topic Re: Trying to activate old number in Get Support

Trying to activate old number

Tked — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 00:00:20 GMT

I used to have a Telus account and number (587785XXXX) until I moved abroad a year ago and cancelled my plan. Now that I am back in Canada I wanted to go with a chesper value carrier and activated a PM account but couldn’t select my old number (called Telus and they confirmed the number was available to be chosen) and now I can’t port my old number to my new account. Telus fees to activate that number and port it are crazy high including a credit check and new acct - instead hoping to have your help to change my current number to this one or port it somehow! Thanks for any help.

Can’t seem to submit a ticket so looking for help here.

@CS_Agent

Re: Trying to activate old number

Handy1 — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 20:19:41 GMT

@Tked Sorry your account was suspended more than 90 days it’s gone for good . You have to create brand new account with nee SIM card or eSIM . And probably best to use a new email too

you can try to find it in the pool of numbers then like this in my account

Change # on profile tabs

Or ask support to put you in that number if it’s still available @Tked

message support directly

while your already here and logged in the community you can send a private message To CS_Agents click

VVVVV Link below VVVVV

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/notes/composepage/note-to-user-id/22437

Re: Trying to activate old number

Tked — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 20:19:51 GMT

Thanks for your reply. That makes sense, don’t want to reactivate the account but just if my old number is available to be used I want to choose that number for my current plan?

Re: Trying to activate old number

Tked — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 20:21:25 GMT

Thank you, I’ll give this a try!

Re: Trying to activate old number

BKNS27 — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 06:41:03 GMT

@Tked

If the number is a Telus number, you can try to get it back by private messaging a CS_Agent on your computer on the envelope icon or tap your avatar>Messages>pen/paper icon. (No guarantee that you will get it back but worth a try)

Let us know how it went with the CS_Agent.

Double check if your number belong to Telus:

https://www.ipqualityscore.com/free-carrier-lookup

Re: Trying to activate old number

Tked — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 00:34:58 GMT

Thanks for the help. I reached out to the CS_Agent as advised and they let me know that PM doesn’t have access to that number (checked the carrier lookup and it’s Telus carrier) so was told they can’t change it.

At this point I still want the old number to keep life simple, so I’ve been told to get a SIM and account with Telus and port it over. I asked about putting it on a prepaid or esim to avoid a plan and the SIM card charges but was told I had to fully create an account and sign up for a plan. Seems like it might cost around 50 dollars for the sim and charges which is frustrating but not the end of the world I guess. Unless anyone has any suggestions or alternatives?

Thanks for the advice so far! @BKNS27 @Handy1

Re: Trying to activate old number

Handy1 — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 00:40:27 GMT

@Tked No I think you have a full handle on what you need to do if you want to keep that very number . Thou frustrating and time consuming $50 bucks cheap price to pay to get your old number back . So I’d just go for it . If the number means enough to you . And thanks for updating us . So we can better help other in the same boat

Re: Trying to activate old number

softech — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 00:47:55 GMT

@Tked wrote:
CS_Agent as advised and they let me know that PM doesn’t have access to that number (checked the carrier lookup and it’s Telus carrier) so was told they can’t change it.
Thanks for the advice so far! @BKNS27 @Handy1

@Tked this is NOT true.

Support can assign you Telus number as PM is owned by Telus. All numbers provided by PM are in fact Telus'

Reply support back and ask them to escalate.

(However, please note that while PM support might help to reassign a number previously owned by someone, usually they will only do it within short time of deactivation. Since you left a year already, that could be the reason why they are not helping)

Also, if you don't mind ,provide us the area code and the next 3 digits of the number and we can confirm if it is Telus' number

Re: Trying to activate old number

Tked — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 01:11:58 GMT

Fair enough - I’ve just asked support to escalate it and will let you know what happens. The number is 58778503XX.

Re: Trying to activate old number

softech — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 01:14:44 GMT

HI @Tked

yes, 587-785-xxxx is a Telus number

PM for sure can assign it to you if they want to

But again, the only issue here is that you gave up the number for too long, the could be the reason they are not helping

Re: Trying to activate old number

Tked — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 04:54:43 GMT

Received 2 replies from PM as follows:

”First of all, we are happy to know you just joined us.

Secondly, is strongly important to set up the right expectations and clarify how a wireless mobile service works.

- We are part of the Telus umbrella, however, even though we are under the same family, we are different companies, with different policies, procedures, promotions, plans, etc...

- When you activate a new Simcard, therefore a new account with any carrier, you cannot choose an old closed, inactivated, or canceled phone number, nor with the same company(which is not the case), nor even from a different company.

- Since you were not using that phone number for that long, that old account and phone number got closed, inactivated, canceled, and lost. Once this happens, the system will take that phone number back to be database of the company used to be with and make it available for a new user, BUT cannot be auto-assigned per request, which will be randomly assigned to anybody.”

but the second reply from a new agent was more optimistic, with:

”I understand your concern and I will try my best to help change the phone number. We'll need to make sure the number is still active with the old service provider in order to transfer it to our network. Although we are owned by Telus, the companies don't share the phone numbers and they can only be transferred through the porting protocol.

There is a chance the number is still available with Telus, so if they can reactivate the number just so we can send a port request then we may be able to bring it to our network.

For the transfer, please be aware that you may need the old sim card to approve the transfer through the confirmation text message that will be sent from them or you could ask them to pre-authorize the transfer and in this case, it will be done instantly. ”

A bit uncertain where to go from here - I responded to the second agent and will go with that plan to wait for the agent to contact Telus and try to port it (on my behalf?). If not I’ll take the slower route of reactivating it myself through Telus and porting manually. I don’t have the SIM card anymore (I don’t think it would be useful anyways since the accounts deactivated but I can call Telus to try to approve it if possible…).

If you have any thoughts or suggestions, let me know! Thanks!

Re: Trying to activate old number

BKNS27 — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 05:33:37 GMT

@Tked

Seems like there is a light through the end of the tunnel but there is a slim chance you could get your old number back.

I would suggest you go into a Telus/Koodo corporate store to confirm that the number is available. Don’t want to waste your time and effort to find out it can’t be done.

By any chance are you a senior on a limited income because Telus offer a discounted plans for seniors starting at $25 for 3gb.

https://www.telus.com/en/social-impact/connecting-canada/connecting-for-good-programs/seniors

Re: Trying to activate old number

dust2dust — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 05:52:03 GMT

@BKNS27- Was that your phone number at the end of the link you provided in your earlier reply?

Might want to make it this

https://www.ipqualityscore.com/free-carrier-lookup

Re: Trying to activate old number

BKNS27 — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 06:42:12 GMT

@dust2dust

Thanks, I was trying to find out who was spamming me…it was probably spoofed.

Re: Trying to activate old number

Tked — Fri, 21 Jul 2023 20:16:08 GMT

Just a general update - but finally got my old phone number back.

Ultimately it took calling TELUS support, ordering a prepaid SIM card for 5 bucks and porting it to public mobile. I didn’t have to create a full account or pay extra activation fees - the Telus support individual was actually very useful for once!

Thanks for the time and help!

[✅ that Telus porting hotline is very helpful ....... Luddite]

Re: Trying to activate old number

BKNS27 — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 01:16:27 GMT

@Tked

Great that you finally got your old number back. Persistent is key!