Sold a gold number, now problems...?

rapido

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the_tired_one

I would refund the customer her money and ask her to return the SIM and resolve the issue that way.

When there have been issues surrounding eBay, and its likely to have been my fault - I just accept the loss and try to put it right without having to hassel or inconvenience the customer further.

If you try to resolve it whilst she has the SIM, it will get VERY messy....

rob5ta

The most annoying thing about all of that is that it will be completely useless to the person that has registered the number.

I have a gold number myself, and i know that you can register your details on O2's website (which is what "this person" will have done).

Only problem for them is when they call up O2 to get a PAC code, they will fail the checks, (SIM number, last top up time, and amount, e.t.c.) so will not be issued a PAC code.

To stop this kind of thing i think O2 need to stop website registrations, and do it all over the phone.

Best advice in future is not to reveal all of the digits in the auction, and return the money to the buyer for this SIM card. Number is useless to anybody now as well.....

DonnyDave

rob5ta wrote:

The most annoying thing about all of that is that it will be completely useless to the person that has registered the number.

Unless she is telling porkies and she has registered it in her name.

I don't understand. What's being suggested is that the SIM card has been registered on number alone. Wouldn't they ask you more information, like SIM number?

ManAtHome

Long time since I registered a phone with O2, but pretty sure they used to send an activation code SMS to the mobile so you could complete the registration - have they stopped doing this?

GeoThermal

I would phone O2 explain the situation and ask if it is registered in the buyer's name. If not I would ask for the sim back and then refund.

rob5ta

ManAtHome wrote:

Long time since I registered a phone with O2, but pretty sure they used to send an activation code SMS to the mobile so you could complete the registration - have they stopped doing this?

Well i can speak from about 9 months or so ago when i bought my gold number on Ebay. I registered it online, and all i had to do was enter the mobile number, then register my details. At no time did they ask for the SIM card number, or send an SMS to my mobile (which is a very good way of doing it)

Very slack as far as i am concerned, however they are strict when you phone up and ask for a PAC code. They want SIM card number, last top up time, last four digits of card used.

Unfortunately if you advertise the full number on Ebay without blanking out at least one of the digits, this kind of thing is going to happen. Little do people realise that pretending the number is yours wont work because when you request your PAC, you will fail security questions....

DonnyDave

GeoThermal wrote:

I would phone O2 explain the situation and ask if it is registered in the buyer's name. ...

I would put money on them refusing under the terms of the Data Protection Act.

rob5ta wrote:

Well i can speak from about 9 months or so ago when i bought my gold number on Ebay. I registered it online, and all i had to do was enter the mobile number, then register my details. At no time did they ask for the SIM card number, or send an SMS to my mobile (which is a very good way of doing it)

Very slack as far as i am concerned, however they are strict when you phone up and ask for a PAC code. They want SIM card number, last top up time, last four digits of card used.

But having registered it, they can now report it as lost and get another SIM card.

This does appear to be very slack and I wonder if it's worth chasing this up with O2 themselves, and failing that, trading standards. You had a SIM card which you paid good money for, and because of O2's lackadaisical approach, it has now been taken from you. When I refer to "you" I mean whoever wishes to register it.

rob5ta

DonnyDave wrote:

But having registered it, they can now report it as lost and get another SIM card.

Thats a very good point. Never thought of that!

DonnyDave

I think that you need to prove that O2's system is not infallible and that there are loopholes and insecurities. If it is insecure then you will have to refund her (or provide her with another SIM) and risk getting a negative feedback and claim non-selling seller. Others may be able to advise you better on the ins and outs of eBay, as I'm not familiar myself.

As I said above, it could be that your buyer has registered it her name and is telling you the story of a third-party registering it because either she knows that O2 allow this or she hopes you will believe what she is saying to be true.

If it is secure, then it cannot be possible for someone else to register it.

Remember that the SIM card is still property of O2.

gwapenut

Sounds like someone else may have seen the actual number you had for sale on ebay, as you say you didn't censor it?

Happened a few times to people who flogged clubcard vouchers without hiding the electronic number - tried to exchange them for deals via the website (no physical voucher required) and found someone else who'd seen the photo of the voucher on ebay had beaten them to it.

This person could also request a PAC from O2 too and get it onto his own sim that way?