Top-ups taken after phone suspended! Why?

[Champigny1959]

I learned from a post earlier today that phones are locked after 6+3 months without chargeable use. OK, I understand that although I regard it as draconian. However, I loaned the phone to a friend to use as a standby. Last week he needed to use it, but when attempting to make an urgent call in a crisis received a response that there was insufficient credit for the call. He put £10 in via an ATM, but then received the same message, so passed the phone and the problem to me.

Earlier this week I used the top-up card at my local newsagents to put 'another' £10 on the phone! Hence, the phone is 'dead' and EE are better off to the tune of £20. Posting such messages on a dead phone is tantamount to fraud. One advising the phone has been locked would be more honest.

How can I either restore the phone, to make use of the credit, or recover the money?  

[XRaySpeX]

@Champigny1959: The phone is not locked after 6 months of chargeable inactivity. It is the PAYG SIM that is suspended by being put into hibernation. The phone itself can always be used with another active SIM.

However despite that once the SIM is in hibernation, you should not be able to top it up until you've phoned EE to lift the suspension.

[Champigny1959]

....and another thing. What about the credit that already existed on the phone when it was suspended? In these days of unsolicited texts, why do EE (and other phone companies, no doubt) suspend phones without any forewarning? To make more profit from unused and inaccessible credit, perhaps. 

[Chris_B]

@Champigny1959   It’s not EE job to make sure you use the device to stop in going in to  hibernation. 

PAYG sims have always had a hibernation period after a non usage period since there inception it’s nothing new. Perhaps finding out and learning about what you have instead of assuming what you think you might have is your next cause of action.  EE and other networks can not keep unused sims/numbers going for ever.  Networks don’t know if you just decided to change network or perhaps get a new sim from them.  Numbers are recycled and have to be because there is a limited amount of numbers. 

[Champigny1959]

I've just seen your fatuous reply, XraySpecs. How could I , or the friend holding the phone at the time, know that the action by EE had occurred. See my supplementary message. I make the point, again! It should not have been possible for EE to accept payments on a number that they had shut down. That is the fraud and/or theft to which I referred.

Your reply might have been more useful if you had indicated the means, if any, by which the monies could be recovered. Think before posting.

[Chris_B]

@Champigny1959  If you’ve topped it up you can get it reactived by calling customer services.  Have you tried that ? 

[Katie_B]

Good Morning @Champigny1959. 

I am sorry to hear this has happened during a time of urgency. 

As previously advised we do not lock the handset, inactivity does however lead to the sim falling into hibernation. 

In regards to your top ups have they been successful?

I have sent you a private message for further information. 

Speak soon, 

Katie 🙂

[XRaySpeX]

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@Champigny1959 wrote:

What about the credit that already existed on the phone when it was suspended?  

---

You lose it if you don't reactivate the SIM within the 6 + 3 months. It's in the T&Cs you signed up to.

You must make a connection action at least once every 180 days. If you do not, your SIM card will be disconnected from the network, and you will not be able to use the service at all. You will also lose your mobile phone number. Any credit on your account at the time of disconnection will be forfeited.

[Champigny1959]

Hello Katie,

I have sent you a PM in the last half-hour. In reply to your question: no, the top-ups haven't  been successful, presuably due to the SIM falling foul of the 6+3 months barrier.

My question was to ascertain why the top-ups were taken when the number had, presumably, already been suspended.

Ch-59

[Champigny1959]

Do you, XraySpecs, honestly claim to recall everything you signed up to seven years ago? I repeat: think before you post!

[Champigny1959]

...and another thing. My original question still stands. Why were top-ups accepted when the SIM was, presumably locked? None of the responses by XraySpecs have shed any light on the topic.

[Leanne_T]

Hi there @Champigny1959

Thanks for replying to Katie, we have the information we need thanks.

Let us know how you get on.

Leanne.

[Champigny1959]

Hello Leanne,

All has been amicably resolved. Full credit on the phone about three hours ago. A big 'Thank you' to Customer Services who have restored my faith in EE.

Derek.

[David]

Hi @Champigny1959 good to see you got it sorted.

David.

[James_B]

Thanks for the update @Champigny1959

I'm happy to hear it's now resolved.

James