Number Reassigning - How Long? - The giffgaff community

Number Reassigning - How Long?

k89bpa

How long do you leave a number dormant before reassigning it these days?

I've just activated the third number on the SIM I activated in April because I got sick of calls and texts on the other two asking for former users of the numbers.

Never used to happen on giffgaff back in 2012-2013 and it hasn't happened with Vodafone, Tesco, Three or TPO, (they were all fresh numbers, I did no porting).

Not gonna lie, it seems like the only way to stop it happening is to go buy a PAYG SIM from another provider and then transfer the number in.

If the reality is as the perception, that needs to be addressed because it's not just the calls and texts, these days all sort of websites want your number so they can verify you are human and recycled numbers my stop people from being able to sign up to such sites and services.

persco

@k89bpa if you mean by giffgaff then it’s 6 months of inactivity and giffgaff recycles/deactivates number/sim.

https://community.giffgaff.com/t5/Blog/Recycling-mobile-numbers-giffgaff/ba-p/8211666

It has always been 6 months as far as aware. I do agree though with so conpanies using the numbers for 2 step Authorisation etc and which creates and inconvenience. Don’t know what networks can do though other than owners updating sites themselves with new numbers or making sure they are keeping their sims active whatever the criteria for doing that may be.

k89bpa

No wonder people are still attempting to call/text for the previous owners if they're being reassigned after just six months.

I'd strongly suggest widening the pool of numbers available so they can be quarantined before being reassigned because this is a major drawback from a customer perspective in terms of joining and staying with giffgaff.

If the only way to stop it from happening is to get a SIM from elsewhere and port the number, many might just think it's not worth the hassle and stay with the alternate provider rather than shifting.

Like I said, in my personal experience, this has only happened with giffgaff and only recently, it didn't happen in the past, and it hasn't happened with any other network I've been with.

persco

Sorry I misunderstood. Period to recycling is the 6months if no activity and it goes in a pool. I think it’s longer than 6 months to reassign to someone else. Not sure of the period if am honest but just 6 months right after deactivating would be unfair.

Just done a quick google search to see ofcom says about that but no luck yet.

ujo55

I may be wrong but I understood:

A number would normally only be recycled for non use after it was dormant for 6 months.

It would then go into the recycle pool where it would be quarantined for a further minimum period of 6 months prior to it being reissued.

What is less clear is if someone asks for a number change, or a number is no longer in use due to an old number being ported.

In those cases I guess the number will go straight into the pool and be subject to the 6 month minimum quarantine period.

k89bpa

Maybe it's the high churn rate @persco, people taking then dumping SIM cards for various reasons which makes the giffgaff numbers susceptible to this issue.

I really don't know, but when I am on my third number in what, 4 months because of it, (I've never actually given out the numbers I've had in that period, all calls and texts received have been based on the previous owners usage), in an attempt to stop it, there is clearly an issue which needs to be addressed.

If the numbers have also been signed up to the premium rate scams, some people could be in for an even bigger shock when they come to activate a SIM.

It is fairly easy to get around, like I said it's literally just a case of getting a PAYG SIM from another network and using that number, either directly or via porting, but that's not something which people should be having to do and it will put many off joining and staying.

kath72

Makes me soooo grateful for my ‘virgin’ number which I have had for nearly 20 years

In the family we have 2 gg activated numbers though and have had no problems.

My daughter used to get PPI texts on the number orange gave her on activation

Also recently activated a 3 sim and have had no issuers on there

I think numbers will not have been used for a year (6 months to deactivate from the old account and 6 months quarantined). But that’s not very long is it given that I’m still getting advertising mail from companies I got an insurance quote with 10 years ago

k89bpa

@kath72 that is a hell of a long time!

That must predate the addition of the 7 originally does it?

jeremylalou

Networks have to "buy" new numbers I believe, so they reassign the ones they already have as fast as possible.

woodyuk

There was a thread relating to this subject last year regarding problems with social media accounts and recycled numbers and the information from giffgaff was that a deactivated number will stay in the recycling pool for a minimum of 6 months before being reissued.

So if a number is recycled due to non use,it will have been unused for a minimum of 12 months,it's worth bearing in mind though that the 6 months of non use before a number goes for recycling only applies to outgoing charges so a member could have been receiving calls and texts from "whoever" right up to the day that the number is terminated.

it was also pointed out in last year's thread that if a number is used for a week for instance and then terminated because of a port in,that same number could be reissued 6 months after that termination date.

https://community.giffgaff.com/t5/Contribute/Pausing-the-issue-of-Recycled-Phone-Numbers-due-to-Social-Media/td-p/20231754

harrrrrry

@k89bpa

I'd strongly suggest widening the pool of numbers available

Numbers are taken from pools allocated in blocks by ofcom and ofcom will only allocate a new pool if it is satisfied that the network is recycling its unused numbers where possible. So giffgaff has to do its best within the pools that ofcom allows giffgaff to use.

But I believe it is 6 months to disconnect a number and then at least a further 6 months -- during which time the numbers are monitored for incoming call attempts and individual numbers are held back longer. That said, the initial 6 months does probably not apply if another number is ported in to replace the number giffgaff issues prior to porting. So, the minimum period probably still is 6 months -- but still with the possibility of being extended if incoming calls are still attempted.

richardski

Ideally any number pending a reissue should be actively monitored by giffgaff for incoming calls and SMSs and only put back into service after a period of six months since the last detected activity on that number.

This should provide a measure of security against premium SMSs and calls subscribed to by the previous user. The only other problem is that the number could have been blacklisted for misuse and the new user may find their calls going to some numbers or organisations being rejected.

Many so called "rights" activists use PayGo SIMs to abuse organisations and their staff and then dump the SIM. These numbers make their way onto security watch lists so the new users may find themselves being monitored as suspected activists.

Richard

various_mm

@k89bpa

unused numbers go back to the central pot and are allocated back by networks. once the number is deactivated, it doesn't stay with giffgaff

as there are more and more users og mobiles, the numbers are being recycled faster that's the reason why you are seeing this king of situation

harrrrrry

@various_mm

unused numbers go back to the central pot and are allocated back by networks. once the number is deactivated, it doesn't stay with giffgaff

That actually wouldn't be possible. The "central pot" is only capable of handling allocations in blocks of 10,000 consecutive numbers. The chances of giffgaffers all releasing a block of 10,000 consecutive numbers is sufficiently small to be considered an impossibility.

You can actually download the "central pot" from http://static.ofcom.org.uk/static/numbering/#pers -- look at it carefully and you will see how it is done, entirely in blocks of 10,000 numbers.

bpg1970

I always thought numbers remained dormant for two years, it always used to be with landline numbers.