New O2 contract cancelled before PAC activated - old account also closed

macbios

Hi

Hopefully someone can give me some advice on this.  I took out a new contract with O2 on the 21st Jan and gave them the PAC from Vodafone.  New sim arrived on Saturday so I left it until late Sunday to put in (as I know number port can be take longer due to weekend).  Tested what the reception from O2 was like and found it to be just as terrible as it was 6 years ago (despite being promised it had improved) so on Monday (24th) I asked O2 to cancel my contract.

Chap at O2 said the number port would cancelled as the process hadn't started yet.   Old sim / number from Vodafone was still working (and did until about 3pm today, 25th).  I'm now left with no mobile service from either companies and the old number seemingly lost in the ether.  Have spoken to both O2 and Vodafone and both have basically shrugged their shoulders.   

Is there anything I can do to regain my old number?  

macbios

I should add, O2 did reinstate the cancelled contract this afternoon.  It showed I had a signal for about 2 hours before going back to no service / sim not provisioned.  

flaneurs_lobster

You don't say if the brief reinstatement on 25/01 was using your ported from Vodafone number or the new O2 number. 

If it ported, albeit briefly, then you have to bother O2 to try and secure your number back. TBH this does seem to be an example of exactly how not to port a number when you have no idea if the new service will be usable. You might not be lucky with getting this number back. 

macbios

The reinstatement was with the new O2 number. 

flaneurs_lobster

Have you tried to use your old Vodafone sim? It's possible that the backout of the PAC activation may have halted the cancellation of your Vodafone contract. Can you see any details of your account online?

If no luck with the old sim then you will be in the situation where you have no contractual agreement with either provider having cancelled them both. Can't see either of them making your case a priority. Even if your number can be retrieved from the between-world where would it be reinstated to?