RealMe and recycled mobile number

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matisyahu

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#190710 9-Jan-2016 19:16

I was in the process of setting up a verified RealMe account however when I put my mobile number in I found that the number had already been used because the number had been recycled (I bought a new SIM card kit from Noel Leeming). Anyone had any success sorting such a mess out?

"When the people are being beaten with a stick, they are not much happier if it is called 'the People's Stick'"

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#1466706 9-Jan-2016 19:59

Have you contacted the Realme support team?

tardtasticx

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#1466758 9-Jan-2016 21:34

Call them from the new number you've got so it shows on the caller ID and looks more credible. I'm sure it happens all the time tbh.

matisyahu

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#1466803 9-Jan-2016 23:26

johnr: Have you contacted the Realme support team?

I'll do that on Monday but I was hoping there was a work around.

*sigh* I wish that mobile phone companies would realise this before recycling phone numbers.

"When the people are being beaten with a stick, they are not much happier if it is called 'the People's Stick'"

michaelmurfy

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#1466818 9-Jan-2016 23:58

kawaii:
johnr: Have you contacted the Realme support team?

I'll do that on Monday but I was hoping there was a work around.

*sigh* I wish that mobile phone companies would realise this before recycling phone numbers.

We'd have massive mobile numbers by now if mobile companies didn't recycle them :)

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johnr

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#1466883 10-Jan-2016 09:43

kawaii:
johnr: Have you contacted the Realme support team?

I'll do that on Monday but I was hoping there was a work around.

*sigh* I wish that mobile phone companies would realise this before recycling phone numbers.

How is a mobile carrier meant to know the number is registered to the ' Realme ' service, Last time I checked I did not have access to the Realme database,

jamesrt

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#1466896 10-Jan-2016 09:51

johnr: How is a mobile carrier meant to know the number is registered to the ' Realme ' service, Last time I checked I did not have access to the Realme database

Damn good idea never-the-less; a B2B interface which the telco's could use to query numbers and inform "realme" of phone number "expiry" (i.e. going out of service) would provide benefits for both sides of the relationship.

However, getting that setup wouldn't be fast (or necessarily easy); but could be worth trying - @johnr, do you have a mechanism inside Vodafone to suggest / present ideas like that to Management?

johnr

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#1466899 10-Jan-2016 09:56

@jamesrt This is just one db of god knows how many a mobile number could be registered against, I know where you are coming from but I can't see it happening, I look after the systems that do the deactivation process

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sleepy

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#1466902 10-Jan-2016 10:02

We rang yesterday as mobile was registered to our company real me, seem to work weekends

jamesrt

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#1466904 10-Jan-2016 10:04

johnr: @jamesrt This is just one db of god knows how many a mobile number could be registered against

In my opinion, the "just one db of god knows how many" is an excellent driver for the production/implementation of a robust industry-standard B2B interface which could be used for any interested parties to exchange that kind of information.

johnr: but I can't see it happening

@johnr: Yup, appreciate that - and I don't see it happening either to be honest - knowing a little bit about the RealMe side of things (an IT consultant gets to dabble in many, many, areas...) I would see this being a huge uphill battle just to get buy-in to get the idea considered.

Still doesn't stop it from being a good idea, though...

johnr

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#1466905 10-Jan-2016 10:06

@jamesrt I agree it's a great idea but what I don't understand is why @kawaii did not call the Realme support team first,

Aredwood

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#1466972 10-Jan-2016 13:26

In a way Im glad that there isn't an API for other companies to access Vodafone internal databases. As Im sure Veda, Alot of debt collection companies, The banks ect would love to get notified whenever a mobile number expires. I can see it causing privacy issues.

And how would it work for numbers that have been ported to other telcos?

johnr

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#1466979 10-Jan-2016 13:36

A deactivation and number port are quite different and would do different db updates

matisyahu

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#1467084 10-Jan-2016 16:39

johnr: @jamesrt I agree it's a great idea but what I don't understand is why @kawaii did not call the Realme support team first,

I've rung them but unfortunately they told me to ring back next week during the week - it appears that the RealMe support staff are only able to provide the bare basic support on the weekends.

"When the people are being beaten with a stick, they are not much happier if it is called 'the People's Stick'"

Behodar

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#1467112 10-Jan-2016 17:20

jamesrt: In my opinion, the "just one db of god knows how many" is an excellent driver for the production/implementation of a robust industry-standard B2B interface which could be used for any interested parties to exchange that kind of information.

There seems to be a fundamental misunderstanding on the part of RealMe (and anyone else that does the same thing); phone numbers are not unique to a single person.

Back in the landline days it was obvious: A single number could reach a handful of people. While that's much less common with mobile, it's still possible for multiple people to share a phone. A system should not depend on a phone number only ever being used by one person; it is simply not true and is poor design.

NB: I have no experience with RealMe.

richms

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#1467125 10-Jan-2016 17:37

Behodar:
jamesrt: In my opinion, the "just one db of god knows how many" is an excellent driver for the production/implementation of a robust industry-standard B2B interface which could be used for any interested parties to exchange that kind of information.

There seems to be a fundamental misunderstanding on the part of RealMe (and anyone else that does the same thing); phone numbers are not unique to a single person.

Back in the landline days it was obvious: A single number could reach a handful of people. While that's much less common with mobile, it's still possible for multiple people to share a phone. A system should not depend on a phone number only ever being used by one person; it is simply not true and is poor design.

NB: I have no experience with RealMe.

The other failure with places like that is they assume that a single mobile number is all they need to support for a single person. Same for email addresses and other contact information.

The amount of messing around I have had with the bank because the phone number they had entered for SMS delivery to verify stuff with their poor excuse for "2 factor" was not with me, because I was out so had my expendable phone with me only, or was outside coverage at some hick place with a suresignal but they had my spark number loaded so couldnt get SMS to it etc has really annoyed me.

Richard rich.ms

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