What is the safest way to do an account transfer?

[Ashley]

Hello,

I want to know what is the safest way to do an account transfer?

Let's say I find someone who is willing to transfer their account to me, obviously they would already know the account number, phone number on the account, account email, username and login, plus they would have the proof that they are the one who started the account.

They would also know my name and my phone number that I would port in because that is the number I would use to contact them.  

So let's say I takeover their account (off course with their permission of account transfer) and change the username and password on the account, my questions is:

-  How do I make sure that they don't screw me over and take the account back or ask PM to change or retrive the password and account email back or give them the account back?

 I am just trying to be careful, I have a nice number with a nice area code and I don't want them to screw me over and take my number and also take back the account once I port in my number.

Your help with providing guidance is much appreciated.

Thank you very much all. 

[stonechucker]

if you change number on Jan 30, you must wait 30 or 31 days.  In or out of your 90 day cycle.

in my last message I said port.  I should have said new number, of which it could be a port.

Hope this has clarified for you.

[Ashley]

@stonechucker Thanks for your help again. 

I am not really worried, I am just trying to get some understanding so that I can make an informed decision. 

For or porting or changing/requesting a new number, is it once every 30 days since your last number change or port or once every 30 day of your billing cycle?

for example if you change your number on January 30 then can you change or port in a number on February 1?

btw, I'm not an old auntie. 

[stonechucker]

@Ashley, porting available every 30 days, you can port within 90- day cycle.

The PIN question, I think someone already suggested that you would need to contact a moderator for assistance.

i think you're asking all the right questions.... but I also think you're worrying more than you need to.  But, there is never a question that you should not ask, better to know for sure :-).

i hope you become a auntie a client, and a valued community member 🙂

[Ashley]

@stonechucker Thank you. 

If if someome can please answer my other question that would be much appreciated. Thanks 

[stonechucker]

@Ashley,maybe I read your email wrong.  I thought you said you already have an account with Public Mobile (a phone with service), and you wish to tansfer that phone number onto the sim you are buying or taking from someone else.

it is not an issue between community and service, but is a problem between two service accounts.

if I was mistaken in my reading of your first post, I apologies, and you can disregard my suggestion.

Thnks!

[will13am]

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@Ashley wrote:

@dearmusic Thank you so much for the graphical view. 

@will13am Thank you for easing my mind a bit. I am not too anxious, I just wanna be prepared and have the correct info. 

@stonechucker Thank you but I am not clear about the emails suggestions, are you saying that the email that I have used here already for creating this community account can't be the same for the phone or self serve account?  

I still want to confirm the following:

1. Can you change the phone number or request a new number more than once during the 90days billing cycle?

2.  If the answer from 1 is yes, can I then also port in my number within the same billing cycle?

3.  What options are available to change the account PIN?

thank you again for everyone's help. 

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Why do you need to change the phone number so many times?  If you want a new number because the plan you are getting has a number you don't like, you can select a new number from the change number option in the account.  Alternatively, when in the change number feature, you can select to port a number into the account as a method of changing the phone number.  Picking one of these two options should suffice.  What purpose does doing both serve?  That covers questions 1 and 2.  For question 3, I thought it was answered already.  You can ask a moderator to change the account PIN.  Now go forth and acquire your plan with confidence.  Please report back any successes or failures.

[Ashley]

@dearmusic Thank you so much for the graphical view. 

@will13am Thank you for easing my mind a bit. I am not too anxious, I just wanna be prepared and have the correct info. 

@stonechucker Thank you but I am not clear about the emails suggestions, are you saying that the email that I have used here already for creating this community account can't be the same for the phone or self serve account?  

I still want to confirm the following:

1. Can you change the phone number or request a new number more than once during the 90days billing cycle?

2.  If the answer from 1 is yes, can I then also port in my number within the same billing cycle?

3.  What options are available to change the account PIN?

thank you again for everyone's help. 

[will13am]

@Ashley, I hope the level of questioning is not reflective of the actual anxiety with which you are having with the person selling you the account.  If so, run away fast and shop elsewhere!  All the advice provide by @dearmusic in the first response has covered everything.  You will have a new SIM card, new phone number, new login username, new password.  The only irreplaceable item is the account number.  What can the seller possibly do to unravel the tranaction?  Of what benefit is the theft of a cell account to anyone?  Phone calls and text messages made are recorded and fully traceable.  The device IMEI that is used with the account and location history is fully logged in the system and retrievable months and months later.  This is like walking out of a store with unpaid merchandise having an inventory control tag.  So just relax, buy with confidence or don't buy at all.  In any transactions there has to be two trusting parties at opposite sides of the table. 

[stonechucker]

I have one more suggestion for you.

You can not have the same email address on two separate accounts at the same time on Public Mobile.  Use a temporary address on either your "new" account, or on your "current" account.  Doesn't matter which, just can not be the same.

If you make the new account the temp addres, you can chnage the address again after your successful port.

[dearmusic]

Simple as that.

[Ashley]

@dearmusic thank you.

I thought you can only request a new number or number change only once a billing cycle so if the billing cycle is 90 days, you can only change the number once?  Is that incorrect?

Is it the same rule or porting in a number?

@Luddite is there another way to change the PIN online?

@Luddite  Do you think these questions or the correct procedure to transfer an account can be answered by a mod?

Thank you very much everyone.

[dearmusic]

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@Ashley wrote:

@Luddite thanks for your help.

I have some follow up questions:

1.  If they had request a new number when the account was open, will I be a able to request a new number before the current billing cycle of 90 days ends?  If not, then I think I will have to wait a few days and take a risk of keeping the same number as them?

2.  If I am allowed to request a new number, will I be able to port my number in, in the same billing cycle or will I have to wait for the next billing cycle?

3.  The 4 digit PIN number you mentioned that is created at the time of creating the account, what is the purpose of it?  Is it used for account verification purpose and is it not linked to voice mail, account access online, etc?

4.  How do I obtain this 4 digit PIN from them and change it?

Please let me know.

Thanks everyone again.

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1. You can request a new number any time you want, even at 2 am in the morning.

2. You can "request" a port-in any time you want, but the time it take for it to be "compeleted" will vary, because it's monitored manually by Public Mobile employees

3. A lot of times when the mods on this community wants to pull up your account, the fastest way is to tell them your phone number and the PIN number. Another time you need PIN is when you want to port OUT your number to another provider, you will need that PIN.

4. This I am not sure, chances are you need to ask a mod for it.

[Ashley]

@Luddite thanks for your help.

I have some follow up questions:

1.  If they had request a new number when the account was open, will I be a able to request a new number before the current billing cycle of 90 days ends?  If not, then I think I will have to wait a few days and take a risk of keeping the same number as them?

2.  If I am allowed to request a new number, will I be able to port my number in, in the same billing cycle or will I have to wait for the next billing cycle?

3.  The 4 digit PIN number you mentioned that is created at the time of creating the account, what is the purpose of it?  Is it used for account verification purpose and is it not linked to voice mail, account access online, etc?

4.  How do I obtain this 4 digit PIN from them and change it?

Please let me know.

Thanks everyone again.

[Luddite]

It can go wrong as you outline. If it feels odd do not do it. You are only gaining 6 GB/90 days over the current $120/90 day plan.

The PIN is a 4 digit number created when one activates their account the first time. If they are like me, it will be the same PIN to access voicemail. I am not sure if they can be different; your Voicemail Password can be reset within your self serve account.

To minimize your risk I suggest do things (without revealing them to the seller) in the following order when you have logged into the account you are buying:

1. request a new phone number (write it down)

2. change the username (email address) and account password

3. logout and go home

4. login and reset Voicemail PIN, logout

5. send a private message to any moderator with your new phone number and request they sync your account email address and username

6. if everything is working port-in your number from your current carrier, assuming you want it

Good luck.

[Ashley]

@dearmusic and @will13am thank you guys for your quick response.

I still have some questions.

You guys mentioned that account email can only be changed by the mods and I think I have noticed some people here even requesting mods to change their account password.

So my questions are:

- Let say after I do the account transfer and request the mods to change the account email, what information will they ask for? and how to I proof it to them that it is my account now?

- What if the previous owner just ask the mod to retrieve the account password before I have requested for email change, I mean they know the account number, phone number and their email will be on the account, so their request may sound more legit than mine to the mods?

Also I am confused about the 4 digit account PIN that you have mentioned, can you please clarify what it is and how it is different than the account password?

And if it (PIN) requires mods to change, then again what information would they ask for and how do I proof it to them that the account is now mine?

I haven't done any of this yet, just wanted to know and get the proper information so that I make the right decision.

Thanks again for everyone's help.

[Luddite]

@will13am asks: "does that mean the account will have an account login different than account email????  Answer: YES, until a moderator "syncs" them.

[will13am]

@dearmusichas covered all bases, esepcially with a SIM swap.  I would also add asking the moderators to change the email address on the account.  From reading some of the forum post, this is apparently something only a moderator can do.  Personally, I am a little confused by this.  The account login is a change the user can make.  If that is changed by the user, does that mean the account will have an account login different than account email???  During the activation process, there is no option to make them different.  Maybe someone with more knowledge in this area can weigh in.

[dearmusic]

Face to face transaction is the only thing that can guarentee safe account transfer.

And ofcourse, after changing your email, password, contact info, credit card info for the account, and the phone number, I don't think there is a way to take back the account.

It be even safer to get a new sim to swap it too...

Be aware though! The 4 digit account PIN can not be changed freely, you need a mod to change it for you.

Not the voicemail PIN, not the self serve password, but the 4 digit account PIN they used to activate the account.