Endured another fruitless Live Chat, got nowhere and asked how to escalate the problem. Was transferred to the supervisor, who advised ringing 4445 to talk to O2 Support in the UK (like jonsie suggested). Unfortunately it was already past 10 am in the UK and the wait was over 30 mins. Will try again tomorrow 😞

Monica

[jonsie]

Good luck, it's worth a try.

[MI5]

Sadly, we've seen it in the past, when O2 disconnect a number it's gone forever.
I have had a number retrieved from another network after a similar mistake to yours but we've heard from people on here who have had no luck with O2.
Human CS (proper talking) is your only hope I'm afraid.

[PhoneChanger]

You should be able to recover the number providing the number initially belonged to O2.

If, when you started your original pay monthly agreement with O2 the numbers were ported in from another provider (e.g. Vodafone) then the number officially belongs to Vodafone and will be returned to them after a period of 2 years. If this is the case the number will already be in a pool and I doubt O2 will be able to re-cover the number to you.

If the number is an O2 issued number then they should be able to re-number you to your original number, as again, for 2 years the number will not be re-issued. However you will probably need to speak with someone at exec level complaints to get the re-numbering done.

I must point out that O2 are under no obligation to do this, but for good customer service, etc, if they can (i.e. if the number is theirs) they should.

[jonsie]

As the mistake is o2's you would think so but ill try and find a recent thread where o2 insisted the number was irretrievable when again they were in error.

[jonsie]

http://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Pay-Monthly-and-Pay-Go/Lost-mobile-number/m-p/903077/highlight/true#M99...

[PhoneChanger]

hahaha @jonsie that was my post hahaha. The number BT Mobile lost was originally an O2 ported number, and I spoke with O2 exec department who advised that if the number was theirs they could recover the number (and indeed the number in question will go back to them in 2 years), they couldn't confirm how the system works for BT, but only for them.

[jonsie]

So did he get the number back or does he have to wait 2 years?