So far, so Bad

[DWHarris]

Ordered a SIM and transferred number from Virgin.

Put SIM in phone (phone is unlocked from carrier to the best of my knowledge)

Phone asks for SIM PIN, tried 1234 and 0000, no luck

Tried a couple more times and received the need network PUK PIN.

Messaged @CS_Agent 24 hours ago and supplied all info to receive some assistance, no reply since that time.

Also, found a 16 digit PIN now on the package I received in the mail; I assume this is the PIN it was asking for? No matter, I can't do anything until I receive the PUK PIN.

Now 24 hours without service; I guess this is the one and only phone I likely switch and I will be looking for somewhere new in short order. 

I understand the min support provided by PM, but come on, 24 hours without a response at all?

[computergeek541]

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@jclaydon2018 wrote:

and the carrier gave them the puk which means the mods can port everything for them and shouldn't need any further action

---

The phone being locked to another carrier would not affect number porting.  Further, I don't see anywhere where the OP said anything about having any problems with the number transfer itself. @DWHarris did say that the number was ported properly, but did admit that the phone was not unlocked after all.  The member did mention regretting just not asking members of the Community how to get this fixed instead of spending time waiting for moderators when he/she didn't need to.

[jclaydon2018]

and the carrier gave them the puk which means the mods can port everything for them and shouldn't need any further action

[computergeek541]

---

@jclaydon2018 wrote:

please be patient, transfers can take up to 3 days if there are issues.  Plus things tend to get a little crazy around holidays. Think short term pain for a hell of a lot of long term gain.

At least you provided all relivant information in advance

the pin the moderators always ask you for, is the pin you use to sign up for the public mobile service.

They are also working on a new support feature that will probably at least notify you that your request for help was recieved.

once a moderator is able to get to your message, they should be able to port your phone for you without further issues.

hope you get resolved soon

-James

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Please review the thread.  The member's phone was locked to another carrier.

[jclaydon2018]

please be patient, transfers can take up to 3 days if there are issues.  Plus things tend to get a little crazy around holidays. Think short term pain for a hell of a lot of long term gain.

At least you provided all relivant information in advance

the pin the moderators always ask you for, is the pin you use to sign up for the public mobile service.

They are also working on a new support feature that will probably at least notify you that your request for help was recieved.

once a moderator is able to get to your message, they should be able to port your phone for you without further issues.

hope you get resolved soon

-James

[AE_Collector]

Okay I was certain that I read somewhere that moderators were only around M-F but I stand corrected. Good to know.

Terry

[iliketotalk]

@AE_Collector  hi believe it not they work every day of the week 

Moderators are available:

• Monday to Friday from 8 AM to midnight Eastern time.
• Saturday and Sunday from 8 AM to 10 PM Eastern time.

[DWHarris]

I understand that, however they certainly could have progressed the issue so that I was headed the right direction. Instead, I waited dutifully for 24 hours giving the benefit of the doubt.

All research I had done led me to believe that the PUK would be supplied by PM.

I made the mistake of searching the forums prior to posting and thinking that moderator was the only one that could help me, so I sent them the direct message that so many threads seemed to indicate was the way to resolve the issue.

In hindsight, I should have posted my issue here as I did later and I might have saved myself a full day of farting around.

Kudos to the community, Thumbs down to moderator response time 😉

[computergeek541]

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@AE_Collector wrote:

Something I haven’t seen written here yet is that PM Moderators work Monday-Friday to the best of my knowledge. I don’t know about holiday Mondays, it may be Tuesday or later before you hear back from them.

Terry

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There are moderators here every day, including holidays, but they would not have been able to help unlock a phone from Virgin Mobile.

[computergeek541]

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@DWHarris wrote:

Thank you, again.

I contacted Samsung via Chat and they were able to provide both the PUK I needed and then the Network unlock PIN. 

Still no reply from @CS_Agent , but some very helpful advice via this forum.

---

I know that getting no reply is not a good thing, but I'm sure they would have got to you. Moderator_Team wouldn't have been able to help you other than to tell you to contact Virgin again or Samsung.  

There is a PUK for your specific sim card.  This one is a sim card security code.  However, that is not the same as the sim network unlock PUK and would have been of no use to you.

[AE_Collector]

Something I haven’t seen written here yet is that PM Moderators work Monday-Friday to the best of my knowledge. I don’t know about holiday Mondays, it may be Tuesday or later before you hear back from them.

Terry

[DWHarris]

Thank you, again.

I contacted Samsung via Chat and they were able to provide both the PUK I needed and then the Network unlock PIN. 

Still no reply from @CS_Agent , but some very helpful advice via this forum.

[computergeek541 · Accepted solution]

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@DWHarris wrote:

Sorry, I may have misdirected you 

So status:

- PM SIM works in old iphone with no issues

- PM SIM will not work in locked Virgin Samsung Galaxy S7

- Samsung device is asking for PUK when PM SIM is installed

- Virgin States PUK would come from Public Mobile

- Virgin Supplied the Unlock Code that should work once PUK is entered.

- Waiting for @CS_Agent  to supply PUK for the PM SIM so that I can try to enter proper Virgin Unlock code.

---

Public Mobile cannot give you the Sim network unlock PUK code.  Only Virgin and/or Samsung can provide that for you.  The sim network unlock PUK code is a master unlock code for the phone itself and has nothing to do with Public Mobile.  This code resets the ability to unlock your phone.  

[Bell3]

That is good. Happy Canada Day!

[DWHarris]

Sorry, I may have misdirected you a bit inadvertently.

The phone at issue is a Samsung S7 that apparently was locked to Virgin even though they told me it wasn't; now I have the proper unlock code from virgin for the phone, but the phone is asking for a PUK when I put the PM SIM in it and Virgin stated that code would be from PM. Once I have the PUK, then I should be able to use the proper Virgin unlock code.

There is no issue with the old iphone if I put the PM SIM in it, that was just a last ditch test to see if it was phone related (which it obviously is since the iphone is having no issue with the PM SIM).

So status:

- PM SIM works in old iphone with no issues

- PM SIM will not work in locked Virgin Samsung Galaxy S7

- Samsung device is asking for PUK when PM SIM is installed

- Virgin States PUK would come from Public Mobile

- Virgin Supplied the Unlock Code that should work once PUK is entered.

- Waiting for @CS_Agent  to supply PUK for the PM SIM so that I can try to enter proper Virgin Unlock code.

[GinYVR]

@DWHarrisBTW iPhone carrier unlocking is not done via codes. All iPhone's unlocking status is kept at Apple. The phone access its status when it is connected via Wifi or data when available (especially for a iPhone 8). It used to be via iTunes but that has been deprecated. I am not sure what code Virgin had given you.

One way to deal with it is always just go to an Apple Store ask them to figure it out for you, but I highly recommend you write down things in a timeline with all the details. They have to tools to pretty much do everything to an iPhone and they are always helpful.

[DWHarris]

Thank you for your thourough analysis and guidance.

I did discover that the 16 digit PIN on the package label was the same as the canada post barcode number so obviously not the pin.

I moved the SIM to a known unlocked old iPhone I had sitting around and the sim works without any code request in that device which insidates it is definately phone specific.

I contacted Virgin and received the unlock code for the phone, however we are beyond that point as the phone is asking for a PUK now. The Virgin Rep indicated the PUK would be from public mobile and then I should be able to enter the lock code that I was supplied.

It's all well and good if I ever get a response from @CS_Agent with the PUK code for the SIM. In the mean time at least I can get calls and texts on this old iPhone.

[computergeek541]

---

@DWHarris wrote:

Ordered a SIM and transferred number from Virgin.

Put SIM in phone (phone is unlocked from carrier to the best of my knowledge)

Phone asks for SIM PIN, tried 1234 and 0000, no luck

Tried a couple more times and received the need network PUK PIN.

Messaged @CS_Agent 24 hours ago and supplied all info to receive some assistance, no reply since that time.

Also, found a 16 digit PIN now on the package I received in the mail; I assume this is the PIN it was asking for? No matter, I can't do anything until I receive the PUK PIN.

Now 24 hours without service; I guess this is the one and only phone I likely switch and I will be looking for somewhere new in short order. 

I understand the min support provided by PM, but come on, 24 hours without a response at all?

---

Never guess codes.

The sim card's PIN for ALL Public Mobile sim cards is set to 1234 unless you change it.   I too, strongly suspect that your phone is locked to Bell/Virgin.  

Was it asking for "sim network unlock pin"?  If it was your phone is locked to a different carrier.  Public Mobile would not be able to help you with that.  If your phone is now prompting you for "sim network unlock puk", that would be beccause of multiple repeated attempts at entering the wrong unlock code.  At this point the, 'sim network unlock pin" will no longer work until you first enter the "sim network unlock puk".  This is needed to be accepted buy the phone before the regular "sim network unlock pin" will be accepted.  Only after that will your phone be unlocked.

As for th packaging, there is no 16 digit PIN on it.  The only 2 numbers on it will be the sim card number itself and a UPC barcode that will be the same for every sim card. 

As for which code you need, I am suspecting that you might now need the both the sim network unlock pin and the sim network unlock puk.  There isn't any such thing as a "PUK PIN".  They are 2 different things.

[GinYVR]

@DWHarrisSupport is one of the corner we as general user choose to cut when we select Public Mobile to save a few bucks, eg Chatr charges $5 / support. The support doesn't work 24/7. They should get back to you hopefully not more than 48 hours. PUK is not printed on the packaging, only the Moderator_Team can give you that.

[DWHarris]

- The porting process worked fine and my account is successfully set up, It's the unique PUK for this SIM that only @CS_Agent can provide. I have already PM'd them more than 24 hours ago now.

- I don't expect anyone on the forum can solve my issue; I am just posting my experience so the next poor sucker that decides to give PM a try will know what they are in for when they do need some support.

[Triguy]

If there is an issue with the porting process then you will need to wait for a moderator.  If after 48 hours you have not received a response then try messaging then again.

[DWHarris]

- The number has already been ported to PM and is no longer listed in my Virgin account

- The phone is unlocked to the best of my knowledge and one of the PIN's I tried was the unlock code supplied by virgin through the online interface; I don't think it is still locked to the provider.

The 16 digit number I am referencing is actually printed on the package I received from PM in the mail. I am just guessing that that is the PIN it is asking for. I did not see it prior to the phone requesting the PUK key now. 

[iliketotalk]

@DWHarris Hi you can use your old sim until you get problem fixed

[shskr]

I sounds like if it asks for a 16 digit number your phone maybe locked from a previous provider. Try to contact them and get the unlock code, they should not charge you for that unlock code.

You will have to contact the moderators to get access, you can send them a private message here: link

Moderators can take anywhere from 2 to 48 hours, depending on how many customers are ahead of you.

[shskr]

You will have to contact the moderators to get access, you can send them a private message here: link

Moderators can take anywhere from 2 to 48 hours, depending on how many customers are ahead of you.

[shskr]

Moderators can take anywhere from 2 to 48 hours, depending on how many customers are ahead of you.

[Triguy]

Sounds like your phone is still locked to Virgin.  Did you try contacting them ?  PM moderators usually respond in 48 -72 hours depending on workload.