topic Re: Could You Retrieve Phone Number from Quarantine in Mobile Services

Could You Retrieve Phone Number from Quarantine

Bloodfall — Sat, 18 May 2024 13:18:46 GMT

I had a phone number that was with Asda but they disconnected it a good while ago and it still comes up as an incorrect number every time I dial it. I have tried phoning Asda themselves about this but only had a very frustrating conversation where they were telling me that they could not give me the same number and kept offering me a new one. So I called Ofcom and they told me that the number is in quarantine and that I need to contact any service provider and ask if they can take the number out of quarantine.Now I looked up the number and found that it is now owned by you (EE) so it seems that you would be the best place ask.

The reason I need this specific number is because it is connected to my Yahoo email account and they are suddenly demanding that I prove that it is me when I attempt to sign in. The only real way they would be able to do this is by texting a code to this number that is now quarantined and I am sure that if do not regain access soon they will close my account for good. So is there anyway to get this number back?

Re: Could You Retrieve Phone Number from Quarantine

Leanne_T — Sat, 18 May 2024 14:44:46 GMT

Hi @Bloodfall

Thanks for coming to the community.

Did you have an EE account with this number previously and transferred the number to another network?

Thanks.

Leanne.

Re: Could You Retrieve Phone Number from Quarantine

Bloodfall — Sat, 18 May 2024 15:07:22 GMT

No, it was a number I bought from Asda for a backup phone and attached to the Yahoo account only because Yahoo made me attach a number to it. Though no looking up the number it’s said to be owned by EE and I also forget to mention that I tried putting in the sim card into an old phone and on sim info settings it says “EE” network even though it is an Asda sim.

Re: Could You Retrieve Phone Number from Quarantine

bristolian — Sat, 18 May 2024 16:21:28 GMT

There is a popular misconception with MVNO "piggyback" operators that the MNO who happens to provide radio coverage at a particular time, can somehow assist with support queries. This is not the case - an Asda SIM is an Asda SIM, and it is Asda to whom support queries should be directed.

EE were historically Asda's host network, but that is no longer the case.

Re: Could You Retrieve Phone Number from Quarantine

Bloodfall — Sat, 18 May 2024 16:31:06 GMT

Then why is the case that when you look up the number online it lists it as being EE and why does my sim display as being EE? The images I posted that have now for some strange reason been deleted show this (also why were they deleted?). Furthermore Ofcom told me that I should contact ANY mobile service provider and ask them to take it be taken out of quarantine even saying I should a different company when I told them how unhelpful Asda were being.

Re: Could You Retrieve Phone Number from Quarantine

bristolian — Sat, 18 May 2024 16:45:55 GMT

@Bloodfall wrote:

Then why is the case that when you look up the number online it lists it as being EE and why does my sim display as being EE?

Every MVNO has a different arrangement as far as core network, additional services, CRM & number allocations go. Some will run their own systems for everything other than radio network coverage and this could include number allocations. Others will include everything except CRM (customer-relationship-management) in their wholesale arrangement, provide that themselves but otherwise rebrand everything from their host-MNO.

It's therefore not uncommon for MVNO's to use a number allocation within their host-MNO ranges, sometimes a particular block. It doesn't mean that end-customers can or should contact the host operator for support queries.

@Bloodfall wrote:

The images I posted that have now for some strange reason been deleted show this (also why were they deleted?).

The images haven't been deleted, but have been rejected from public visibility - due to them containing personal/identifiable information - specifically, a mobile number. This is covered in the forum guidelines.

@Bloodfall wrote:

how unhelpful Asda were being.

Asda's primary business is supermarket retail, not mobile telephony. This is a common problem with MVNO "piggyback" operators who tend to target the budget end of the market.

Re: Could You Retrieve Phone Number from Quarantine

Bloodfall — Sat, 18 May 2024 17:28:47 GMT

@bristolian wrote:
Every MVNO has a different arrangement as far as core network, additional services, CRM & number allocations go. Some will run their own systems for everything other than radio network coverage and this could include number allocations. Others will include everything except CRM (customer-relationship-management) in their wholesale arrangement, provide that themselves but otherwise rebrand everything from their host-MNO.
It's therefore not uncommon for MVNO's to use a number allocation within their host-MNO ranges, sometimes a particular block. It doesn't mean that end-customers can or should contact the host operator for support queries.

The way I understand it was that if a number has been disconnected for a certain amount of time then it is recycled and another company gains possession of it. Though regardless it certainly seems that Asda does not have ownership of this number anymore both because it’s most likely been disconnected for some time and they now longer piggyback off of EE. This combined information about number saying that it belongs to EE leads me to believe that it is now an EE number.

@bristolian wrote:The images haven't been deleted, but have been rejected from public visibility - due to them containing personal/identifiable information - specifically, a mobile number. This is covered in the forum guidelines.

What does it matter? It’s my number and it’s in quarantine anyway, it’s not like you can actually call anyone on it. Plus I hoped that if the number is visible that this would increase the change of someone being able to look into its status more and perhaps getting it reinstated.

@bristolian wrote:
Asda's primary business is supermarket retail, not mobile telephony. This is a common problem with MVNO "piggyback" operators who tend to target the budget end of the market.

Yes, but I am not sure that they even have the number anymore and Ofcom told me that I should contact ANY service provider to ask for the number to be taken out of quarantine. EE seemed the best bet place to go to as all the information I can find about this old number is telling it’s EE.

Re: Could You Retrieve Phone Number from Quarantine

bristolian — Sat, 18 May 2024 18:53:32 GMT

I wish you every success in your endeavours, but I suspect the process will be neither quick nor straightforward - and that's assuming it's possible. I have doubts. This forum doesn't deal with account-specific or individual issues such as this.

Re: Could You Retrieve Phone Number from Quarantine

Bloodfall — Sat, 18 May 2024 19:08:08 GMT

Well thank you for being straight forward if I am unlikely to find any advice here could you point me to anywhere that I might be able to ask about this? Ofcom seemed to think it is possible when I rang them so there must be away or at least somewhere I ask about this. That is outside of calling every service provider and finding out which can reactivate it which most likely result in them hounding me to take up a contract or simply waiting for the phone number to recycled but it’s been months now and still nobody else has picked up this number.

Re: Could You Retrieve Phone Number from Quarantine

XRaySpeX — Sat, 18 May 2024 21:56:10 GMT

Only the provider you had it last with. Anybody else will not have any contractual obligation towards you despite what OFCOM tells you.

Re: Could You Retrieve Phone Number from Quarantine

Bloodfall — Sat, 18 May 2024 22:28:10 GMT

Goddamn it and that’s Asda who were completely obnoxious and unhelpful. I tried ringing them as stated before and all I got was “if the number’s been disconnected for over 3 months we can’t reactivate it but we can offer you a new number” and was saying “can you give me the same number because I don’t want a new number I need the same number to get into my Yahoo account” and only got “no we can’t give the same number, we can give you a new number do want a new sim card”. It was frustrating and so clear that they were just reading off a script like the typical corporate drone. This is why it was something off a relief when Ofcom that I can call any service provider and request that the number be restored.

I don’t think that Asda would even have the same number by now so it doesn’t make sense contacting them and every information on the number shows it to be EE. Which if that was the case why can’t I make a contract with EE and request that specific number?

Either that or wait for it to be recycled speaking of which how long does it take for a phone number to be recycled because I am sure there is a lack of phone numbers in the country so it should have been picked up by someone by now. Yet it’s been months and possibly years so it’s strange that nobody would have picked it up.

https://www.synergy-mobile.co.uk/2019/04/09/have-you-ever-wondered-what-happens-to-your-old-mobile-phone-number/

Because of the huge number of mobile subscribers, UK networks are facing increasing pressure to acquire new numbers to allocate to new subscribers. Since there is a fixed pool of 11-digit combinations that begin with an 07 prefix, mobile phone service providers must recycle mobile number to meet customer demand.

Re: Could You Retrieve Phone Number from Quarantine

Chris_B — Sun, 19 May 2024 07:04:11 GMT

@Bloodfall A google search on this shows a world of pain on this subject and basically no number no account

And Im pretty certain that a number in quarantine can not be taken out of quarantine as it going through a period of time that any information linked to that number ie bank accounts should be changed over to a new number by the bank account holder. Im sure you wouldn’t someone getting your bank information just because it’s link to a number that you gave up. That might not be the case in your situation but you get the idea of a number in quarantine.

Anyone who gets that number doesn’t have to relinquish it if you were to ask them and if they are willing too they could just ask you to pay for it

Just to add you say Ofcom say “it should be possible” but Ofcom don’t have jurisdiction over this and there is no Ofcom rule/s stating that a network provider has to provide such a service. And again they say it “should be possible” not that it is possible,

Re: Could You Retrieve Phone Number from Quarantine

bristolian — Sun, 19 May 2024 15:43:39 GMT

Once a number is in quarantine, it is indeed unavailable for reconnection for a period of time - after which it's released to the original MNO based on prefix.

Assuming this number is released back to EE, then theoretically a number allocations specialist could search for it and potentially reserve it against a specific account. There's certainly no guarantees that this is possible, it's just a high-level theory.

It's no surprise that Asda were unable to help - most CS' processes (especially with a budget-focused MVNO) are likely to be geared towards simple and common requests, this is not so.

Re: Could You Retrieve Phone Number from Quarantine

Bloodfall — Sun, 19 May 2024 21:48:54 GMT

@Chris_B wrote:
Anyone who gets that number doesn’t have to relinquish it if you were to ask them and if they are willing too they could just ask you to pay for it

I hope that if someone else did get the number I could just ask them very nicely to provide me with the sign in code and they might be kind enough to provide it to me. After all it would be just a digit code not that much to ask.

@Chris_B wrote:

Just to add you say Ofcom say “it should be possible” but Ofcom don’t have jurisdiction over this and there is no Ofcom rule/s stating that a network provider has to provide such a service. And again they say it “should be possible” not that it is possible,

The thing is that Ofcom not only said it’s possible but told me that it’s a good thing that it’s still in quarantine because then a service provider could retrieve it.

Re: Could You Retrieve Phone Number from Quarantine

Bloodfall — Sun, 19 May 2024 21:50:02 GMT

@bristolian wrote:
Assuming this number is released back to EE, then theoretically a number allocations specialist could search for it and potentially reserve it against a specific account. There's certainly no guarantees that this is possible, it's just a high-level theory.

How long should it take to leave quarantine? It’s been months now and potentially year and it is still not a recognised number I thought that by now it would have been taken out of quarantine. Though an important question to ask would be how would you tell if a number is still in quarantine or is out of quarantine yet hasn’t been assigned to anyone?

Re: Could You Retrieve Phone Number from Quarantine

bristolian — Sun, 19 May 2024 22:08:13 GMT

There is no external way of identifying which number pool a particular "unused" number is in. EE also pre-provision many SIMs with a number, to make activation quicker.

I certainly wouldn't be happy to be a conduit for someone else's OTPs! Not to mention the security risk that poses.

Re: Could You Retrieve Phone Number from Quarantine

Bloodfall — Sun, 19 May 2024 22:25:07 GMT

@bristolian wrote:
There is no external way of identifying which number pool a particular "unused" number is in. EE also pre-provision many SIMs with a number, to make activation quicker.

So if it’s is showing as EE on the sim card does that mean that EE has pre-provisioned it?

@bristolian wrote:
I certainly wouldn't be happy to be a conduit for someone else's OTPs! Not to mention the security risk that poses.

That sounds overly paranoid to me what security risk? How is the person in question going to be in any risk from sending a digit code over? Can’t you also understand how frustrating the idea that I would lose access to my email account forever because some and if you can excuse me for saying this paranoid ass won’t cough up a simple code?

Re: Could You Retrieve Phone Number from Quarantine

Bloodfall — Sun, 19 May 2024 23:28:46 GMT

@Bloodfall wrote:
@bristolian wrote:
There is no external way of identifying which number pool a particular "unused" number is in. EE also pre-provision many SIMs with a number, to make activation quicker.
So if it’s is showing as EE on the sim card does that mean that EE has pre-provisioned it?

Wait I think this question has been answered in one of your previous replies which I’ve seen from the email notification but is now missing from the forums for some strange reason.

@bristolian wrote:
On the bright side, the mobile number prefix in question (which I've seen but has been rejected from public view) shows on a number allocations list as an EE prefix. If recovery of this number was possible, it would certainly not be quick or straightforward.”

Though if the number is recoverable what steps can be taken to recover it. Would I have to ring EE and attempt to request it? The problem again is that I don’t want to be hounded with attempts to get me into an expensive contract or be signed up for anything without my knowing which can happen.

Re: Could You Retrieve Phone Number from Quarantine

Bloodfall — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 17:58:24 GMT

So I was recommended on another forum to contact Marc Allera himself regarding this problem. Thus I sent him a very polite email and even a physical letter but I have still heard nothing back. Does anyone know how long it takes to hear anything back from the man himself? I sent the email two weeks ago and the letter was delivered Wednesday last week.

Re: Could You Retrieve Phone Number from Quarantine

XRaySpeX — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 18:12:13 GMT

ထ . He's not customer facing.