Help! You closed my account

[Ruthielark]

So I’m out of the UK again until next month and had arranged to go back to pay as you go. However it says my account is now closed!!

there is no live chat on the app and I am barred from calling!!! Help. 

[XRaySpeX]

@Ruthielark : When was your SIM moved to PAYG? It takes 30 days notice to cancel a contract & before it is moved to PAYG. Had that change taken place while abroad you can't now use it at all while abroad. To be used abroad EE PAYG SIMs need 1st activating on EE's home UK network. If it wasn't you can't now use it until you return to UK.

[Ruthielark]

I was on a 30 day contract only while back in Europe, PAYG before that. I asked specifically about notice and was told I could switch back to PAYG on the 17th May. 

I can’t not have a working number for 30 days!!!

[Schockwave]

@Ruthielark , your only option is to send the SIM card to someone in the UK you trust and for them to make a chargeable call and then send it back to you, as making a chargeable call will activate it, EE probably thought you would be back here in the UK to activate it and make a chargeable call.

[Ruthielark]

No I explained VERY clearly I was in the UK, Spain then going straight back to Asia for a month. I said this to MULTIPLE people!

Does this mean people can’t call me either? Or just outgoing is blocked?

I need reassurance I will not lose this number. 

[Alex_H · Accepted solution]

Hello @Ruthielark,

Welcome to the EE Community

I am sorry for the issue you are having using your phone abroad, I understand that will be frustrating and it is disappointing it was not brought up if you did mention that. 

What @XRaySpeX has said is correct, once on PAYG in order for a number to be used outside the UK it does have to have been used on our network first. Without that all services would be restricted on the roaming network. 

You can do as @Schockwave mentions as a workaround to get a SIM working abroad. In terms of losing the number, with PAYG that would only happen after 273 days of no chargeable activity so you are not at risk of losing the number due to this. 

After 180 days of no chargeable activity a number is hibernated and its usage restricted, you then have a further 90 days to contact us to restore the number. If after 273 days total of no chargeable activity the number is cancelled and cannot be re-activated. You can read more on our help page.

Alex

[Ruthielark]

So can people still call me or what??

[Alex_H]

@Ruthielark Without roaming being activated, all services including incoming calls would be restricted until used in the UK I am sorry. 

Just in case you do end up going the route of having the SIM sent out, used in the UK then forwarded on to you, receiving calls abroad is charged per minute so in order to work also requires a credit balance. You can check the costs on our roaming costs page. 

Alex