Retrieving an old mobile number, how to go about it?

[markc89]

Hello to all,

I'm looking for a little help, or should I say information on retrieving an old mobile number that I once had with Vodafone. However, I had this number in questions most probably touching just over 10 years ago!

I do remember the number very well and after a search to find out who the owner/carrier is, it does indeed come back as Vodafone. I've even tried calling the number and it's currently not in use.

Initial thoughts and comments I'm sure will be that there's no chance, and indeed it may have even been used by somebody else after me. However, surely there must be some way to retrieve an old number, not in use. I used to work for a telecommunications company and providing that the number was not use and was not in a quarantine pool, we could reassign all numbers that originated within our company. In fact, some time ago you could even buy the number and we could hold it.

I know every company is different but I have a feel it's more of a case of we can't really be bothered, or don't bother us with stupid requests, just take a god damn new number and let me get back to chomping on my pen.

Having spoken with customer services PayAsYouGo, I found them very unhelpful, as expected in all honesty. They simply searched the number and said I can't find it. Now, however, I'm looking for a serious answer with some possible positive outcome.

How can I retrieve this number? even if it means paying to Vodafone for it? I don't even mind being on the Vodafone network in order just to have it. And more so, who in Vodafone will be most likely to help and point me in the right direction.

Thank you to all in advance.

Mark

[Tash]

Hi @swiftypa, this would be your Twitter username 🙂 If you'd prefer not to share this on the thread here, please make sure you have included your Community username in your Twitter DM/message to us. We can then use this to track down your messages to us.

[bushfireblonde]

Hi, I am also trying to retrieve my husband's number that expired in December 2020.  He has Alzeheimers and doesn't use the phone much, but this number can be remembered by him so we would really like to get it back if possible.  Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Many thanks.

[MarkD]

Hi @bushfireblonde, was the number last used or disconnected in Dec? Can you also tell us is this a Pay as you Go or Pay Monthly number and if the number was registered in your husbands name? 🙂

[bushfireblonde]

Thanks for the reply.  Phone was registered in my name.  It was Pay As You Go.  Last call was on 20/09/19 and there was a text on 20/09/20 saying account will expire in 90 days which would have been in December 2020.  When I call the number it currently says disconnected.   

[Mark]

Hi @bushfireblonde The number will have been disconnected in December as you thought and depending on the date it was disconnected may no longer be available. Pop us a message through one of our social channels and we'll be more than happy to take a look for you 🤞

[madbilly]

Hi all,

I have/had a Vodafone PAYG SIM for several years whilst I've been living mainly in Europe. I came back to the UK regularly until the COVID pandemic and although I tried to make sure I used the phone enough this year to keep it active it appears to have been disconnected. I already asked customer services on the phone and chat and they say the account can't be resurrected I have to get a new SIM. It's pretty annoying that it's been disconnected as they say it must be used every 180 days, and I used it in September last year so it shouldn't have been disconnected, but as football managers say "we are where we are, it is what it is"!

However, even if I get a new SIM that I use that UK phone number for important things where the service won't accept my foreign phone number, so I really want to get that number back as it will save me a huge amount of hassle. I'd really like to get it back somehow so I hope that you can help me.

I've sent a PM to your twitter account with a link to this post.

Cheers

[Andy]

Hey @madbilly 👋 We can certainly look at the possibility of retrieving the number but it`s not something we can guarantee, I can see you have mentioned that you have contacted us on Twitter so one of the team there will be able to look at your options with you 😊

[madbilly]

Hi @andy,

I asked lots of questions and ultimately the answer is that since it is beyond 90 days since the number was disconnected there is no way to get it back. This is in contradiction to some of the comments earlier in this thread which suggest that numbers can be retrieved many years after they were last used. I found it on Google search and read the first page and thought I would succeed to get my number back, but this was not the case. On that basis maybe it's worth locking this thread? Or at least editing the first post to state what is possible?

Cheer 🙂

[Evie]

Hey there @madbilly - Retrieving an old number is situation dependent in terms of when the number was disconnected, if it's been recycled to a new owner, if it's been transferred to another network by a new owner. All of these, and more, factor into whether we can retrieve the number.

Have you heard back from us on Twitter yet? If not, could you confirm the Twitter handle you used to contact us so we can make sure it gets picked up? 😊

[madbilly]

Hi @Evie,

Yes I heard back on Twitter - that is what I meant when I wrote that I asked lots of questions, please excuse me for being vague.

Cheers