Desperate to retrieve old prepay Vodafone number

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Desperate to retrieve old prepay Vodafone number

Reubs

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#317599 29-Oct-2024 12:50

I am desperate to recover my old phone number. I had this prepay Skinny number for 6 years (which I changed to Vodafone fairly early). About 2 years ago I moved to the UK for work and changed to a British SIM so didn't use the NZ SIM for a long while. A couple of weeks ago I went to the USA on a work trip and my email account locked me out due to suspicious location, and the only way I can recover the email is with my old NZ phone number.

I contacted both ONENZ and Skinny and they have both told me they can't help me, and they can't reactivate the number.

I have had the email address for 26 years and I run my business through it, it is absolutely devastating my business right now being unable to access my email account. Microsoft has fully automated their account recovery form which does not work for me, I have tried twice a day for the last two weeks.

At this point my only hope is recovering my old NZ SIM as fast as I can before it runs my business into the ground. I honestly had no idea that these SIM cards even deactivated once it was linked with someone

Can anyone help me!

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#3302697 29-Oct-2024 12:58

@Reubs If you call the mobile number what do you hear?

quickymart

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#3302702 29-Oct-2024 13:06

"I honestly had no idea that these SIM cards even deactivated once it was linked with someone..."

If it's not topped up after a certain timeframe (12 months, I believe) it will be disconnected and the number eventually returned to the original owner, ie, in this case, Spark (Skinny).

When was the last time you topped it up?

Linux

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#3302709 29-Oct-2024 13:12

Saying you had no idea the number would be deactivated is poor on your part and not the carriers

13 months from last topup they are deactivated and reminder SMS are sent out before this happens

Reubs

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#3302711 29-Oct-2024 13:18

Linux: Saying you had no idea the number would be deactivated is poor on your part and not the carriers

13 months from last topup they are deactivated and reminder SMS are sent out before this happens

It says “The number you have called is not currently active”

I never received any texts from Vodafone or ONENZ telling my that my phone number would expire, I'm not an expert with phones or SIM cards, I've never had a number expire on me before, I don't think I would have ever known that otherwise. Either way, it's only now that I'm finding out, and it's destroying me currently

Linux

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#3302712 29-Oct-2024 13:23

Reubs:

Linux: Saying you had no idea the number would be deactivated is poor on your part and not the carriers

13 months from last topup they are deactivated and reminder SMS are sent out before this happens

It says “The number you have called is not currently active”

I never received any texts from Vodafone or ONENZ telling my that my phone number would expire, I'm not an expert with phones or SIM cards, I've never had a number expire on me before, I don't think I would have ever known that otherwise. Either way, it's only now that I'm finding out, and it's destroying me currently

@Reubs What is the first part of the mobile number that was deactivated 021, 022, 027, 028?

Linux

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#3302713 29-Oct-2024 13:25

@Reubs If the SIM card for the number was off then the handset will not get the reminder SMS. Only so much the carriers can do!

All carriers have clear terms & condistions stating that if mobile number is not topped up then it is deacivated and number recycled

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Reubs

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#3302715 29-Oct-2024 13:29

Linux:

@Reubs If the SIM card for the number was off then the handset will not get the reminder SMS. Only so much the carriers can do!

All carriers have clear terms & condistions stating that if mobile number is not topped up then it is deacivated and number recycled

It was an 020 number

Can't they just let me buy the number again? I don't understand what the problem is if it has been recycled and it's not currently in use. What can I do?

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#3302716 29-Oct-2024 13:34

@Reubs Spark / Skinny own the 020* range as per NAD and nope not that simple as the number could be going thru the recycle process and getting allocated to another SIM card / SIM pack etc....

Skinny are the only ones that can answer your question! But getting a number back is not guaranteed

Edit: The Number Administration Deed - NAD

quickymart

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#3302726 29-Oct-2024 14:22

Reubs:

It was an 020 number

When was the last time you topped it up? Do you still have the physical SIM card?

I suspect you didn't top it up recently enough; if so the number would have been disconnected (or is in the process of doing so).

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#3302737 29-Oct-2024 14:45

quickymart:
Reubs:

It was an 020 number

When was the last time you topped it up? Do you still have the physical SIM card?

I suspect you didn't top it up recently enough; if so the number would have been disconnected (or is in the process of doing so).

It is deactivated can tell by the message they hear when they call it

Eva888

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#3302759 29-Oct-2024 15:30

I have been through this while on a cruise with no roaming available and my emails got locked because I was in an unrecognised place. Eventually managed to get back into my account. I wrote to them, as well as using the below method.

As for the phone. At least once you get into your email you can send a bulk message out to everyone with a new phone number. Good luck.

https://www.process.st/how-to/unlock-microsoft-account-without-phone-number/#:~:text=Visit%20the%20Microsoft%20Account%20Recovery,it%20in%20the%20recovery%20page.

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cddt

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#3302761 29-Oct-2024 15:39

The real problems here are:

1) Using a free email service for business-critical communication

2) Using SMS as the only recovery method

Not much help for OP in his current circumstances, but I implore him not to do either of the above again, once he has regained access to his account.

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SpartanVXL

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#3302763 29-Oct-2024 15:43

It think the devastating part is MS, Google etc. not having another way of retrieving an account even though you have a valid user/pass. It’s all automated now and if you can’t get through the form your account is lost to the ages.

Aaron2222

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#3302766 29-Oct-2024 15:45

cddt:

2) Using SMS as the only recovery method

No idea about Microsoft, but I've personally seen an instance of Google requiring app-based 2FA for some logins despite 2FA being disabled and multiple recovery methods being enabled. I've heard similar stories online about companies requiring SMS 2FA despite 2FA never having been enabled.

MadEngineer

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#3302776 29-Oct-2024 16:06

Is the email address under a registered domain or is it simply Hotmail?

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