topic Re: Lost my phone in China in Android Devices

Lost my phone in China

Derdle — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 14:22:05 GMT

Help please. I have come from the UK to China to visit the Canton Trade fair and on the first day I lost my phone a Galaxy S24 Ultra. I need a phone urgently as communicating here is causing me some distress. There is a Huawei shop next door to my hotel where I could pick up a cheap phone. However I love Samsung devices and have always had Samsung phones even my kitchen appliances are Samsung. I would rather cross Guangzhou City tomorrow to go to the Samsung Shop and buy a replacement S24 Ultra but I am concerned it will work when I return to the UK. I am with EE. My UK purchased S24 Ultra worked fine here in China so I assume it will, the other way round. I just want to check that there is no default language or similar setting etc etc set up on the phone that cant be changed. I obviously understand that I will have to change the Sim card when I return but is there any difference in the phone. I hope you can help me Kind Regards Kevin

Re: Lost my phone in China

XRaySpeX — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 14:35:42 GMT

@Derdle : You need to call CS to report the loss & they will block it & send you a replacement SIM with the same no. to your UK addy.

Re: Lost my phone in China

Ali_A — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 15:28:22 GMT

Thanks for joining us on Community @Derdle

Sorry to hear about the loss of your device.

Samsung devices may be region locked. Usually this is removed by making the first 5 minutes phone call using a local SIM for the region it was originally intended for. (Samsung requirement).

You can check with the selling shop who will confirm that you are purchasing an unlocked and unrestricted handset.

Once you get back to the UK you can then pop your replacement UK SIM into your new phone.

It's also worth asking the seller if all the features for Chinese region devices are compatible with UK.

In the mean time I'd recommend contacting Customer Care to report your phone and SIM being lost/stolen.

Contact Us From Abroad| Help & Support - EE

Ali

Re: Lost my phone in China

Derdle — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 16:01:45 GMT

Thanks for the help so far @XRaySpeX @Ali_A

I borrowed my colleagues phone earlier and tried calling CS on the number on their web site.+44(0)7953966150 and +44(0)7953966150 but was getting a recording that the number is disconnected (probably blocked in China) I will try the 0800 one in morning as my colleague is now a sleep in his hotel room (we are 7hours ahead). It is a nightmare over here though behind one of the biggest firewalls in the world. most web sites are blocked or you get the Chinese version. Cant run a VPN as they have blocked the IP numbers so can't get to the English sites. cant log in to most of my accounts because the 2 step authentication wants to send verification codes to my phone which I no longer have. I only managed to log into EE account because I haven't set up the 2 stage authentication yet, but I've only got 2 more logins before it blocks me untill i set upthe 2 stage verification LOL. All my bank cards were in the phone case, and in China now, every one pays with WeChat or iPay which you need a phone for. I have What's app on my laptop but that's blocked here in China. What a nightmare. I will go to the Samsung Shop in the morning and see what they say if I can get round the language barrier. luckily i am here with my business partner and he has his phone and cards still. I will also give the British embassy a call as I had my drivers licence in the phone case and maybe some one honest found it and handed it in. (I wont count on it though.

Am I right in thinking though, that without my finger print or unlock code that my data is safe and the only thing they can do is a factory restart????

Note to self...next time I come here I will bring a backup phone cand not carry all my cards together.

Thanks for the advise

Re: Lost my phone in China

Derdle — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 16:15:30 GMT

I can't believe the only way to contact EE to tell them your phone has been stollen is to phone them.

They should play "isn't it ironic" by alanis morissette as there on hold music.🙄

Oh just found that you can send them a letter as well. 😫

Re: Lost my phone in China

XRaySpeX — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 17:42:47 GMT

Try calling CS on the Freephone no. in my sig. on Skype over WiFi. It should be free.

Re: Lost my phone in China

Ali_A — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 08:17:38 GMT

@Derdle

Did you try calling +44(0)7953966150 or did you dial it as +447953966150 without the zero at the front?

Ali

Re: Lost my phone in China

Derdle — Sun, 27 Oct 2024 14:39:42 GMT

I have tried all the numbers including the 0800 and tried with every combination

+44 0xxx, +44 xxxx, 00440xxxx, 0044 xxxx

the mobile numbers give a message first in Chinese then in American accent English "this number is disconnected or not in service"

The 0800 ring once then just disconnect.

I found EE had an online complaint form so I have messaged my problem in that but they just ignored me.

I cant believe in this day and age with all banking, transactions and passwords for site/account logins being forced on us to use our mobile phones for 2 stage authentication that there is not system in place to contact them if you loose your device when you consider the seriousness of the potential security breach. I am not home until Wednesday where I am going to find out if I still have any money in my accounts or if i have been wiped clean. I managed to cancel my bank cards as they were with the phone and even that wasn't very easy and took 4 hours over 2 days chatting with the AI Cora on the NAT WEST website.

In China now, the only way to pay for anything is to Install AliPay or WEChat and use QR codes that they scan on your phone which means you need to link your cards to these Apps...Its a bit terrifying when you loose your phone and cant get your Service Provider to close it down.

Its shocking really shocking.....

Just in case EE are monitoring and reading this forum I received your receipt confirmation of my complaint form at 25/10/2024, 00:57 China time, so that would be 24/10/2024, 17:57 UK time. All my details and a contact email address are in the complaint form and I would appreciate a response please. Any losses I incur will be going through OFCOM so please EE get in touch.

Thanks for the advice from every one on here. and in regards to the buying a replacement phone here i have decided to not risk it and wait till i get back to the UK.

This is probably going to be my last post on here as EE are about to lock my account after this login unless I set up 2 stage authentication and they want to send a pin code to my phone for me to continue **bleep**, can you believe it.

Re: Lost my phone in China

bristolian — Sun, 27 Oct 2024 14:50:59 GMT

@Derdle wrote:

I cant believe in this day and age with all banking, transactions and passwords for site/account logins being forced on us to use our mobile phones for 2 stage authentication that there is not system in place to contact them if you loose your device

There is provision for this - CS can be contacted from any working phone or from a web-calling app. You don't need to call from your specific EE mobile.

Having banking & financial details on your phone should not be done without appropriate passwords and PIN protections being in-place.

EE, as a mobile network operator, don't cover consequential loss - neither do Ofcom handle individual customer complaints except for statistical purposes.

Good luck resolving your situation.

Re: Lost my phone in China

XRaySpeX — Sun, 27 Oct 2024 14:52:24 GMT

OFCOM don't handle individual complaints. You can make a formal complaint to EE & if you don't get satisfaction after 8 weeks you can take it to EE's ADR provider. See Complaints code of practice and here is the Complaints Form .

You are not compelled to set up 2 stage authentication here.

Re: Lost my phone in China

Derdle — Sun, 27 Oct 2024 15:37:36 GMT

As I said thank you for the advise.

I don't think that any one is actually understanding the problems.

This is not like losing your phone in Europe.

I cant use a web calling app as web to phone needs credit and I have no way of buying credit because my cards and phone are lost and even if i had my cards with me. UK debit cards don't seem to work for online purchase's when in China.

for example I tried to purchase a phone online in the UK so i would have one ready when i return, using my business partners debit card and it fails 2 stage authentication because of our location.

I have obviously tried to call the CS numbers from another phone as how would I call from mine? it is lost.. I have tried a land line and another Mobile neither work.

All i want is an email address to contact them on is that so much to ask. Why don't they give one out.

I have tried every possible way to contact CS at EE and nothing is getting through......the only thing that would work is an email address. a simple email address They offer a postal address something people used 15years ago.

the whole world communicates through email so why refrain from giving one.

regards the 2 stage authentication Each time i login in it counts down to how many logins i have left.

so if You are not compelled to set up 2 stage authentication here. what is the count down all about.

I do appreciate the help but I don't think the gravity of the situation here can really be understood because of the things we take for granted in Europe. I cant even use my VPN (Nord) because it is blocked. There are a couple of VPN's that work here in China but the Sites are blocked. so you need to install them before entering and they are very expensive.

Re: Lost my phone in China

Derdle — Sun, 27 Oct 2024 15:54:52 GMT

Hi Bristolian

As I mentioned in an earlier post I do have security enabled on my phone....however i'm in the Country that makes nearly all of the worlds handsets so I should imagine there are people here who no how to circumvent the security.....

Bak home or In Europe I only pay with a debit card. I dont use Samsung Pay or Google pay as I don't trust them.

But here you have no choice but to use WeChat or Alipay, So I had no choice but to link my cards to those Apps.

I may well be safe but all i wanted was to ask EE to block my phone to be extra safe but I can't contact them.

Re: Lost my phone in China

Derdle — Sun, 27 Oct 2024 16:17:11 GMT

Regarding the Ofcom Comments.... Below is directly from Ofcom's website.

I have followed the procedures laid out exactly as they suggest and tried to use the contact numbers that are provided.

The network provider and the industry Regulator have a duty of care to ensure that the information provided to a consumer is accurate. If it is not then they can be liable. I is no good for them to assume that just cause something works in 1 situation(or in this case country) it will work in all.

Therefore I think if anything happens then there must be some liability with one or the other.

.................................................................................................................................................................................................

What should I do if my phone is lost or stolen?

Be extra careful when taking your phone abroad as thieves often target tourists.

You should take care when using your phone in public, don't let it out of your possession.

Not only are many smartphones worth hundreds of pounds, but thieves can quickly rack up huge bills on stolen phones.

You may be liable for all charges run up on your phone when it goes missing up until you report it as lost or stolen to your provider.

If your phone goes missing and you are with Three, Virgin Media O2, Vodafone or EE for mobile services, you should only be responsible for paying up to a maximum of £100 for any unauthorised usage outside of your allowance - if you report your phone as missing within 24 hours.

If you are with Vodafone and you miss the 24 hours but report your phone as missing within five days, you should only be responsible for paying up to £500 for unauthorised usage outside of your allowance. See the Government's announcement.

Therefore, if your phone goes missing when you're abroad, it's important you contact your provider as soon as possible to avoid facing high charges because of unauthorised use. Even if there's a slim chance you may find your phone, it's worth talking to your provider about whether a temporary bar can be placed on your account.

Once you have reported your phone as lost or stolen, your provider can bar your SIM to stop calls being made on your account. Your provider can also stop anyone else from using your phone by blocking its IMEI, a unique 15-digit serial number. You can get your IMEI number by keying *#06# into your handset or by looking behind your phone battery. Make a record of this number, as well as the make and model of your handset and keep it somewhere safe.

You can also download an app which can trace your phone if it is lost or stolen and can enable you to wipe details remotely – such as findmyiphone and Android Device Manager.

Some mobile insurance policies may provide some cover for unauthorised use so it is worth checking the terms and conditions of your existing policy, or when considering a new policy.

Remember, if you do decide to take out mobile phone insurance, you may be obliged to let your insurer know if your phone is lost or stolen within a certain time frame too.

You should still also let your mobile phone provider know.

Make sure you put a passcode on both your handset and SIM to make it more difficult for thieves to use.

The Met's guide on protecting your phone is also a useful source of advice on how you can protect yourself from becoming a victim of phone crime.

How to report your phone lost or stolen

Provider Dialling from the UK Dialling from abroad

3	333 (Three phone) 0333 373 3333 (any other phone)	+44 7782 333 333
EE	07953 966 250	+44 7953 966 250
O2	0344 809 0202 (pay-monthly) 0344 809 0222 (PAYG)	+44 344 809 0202 (pay-monthly) +44 344 809 0222 (PAYG)
Vodafone	03333 040191	+44 7836 191 191 (pay-monthly) +44 7836 191 919 (PAYG)
Tesco Mobile	4455 (Tesco Mobile phone) 0345 301 4455 (any other phone)	+44 845 3014455
Virgin Mobile	789 (Virgin Media phone) 0345 6000 789 (any other phone)	+44 7953 967 967

Re: Lost my phone in China

Peter_W — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 10:16:45 GMT

Good morning @Derdle, thanks for highlighting all of these details.

If you've raised a webform with our dedicated complaints team and had a confirmation email, then I'd like to reassure you 100% that this will be picked up.

They're a specialist team and work over a combination of call and email, so it can take a few days for them to review your case and get in touch, but you should definitely hear something within the next few days.

As a few of the guys have suggested here there are multiple options for you to get in contact, including both over the phone or via messaging in our app, but due to the restrictions in place in China I can appreciate this may be more complex than usual.

What day was it that you originally raised this as a complaint?
Peter

Re: Lost my phone in China

Derdle — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 15:57:42 GMT

Hi Peter

Thankyou for the reply, I received the auto response by email after filling the webform on the 25/10/2024 at 00:57 but with the 7 hour time difference that would have made it the 24/10/2024 at 18:57 UK time that I sent it.

I gave as much detail as possible in the Web form to prove it was me for security reasons including the mobile number that was lost. the number of my galaxy watch attached to the account, my full address, my email address on my EE account, full name, amount from my last bill, and my agreement number. I even told them the model of the mobile phone and model of the previous phone as these were both supplied by EE. Hopefully this was enough information to prove my identity. I explained the situation and that I was in China and was struggling to communicate and requested an immediate block on the phone and for a new sim to be sent out. I also gave a second email address(business email) which my colleague can see on his phone in case they emailed when I was out of the hotel and not with my Laptop.

from sending the request it has been 4 days but not heard anything.

I am flying back tomorrow. I leave China at 13:00 and with the time difference I will be in the UK at around 17:00 on the 29th Oct and will call as soon as I land.

Re: Lost my phone in China

XRaySpeX — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 16:08:29 GMT

A SIM will only be sent to your registered UK addy.

Re: Lost my phone in China

Derdle — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 16:13:32 GMT

Of course I know that,🙄 where else would I want it sent?????

I said in my last post I'm flying back tomorrow It would be no good for them to send it to China... LOL😅

Re: Lost my phone in China

Peter_W — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 16:19:43 GMT

Thanks for confirming that @Derdle.

Our complaints team usually aim to review cases and respond within 72 hours, so apologies that this has taken longer than expected.

As @XRaySpeX has mentioned, we aren't able to send SIMs internationally to get you reconnected, but I appreciate the biggest concern is to make sure the SIM and device are blocked so we can be sure there isn't any unauthorised activity.

I'm going to send you over a Private message so we can look over ensuring we've investigated all of your options here.

Peter

Re: Lost my phone in China

Derdle — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 16:48:46 GMT

Thanks I have replied privately

Re: Lost my phone in China

XRaySpeX — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 16:55:00 GMT

You said "sent out" which I took to be out to China. Also your post was discussing a complaint you put in on the 24th, not what you were up to today.