Unable to verify porting SMS verification

[kazzeko]

Hello, 

I am trying to port over my phone number to a different online service to keep my Canadian phone number, but apparently, the porting failed because I could not verify it VIA SMS. But I cannot receive texts now as I have moved abroad and there is no service or roaming available in Japan. Is there a way to verify the port without SMS? 

Thank you,

Hannah

[maximum_gato]

@BKNS27 

A "verbal" authorization can be done but the account holder has to be able to answer the extra verification questions and satisfy the CSA that they are the account holder.

@kazzeko 

Hopefully you have done your research that the provider you are planning to port to is acceptable to recieve high security 2FA codes as some voip providers are not able to recieve codes from certain countries or the country you are in will not allow 2FA to be sent to specific voip providers. I don't have a lot of personal experience with these issues but other community members have made mention of them.

Make sure you do not require any of these 2FA verification codes in the following 7 to 14 days just to be safe as 2FA codes from financial institutions etc....are delayed a minimum 48 to 72 hours after porting out to a new provider and sometimes longer depending on each institution's financial fraud security policies.

If you run into immediate issues a short or longer term workaround using a family member to acquire a pm Sim card to perform a Sim swap for you. Once swapped you can use a text forwarding app like Mighty Text would also work for you. It does require the Sim card to be put in a working phone that is left powered on (preferably connected to a charger) and texts can then be forwarded to a voip like textnow that you can access on your phone. Forwarded texts can also be accessed by logging in online to your Mighty Text account.

Of course if you are paying for service you could also forward your incoming pm calls to your textnow (canadian phone number) app. This would allow friends and family in Canada to call you and you call them without international long distance charges. Or as detailed above suspend your service until 2FA verification codes are needed and have the relative/friend either reset any text or call forwarding once reactivated or just pass them along themselves to you.

[BKNS27]

@kazzeko 

I doubt that the CS_Agent will allow the porting without confirming to the SMS.

This would open SIM swapping activities.

[BKNS27]

@kazzeko 

You might want to do the following but you need to be in Canada to port your number internationally:

https://youtu.be/8sKdgJ-R8GQ 

[kazzeko]

Thank you for the really detailed reply! But I do not plan to live in Canada anymore, I just need my Canadian phone number so I can get verification texts for CRA and all the other government/banking things. 

[maximum_gato]

@kazzeko 

What is the cost of the service you plan to port out to while in Japan? If you are on the old $$ rewards program you may want to reconsider your decision to port out depending on your need to use your phone number while away.

Without counting any rewards you may be earning ($2 autopay+$1 loyalty soon to be $2?) If you suspend your service either by disabling autopay or suspending via lost/stolen for up to 88/89 days and change plans to the $15 plan before reactivating before day 89/90 and suspend again on or before day 30 (and repeat the process) the cost to maintain your account and phone number for about a year (350 to 355 days) is $45 (minus any rewards in your case less an additional $3 to $12 or $32 to $42/yr.)

If you time your reactivated months well enough and have active service sometime in the month of December you will also qualify for the "more is merrier" holiday minutes and data add on gifts.

If you intend to return to public mobile upon your return to Canada keeping your current $$ rewards account rather than activating a new account that is on the points rewards program (+the cost of a new Sim card) will more than make up for the approximate $45 (or less) cost of maintaining it for a year or so.....as your loyalty reward increases each year to a maximum savings of $60/yr (after year 5) a full $50/yr more than anniversary points of 10 points=$10/yr only.

You currently earn after :

• Year 1=$12. $2 more than 10 anniversary points.
• Year 2=$24. $14 more.
• Year 3=$36. $26 more.
• Year 4=$48. $38 more.
• Year 5=$60. $50 more thereafter.

You just need to set up reminders to reactivate by day 88/89 or preferably by day 85 or so just to be safe in case you encounter an issue reactivating so your account/phone # does not get canceled and deactivated on day 90.

Edit:

You may also want to read this post....

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Get-Support/Rewards-after-suspension/m-p/963736/highl...

[dust2dust]

You could get that family to buy a sim and give you the number and you can change it in your account and they could put it in a phone and you could trigger the port and they could reply to the text.

[softech]

@kazzeko   there is a chance that PM will allow the porting to be approved verally without the SMS approval process. 

Please open ticket with PM support and dicuss with them on your situation

1. Please open ticket via Chatbot (need access to My Account): At https://publicmobile.ca/chatbot.

Start by typing "Submit a ticket", then click "Contact Us", Then click "Other", then click "Click here to submit a ticket ↗" 

2. If you have trouble with Chatbot or you don't have access to My Account: Private message CS Agent at: 

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

**Monitor your Community inbox (envelope icon on the top right) after the ticket is opened.  CS Agent will reply to you there

[kazzeko]

It is possible to send it back to family in Canada and get them to verify it for me, I just wanted to get in contact with PM to see if there was any way at all to bypass the SMS... Thank you for the suggestion. 

[kazzeko]

My phone and SIM are with me in Japan. I don't plan on going back to Canada for at least well over a year or so. 

[BKNS27]

@kazzeko 

Do you have the phone here or Japan?

You may have to wait until you come back to Canada.

Meanwhile, you can switch to the $15 plan or disable AutoPay for 88 days so you can keep your number with payment .

[Yummy]

You have to have access to your PM service in order to reply on SMS from PM. Both account have to be active.

If you are abroad I very doubt you will be able to port out your number.

You can send your PM SIM back to Canada and ask somebody (friend/family) to do that for you.