Having your SIM card suddenly deactivated can be frustrating, especially if you want to reclaim your old phone number. In this article, we will look into how one may seek to recover a deactivated phone number, analyze the reasoning behind SIM cards getting deactivated and provide other helpful tips on recovering it.
How to Regain a Deactivated Phone Number
Recovering your number might be relatively straightforward if your SIM card has expired but not too much time has passed since its last use. The first thing that you ought to do is call your mobile service provider. Most times just making a quick call would reinstate the SIM. Otherwise, visiting an authorized store or filling out some paperwork which you may need to send via certified mail could also work.
However, remember that acting quickly is important. Failing to act promptly could mean losing all chances of recovering the old number.
Recovery of Traffic Credit
Once the stated periods for requesting reactivation have lapsed; it becomes impossible to recover that phone number. However, there is still an opportunity for claiming back any remaining credit associated with the same number within 10 years after deactivating it.
Why SIM Cards Become Deactivated
Inactivity leads to automatic deactivation of a SIM card. There was no activity at all on that particular SIM either from activation or last top-up – this period can extend over a long time or even permanently.Mobile operators are entitled to take back and deactivate the phone number linked with inoperative sim card.
Re-activating a Deactivated Sim
As per regulations, your deactivated mobile operator should reactivate it in 48 hours’ time from request date. If customer was never notified about deactivation then he/she has right for lodging complaint against mobile operator.
What happens To Deactivated Numbers?
After being disconnected numbers don’t disappear immediately forever rather they remain available for possible recovery at least during twelve months following suspension; which itself occurs after expiration of twelve or thirteen months from SIM card. In case the number was transferred to another operator (Mobile Number Portability or MNP), it eventually returns back to the original operator after the recovery period ends.
By knowing how things work and what you should do, you can easily go through the process of recovering deactivated phone numbers and thus ensuring that you keep connected and don’t lose valuable credits.