Not receiving text messages abroad, including verification codes

[RobGomez]

Hi, I'm in Spain and I am unable to receive text messages, including verification codes to authenticate purchases and access to all manner of sites and services. How can this be fixed? Thank you.

[RobGomez]

Also: I have seen similar posts where the advice is "call us, dialling 150", and it's not working. It says "not registered on the network" or something like that. I have also tried a longer number I have found on this website to contact EE from abroad, also ending in 150, but the same message comes up.

I have always been on Pay as you go, and I haven't used my EE number for a while, because I'm now living in Spain, but I'd like to retain my EE UK number because I still have matters to attend to in the UK from time to time. I'm not sure if that might be an issue. Thanks.

[RobGomez]

Basically, I have no other way to contact you than this board, as the EE sim card doesn't put me through to you. 

If I call the long number from a different Spanish mobile, will I be charged, and how much? Thanks.

(And, as a suggestion, you really should have a messenger-style chat system or WhatsApp to communicate with customers)

[Chris_S · Accepted solution]

Hi @RobGomez 

Welcome to the EE Community, and thanks for getting in touch.

If you've not used your pay as you go phone in a while, there's a good chance it may be in hibernation.

For us to get your account reinstated, you'd need to give us a call.

To call from abroad, you'd need to dial +44 7953 966 250.

If you're unable to call from your EE handset, you can use any other phone to speak with us.

Chris S

[RobGomez]

Right, an important follow-up to this. It turns out that, because I had not used my EE number for a long time, not only has it been put "in hibernation", but it has been "recycled", as I was told by EE's customer service by phone. This means that it is not my number anymore and I can't use it or recover it. However, I have tried calling it to see if anybody else has that number now, and it doesn't connect. Then, I have tried whatsapping to it from a different number, and that WhatsApp message DOES show up on my phone, together with all my old WhatsApp activity from that "recycled" number. This leads me to think that my "recycled" number is not being used by anybody else now, and that maybe I can get it back if I just have my account reinstated. I still have the sim card and everything, so I wonder if it's possible to do this. I have had that number since 2001, so I have lots of contacts on it. Please let me know, and thanks again.

[RobGomez]

Right, an important follow-up to this: https://community.ee.co.uk/t5/Roaming/Not-receiving-text-messages-abroad-including-verification-code... . It turns out that, because I had not used my EE number for a long time, not only has it been put "in hibernation", but it has been "recycled", as I was told by EE's customer service by phone. This means that it is not my number anymore and I can't use it or recover it. However, I have tried calling it to see if anybody else has that number now, and it doesn't connect. Then, I have tried whatsapping to it from a different number, and that WhatsApp message DOES show up on my phone, together with all my old WhatsApp activity from that "recycled" number. This leads me to think that my "recycled" number is not being used by anybody else now, and that maybe I can get it back if I just have my account reinstated. I still have the sim card and everything, so I wonder if it's possible to do this. I have had that number since 2001, so I have lots of contacts on it. Please let me know, and thanks again.

[Leanne_T]

Hi there @RobGomez 

Thanks for coming back to us. 

I'm sorry once the number has been recycled we would be unable to reinstate this to your account. If you got a new SIM and number, we could not guarantee it would be possible to request the number to replace this as this has been recycled.

Leanne.

[Leanne_T]

Hi @RobGomez 

Thanks for coming back to us. 

I have replied to your other thread with some information. 

Leanne. 

[Chris_B]

@RobGomez  Just having the account reinstated doesn’t bring the number back,  the account can have any number logged against it.    . The number could easily be registered on a sim that’s in a shop somewhere in the UK wanting to be purchased.   

[RobGomez]

Do you mean that there possibly is another sim with the same number as the sim I still have in my phone? And is it possible to know or trace where that specific sim card with my old number is now? Probably not, but it's worth asking. If anyone can figure out how to locate it, even if later on, please let me know. Or, if anyone can figure out how to just reactivate the sim I already have, maybe by putting some money into it, or re-starting me as a new client who already has the sim in his possession, or any other workaround solution? I have just phoned it again, and it says "the number doesn't exist", but WhatsApps still come to me on that sim. So maybe it's still doable?

Many thanks for your help and your time and please let me know if anyone comes up with something.