Retrieve my phone number

[cavilier]

Hi all,

I had a plan with public which I forgot to top up and expired back in August, I just recently found out. It's a really important phone number to me, is there anything I can do to re-activate it? Or maybe re-join public mobile with the same number?

Thank you!

[AE_Collector]

It really doesn’t sound like your account can possibly have been suspended for 90 days or more in which case your number is still on hold for you to simply reactivate the account. 

If it HAS been suspended over 90 days then where did the number originally come from? Was it a Telus, Koodo or Public Mobile number or had it been ported in from elsewhere? If elsewhere, it is on a slow road BACK to where it came from and you are not going to find it in a list of available numbers at Public.

AE_Collector

[dabr · Accepted solution]

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@cavilier wrote:

Thanks! I got a new SIM and is trying to active a new number, but I can't seem to be able to search the last 4-digits?

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@cavilier   So you are trying to activate a new account with a new number because your old account was left without payment for over 120 days and trying to choose the last four digits for the new number now? 

If that's the case then you should be able to select the last four digits as it's only allowed upon activation.  If you're unable to do that then you probably need to submit a ticket to moderators either via SIMon ? mark bottom right of your screen or private message Moderator_Team with this link: https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/notes/composepage/note-to-user-id/22437

Can you also confirm that your old account and number is lost because of lack payment for over 120 days?  Otherwise as suggested add your payment and try to re-activate your old account.

[Jukebox]

As PM says "Reactivate a suspended plan

Missed a payment? After your plan expires, all you need to do is top-up your balance to keep the current plan going. You have up to 90 days to make a payment and, after doing so, your payment cycle will restart and your service will resume.After 90 days of non-payment, your account will be permanently deactivated, which means you will:

• Lose access to your phone number, and won’t be able to transfer it to a new provider in the future.

• Need a new Public Mobile SIM card if you decide to activate a new Public Mobile account."

https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/bc/get-help/articles/reactivate-a-suspended-plan

[gpixel]

@cavilier when was the exact date your account expired?

[cavilier]

Thanks! I got a new SIM and is trying to active a new number, but I can't seem to be able to search the last 4-digits?

[Anonymous]

 @AE_Collector 

Change plans while in suspension.

[AE_Collector]

@Anonymous 

Interesting that it would just start working after adding funds. I have never had a suspended account so no real life experience.

I have seen here a couple of times now where someone posts that they were suspended and reactivated but were trying to get on to a different plan as well but the only way they could get reactivated on their own was to get back onto the plan they were previously on. That’s where that comment of mine was coming from. If suspended on the $40 plan and you want to reactivate but on the $15 plan then you need to reactivate through a moderator.

AE_Collector

[Anonymous]

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@AE_Collector wrote:

@cavilier 

Remember when you add funds it wont just start working again. I have never had to do this but I believe after adding enough funds to cover the plan it was on previously (before it suspended) you then push a “reactivate” button. If you want to reactivate it but on a different plan than what it was previously on, you need to do this through a moderator.

AE_Collector

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 @AE_Collector 

I have found that it _does_ just restart. I keep a third "dormant" account alive every 4 months. I top up and it just goes. I have not needed to use the reactivate button. I had a little hiccup recently reactivating my second "data" account though with a balance. Although now I can't remember what I did. 🙂 I'm pretty sure I just Resume'd service and it took the money and it worked. But some other thing was going with the account that the mods had to fix.

The mods are not needed for plan changes, suspended or not. They're only needed for early renewals.

[AE_Collector]

@cavilier 

Remember when you add funds it wont just start working again. I have never had my account in suspended mode but I believe after adding enough funds to cover the plan that it was on previously (before it suspended) you then push a “reactivate” button. If you want to reactivate it but on a different plan than what it was previously on, you need the help of a moderator before actually reactivating it.

AE_Collector

[Nezgar]

As per this help article: https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/sk/get-help/articles/what-happens-when-you-miss-a-payment

If you miss a payment due date, your account will be put into a suspended state, meaning you will be unable to use your phone services. You will have up to 90 days to make a payment, and after doing so your payment cycle with restart and your service will resume. After 90 days, suspended accounts are permanently deactivated, which means you will:

• Lose access to your phone number, and won’t be able to transfer it to a new provider in the future.
• Need a new Public Mobile SIM card if you decide to activate a new Public Mobile account.

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So thats the official statement... You will need a new SIM card regardless, and will have to activate with a new account. During the activation process, you can search the last 4 digits of a phone number in your preferred location and see if by chance it comes up as available. If not, you'll have to pick a new number. Then, if you're really lucky you can try contacting the moderators to see if they can see if your old number is still available and if they might be able change your number to it... But that's a BIG might!

[Triguy]

You could try reactivating your account.  Do you see a reactive button in your self serve account ?

If your account was deactivated then the phone# is probably gone.  You could try contacting a moderator to see if it is possible to recover it.

Here’s when and how to contact the Moderator Team:

• Get help with your account the easy way by starting a conversation with our virtual assistant, SIMon. It’ll take you to relevant help articles, or if it’s something more urgent, it can help you submit a ticket to the Moderator Team. Click here to get started.
• Alternatively, you can send a private message to the Moderators by clicking here. You’ll need to be logged in to your Community account for the link to work.

[Anonymous]

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@cavilier wrote:

Hi all,

I had a plan with public which I forgot to top up and expired back in August, I just recently found out. It's a really important phone number to me, is there anything I can do to re-activate it? Or maybe re-join public mobile with the same number?

Thank you!

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Important eh? 🙂

What happens when you call 611 on the phone with the Public Mobile SIM in?

If it has been suspended for less than 90 days then you can just top-up and go. If more than 90 days then the account will get deactivated.

[hairbag1]

Log into your account and make payment with cc or vouchers then Reactivate your account as long as it's been less than 90 days since your plan expired.