ID Mobile lost my ported number. (gave it to someone else?)

RedMonty

Saw a decent offer in the MSE newsletter for 6GB data and lots of minutes, texts with iD Mobile for £12.50 a month. ( iD Mobile are owned by CarPhone Warehouse). Signed up - via the MSE link, so that MSE gets a little bit of referral business - and on Dec 11th, gave iD Mobile my PAC code from O2, my old provider. Was told it would go through within a couple of days. Dec 13th, O2 texts me that my O2 account is now closed. Yay, my number is coming across.

Nope. My phone still has the temporary number iD Mobile gave me. Ring iD Mobile to complain, am assured tech team will look into it, and they will be in touch soon. Nothing happens, no contact from them. Ring again and again, eep getting fobbed off. No texts or emails from the iD Mobile team.

I've had no access to my old number over Xmas and the New Year. Some of my family and friends haven't been able to contact me. I've missed events and contacts. I didn't know whether to give the old or the new number as ID Mobile kept telling me it would be sorted out any day now,

I haven't been able to make bank payments as my bank texts me a code when I make a payment, which is going to the old number. (and changing the verification number without access to the old number is a huge, huge hassle.)

At one point iD Mobile customer services refused to take my calls because I am deaf and use a third party speech to text service. This is a special disability service run by BT that OFCOM has verified for use with banks etc. I've never had someone do that to me before and it was a bit of a shock.

Spent most of January ill with flu so didn't chase them up. Now better again and it's 30th Jan, nearly 7 weeks later, I ring again, and am finally told:

"Your mobile number was assigned to another customer so the number was recycled and given to another customer, was disconnected the account from previous provider was unable to complete the port as the number is with a different customer."

As far as I can work this out, they just !!!!ing lost my number and gave it to someone else! I don't know who is at fault here, O2 or iD Mobile. I have no idea what to do here, I'm really !!!!ed off, I had that old number for over 10 years, all my professional contacts have it, it's linked to all my bank accounts, my Gmail account etc and everywhere else where I have 2-factor authentication turned on. Someone else is getting the texts from my bank etc.

If iD Mobile haven't sorted it out in 1 week, then I'm past the 8 week deadline and will make a formal complaint to OFCOM, but I don't really know how to go about it or what compensation I can ask for.

RedMonty

Replying to myself to say that I'm tempted to jump to 3 - they have a good offer £13 for 8GB (12 month contract) plus allow tethering & international use - which I have often wanted as I often work away from office. Neither O2 or iD Mobile allow tethering. 3's offer expires end of 31st Jan, but I'm worried if I cancel my rolling monthly contract with ID Mobile, I can kiss goodbye to any chance of compensation or getting my old number back.

redux

I can't understand their description. Perhaps they had a series of transfers to do and mixed them all up. It's not unknown. Normally numbers aren't otherwise reallocated for a year or two after being disused. Keep complaining.

RedMonty

Am using the MSE Resolver tool now. Got a reply from ID Mobile:

"Dear Thomas

Thank you for your recent email.

I have taken a look onto our system and can see that the technical team
have provided feedback regarding your number:
"we can not process port in request with number (XxxxxxxxxxX) on this
account. as this number was already used"

I am sorry that the number cannot be retrieved.

You can keep an eye on your available allowances at any time using the
iD Mobile app or My Account online .

If you’ve any questions, call us on 7777 from your iD mobile, or 0333
003 7777 from a landline (charges from landlines and other mobile
networks may vary).

Kindest regards,

Azelle Siebrits
iD Mobile Customer Services"

So basically my number has been lost / recycled / given to someone else.

Actions taken:

- I have tried ringing my old number: "Number unavailable"
- I have contacted O2 "Number was successfully ported to Three on 13.12.2016"
- I have contacted Three: " We can't track it because your SIM is from ID Mobile not Three. Three's general policy is to wait 30 days before recycling unused numbers, however this varies depending on supplier."
- I have contacted Carphone Warehouse: "Not our problem. Take it up with ID Mobile or the staff member in the Carphone Warehouse store who did the porting. "

I've spent all day ringing the store I that did the port but it's constantly busy. (Am disabled with kids to look after, bit awkward to go there at the moment).

I think it's full steam ahead with the OFCOM complaint. Anyone here have any experience with numbers being wrongfully recycled?

mobilejunkie

It's not OFCOM. It's whichever ombudsman deals with ID - and then either 8 weeks after your complaint to ID isn't resolved or they issue a deadlock letter. You could argue that the response is that to an original complaint.

RedMonty

mobilejunkie wrote: »

It's not OFCOM. It's whichever ombudsman deals with ID - and then either 8 weeks after your complaint to ID isn't resolved or they issue a deadlock letter. You could argue that the response is that to an original complaint.

Yup, number was 'ported' in on 13.12.2016, and I first complained it wasn't working on 15.12.2015, so on the 9th Feb it will be 8 weeks after 15.12.2015.

Do you think the number is definitely gone for good? I suppose I better start talking to Santander and co about how to change my 2-step verification number without any access to my old number

System

When a ported number is no longer needed, it reverts back to the donor network (I'm assuming O2) therefore 3s recycle policy won't apply.

I would personally be making as much noise as possible - formal complaint with iD, contact the carphone warehouse CEO etc and when they finally get your number sorted port out to a more reliable provider.

RedMonty

Heng_Leng wrote: »

When a ported number is no longer needed, it reverts back to the donor network (I'm assuming O2) therefore 3s recycle policy won't apply.

I would personally be making as much noise as possible - formal complaint with iD, contact the carphone warehouse CEO etc and when they finally get your number sorted port out to a more reliable provider.

For sure.

I've already made a complaint to ID Mobile through MSE Resolver and got the response you see above. I'm not sure how that could be more formal.

Also MSE Resolver says I have to wait another two months before emailing the CEO / OFCOM. (This is because I only started using the tool last week). I can't see how to make it push forward with the next step straightaway.

mobilejunkie

I think Resolver is wrong. I would argue ID have basically said there is nothing they can do i.e. deadlock.

System

RedMonty wrote: »

For sure.

I've already made a complaint to ID Mobile through MSE Resolver and got the response you see above. I'm not sure how that could be more formal.

Also MSE Resolver says I have to wait another two months before emailing the CEO / OFCOM. (This is because I only started using the tool last week). I can't see how to make it push forward with the next step straightaway.

I would personally be right on to the CEO as you've been fobbed off for weeks. Twitter and Facebook could help too.

There is a website called ceo mail and also make them aware that you've had issues with your disability tools too.

idmobile

Hi RedMonty, we're sorry to hear that you have encountered this problem with porting your number and the surrounding confusion on the issue. We'll try our best to get things sorted for you.

If you are able to contact us on our social media pages then we can investigate what has happened, what can be done and confirm if your number has been lost or not.

Please use the following links to get in touch so we can quickly look into this for you, please tweet or message us at https://twitter.com/id_mobile_uk or https://www.facebook.com/idmobileuk/

Thank you
iD Mobile.