Phone Number - Retrieval

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hyperhop

2 posts

Wannabe Geek

#323375 25-Nov-2025 14:58

Hey all,

I've been living overseas and forgot to top up my mobile phjone since July last year and now my phone number has lapsed. I've chatted to One NZ on Messenger and they advised to head into a store. I'm not physically in the country although my parents are. Has anyone successfully got an old number back in the last few months? I still have the old sim card with me it just doesn't work anymore. Any advice is appreciated!

From what I can see from previous posts:

Have One NZ check if number is available.
Add someone who is physically in NZ (e.g. friend or parents) to the old account as an authority.
Have them visit a One NZ Store to see if it's available and then have them get a sim card

quickymart

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#3437468 25-Nov-2025 15:40

If it's been almost 18 months (which is what you're describing here) I'm fairly sure by now it would have been released to be assigned to someone else.

If so, I wouldn't waste your (or anyone else's) time going to the store, they won't be able to do anything.

Linux

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#3437469 25-Nov-2025 15:43

@hyperhop High chance the mobile number will be back in the recycle process and as above someone telling you to visit a store is fob off from a lazy staff member

quickymart

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#3437470 25-Nov-2025 15:50

Linux:

@hyperhop High chance the mobile number will be back in the recycle process and as above someone telling you to visit a store is fob off from a lazy staff member

More top quality customer service from One NZ 🙄

Mod edit MM: proper company name

gehenna

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#3437471 25-Nov-2025 16:03

Ring/message the number to see if it goes anywhere. Otherwise, it's worth a shot.

Linux

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#3437487 25-Nov-2025 16:26

gehenna:

Ring/message the number to see if it goes anywhere. Otherwise, it's worth a shot.

MSISDN / mobile Number could be in a ' Paired ' state to a new SIM - Prepay connection pack and just not provisioned yet

Calling the number and hearing the standard message ' mobile number is invalid or not active check the number and dial again ' does not mean the end user can have the number back

gehenna

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#3437547 26-Nov-2025 07:57

It's one step closer to knowing if a human is using it. If not, one can assume it's either assigned to a SIM or otherwise inactive enough to be worth some time to follow up with the telco. Since the whole premise of the question is based on uncertainty, and deciding whether pursuing something is worth the time, I don't think it's as clear cut as you do. Noting that you have worked within the system in question, I often see my own technical staff get tunnel vision about this kind of thing when the technical considerations aren't the full story.

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TehFlak

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#3437690 26-Nov-2025 15:03

Linux:

gehenna:

Ring/message the number to see if it goes anywhere. Otherwise, it's worth a shot.

MSISDN / mobile Number could be in a ' Paired ' state to a new SIM - Prepay connection pack and just not provisioned yet

Calling the number and hearing the standard message ' mobile number is invalid or not active check the number and dial again ' does not mean the end user can have the number back

Just wanting to add my personal experience to this, when I finished working for Spark in Feb this year (Obv different policy, company etc), if someone had a number that was paired to a blank prepaid sim, but wasn't used or activated, we could certainly do a sim swap to a new sim, charge them the prepaid sim, and off you went. It very well MAY be possible, just depends on the specific policy and the employee you speak to, but good luck since that employee won't get anything out of you, and may not want to help.

quickymart

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#3437702 26-Nov-2025 15:50

gehenna:

Since the whole premise of the question is based on uncertainty, and deciding whether pursuing something is worth the time, I don't think it's as clear cut as you do. Noting that you have worked within the system in question, I often see my own technical staff get tunnel vision about this kind of thing when the technical considerations aren't the full story.

Unfortunately what happens next will be entirely dependent on who the OP speaks to at customer service and their knowledge level of what to do in a scenario like this. Just saying "go into a shop" is a lazy, easy way to get rid of a customer, as half the time the person at the shop won't know what to do either - or worse still, refer the OP back to the chat service 🙄

hyperhop

2 posts

Wannabe Geek

#3438399 29-Nov-2025 02:11

quickymart:

If it's been almost 18 months (which is what you're describing here) I'm fairly sure by now it would have been released to be assigned to someone else.

If so, I wouldn't waste your (or anyone else's) time going to the store, they won't be able to do anything.

Just to clarify, it was last topped up in July last year so it expired July this year.

quickymart

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#3438401 29-Nov-2025 06:22

Right, so almost 6 months ago now it would have expired, and almost 18 months ago was the last topup.

As Linux says above, I agree that it's probably either been returned to the pool of available numbers or assigned to someone else.

Did you have any luck getting it back in the end?

Goosey

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#3438435 29-Nov-2025 11:16

Have you actually had a need for using this number in the past 18 months or have you just been trying to keep it for “future return”?
if comming back oneday, then just start a new number….people on this side have gotten used to you not having this number…and most Likley just been contacting you via socials apps etc.