PUK used 10 times now blocked

littleredhen

Can anyone help my dd has been messing about with her mobile (Tesco) and apparantly entered the PUK code (incorrectly) more than 10 times - i have been been on Tesco info site and if you use an incorrect PUK code 10 times it will be permanently blocked - no answer from customer services so can't double check this - does anyone know if this is true or just a ploy to get you to buy another sim - please help - dd is crying in her bedroom:(

FlyingCatFace

Yes, its true. The sim is blocked for good. best option I can see is getting a new Sim and ask customer services to port her existing number over.

littleredhen

ok cheers - my dh is mad and poor dd is crying - i am trying to keep the peace - happy days:o

FlyingCatFace

littleredhen wrote: »

ok cheers - my dh is mad and poor dd is crying - i am trying to keep the peace - happy days:o

Ouch! Thankfully (for me ) my daughter is only 4 so I dont have this yet!

Should be relatively quick and painless to change the sim via customer services, I'm not sure if you can buy replacement Tesco mobile sims in store though. :huh:

Edit, quick google revealed:

"I have entered my PUK code incorrectly a few times and now I can’t get my phone to work. What should I do?

If you have entered your PUK code incorrectly more than 10 times, your SIM card may be permanently blocked. Please give us a call on 1749 from a Tesco Mobile (calls cost 30c per call) or on 089 420 0000 from another phone (costs from other providers will vary) as the phone and we will arrange to send you out a replacement SIM card."

Its the irish site but I assume they will still send out a replacement here?

littleredhen

she had about £9 on it to add insult to injury! that was why i was hoping customer service could help - she was obviously just trying to sort it out herself when she inadvertantly blocked it!

spirit

littleredhen wrote: »

Can anyone help my dd has been messing about with her mobile (Tesco) and apparantly entered the PUK code (incorrectly) more than 10 times - i have been been on Tesco info site and if you use an incorrect PUK code 10 times it will be permanently blocked - no answer from customer services so can't double check this - does anyone know if this is true or just a ploy to get you to buy another sim - please help - dd is crying in her bedroom:(

Hello Littleredhen.

I hope your DD is feeling better now.

all is not lost. Yes the SIM is useless now. this DOES NOT mean that you have to port the number anywhere or change your number. Your customer services dept should have given you the correct PUK code. did they give you the wrong one or was it input incorrectly?

all that needs to happen is for them to give you a new sim card and then connect it up to your EXISTING mobile number.

My customers do this kind of thing from time to time so do tell her that responsible grown ups do this sometimes too!

littleredhen

hiya spirit - thanks - i am not too bothered about the phone number as she has only had it a couple of weeks - it was the money that was on it that my dh was annoyed about i think - i take it that the money is lost - she blocked the phone by entering random numbers trying to sort out what she had done - we went on line and it says in tesco website that if you enter wrong puk number 10 times it is permanently blocked

spirit

littleredhen wrote: »

hiya spirit - thanks - i am not too bothered about the phone number as she has only had it a couple of weeks - it was the money that was on it that my dh was annoyed about i think - i take it that the money is lost - she blocked the phone by entering random numbers trying to sort out what she had done - we went on line and it says in tesco website that if you enter wrong puk number 10 times it is permanently blocked

Not to worry it's only the sim that's blocked not her account. The credit is logged against her account (mobile number) irrespective of what happens to the sim. Speak to customer services and explain - remembering to tell them how much credit is on there. How does she top up? has she some kind of receipt for it? they may even be able to see how much is remaining anyway.

spirit

Just to explain further. If you put a security PIN code on your phone so that when you switch it on it asks you to put this PIN in; stops people who shouldn't have access to the phone using it. The phone will ask for the PUK if you put the PIN in wrong 3 times, this is to stop unauthorised access as I say. this is when it will ask you for the PUK.

PUK stands for Personal Unblocking Key and is 8 digits long. It's so easy to jot the PUK down wrong and is a long number for anyone to memorise if they haven't written it down as they were being given it by customer services.

grimlea

i know virgin would send a replacement sim with the same mobile number & all credit still there - at no cost to the customer - i'm sure other providers would be the same

littleredhen

thanks - i am just looking at tesco website and i am looking at this payg stuff and trying to figure it out - it says it they will give you a free £10 for every £10 you top up - is my brain muddled or is this for real!!!