Keeping mobile number & contacts on new phone?

Question

Hi,
I lost my phone today :(
It was a pretty bad handset anyway - £10 would replace it now, but I'm quite bummed about it all because the prospect of losing all my contacts and my phone number worries me.
I had Virgin Mobile, now I'll probably switch to a cheap pay-as-you go phone (either Virgin or Vodafone).

Questions:

1. Can I still keep my phone number?
2. Can I get my contacts back? (I'm certain they were saved onto SIM)

Thanks xx

Answer 1

Hi



I'm part of the Vodafone Web Relations team and would like to offer some help and advice.



If you've lost your SIM you can still keep the mobile number, even you wanted to transfer it to another provider.



You'll need to ask Virgin for your PAC, this is the code that allows you to transfer your number between networks. Once you've got this code, you can then give this to your new network provider, and they will be able to move it onto a new SIM for you.



Your contacts will only backed up if you've used a SIM reader or requested this service through your current provider. Some stores will offer to copy your contacts from your SIM to a SIM reader which will then store the details on a database for you. You can then take a new SIM into store and copy the contacts back over. This is sometimes only available by certain networks though, but it's worth asking Virgin if you can't remember if you've done this.



Feel free to contact me using the link below; please include MMM135 in the subject field so that the email comes directly through to my team, we'll be delighted to help you further.



http://bit.ly/1h8KuG



If you have any other questions we have our own Twitter page where we also provide support, follow us and we're on call whenever you have a question!



http://twitter.com/vodafoneuk



All the best,



Helen

Web Relations Team

Vodafone UK

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

I'm not sure about the UK. In the US it is possible to transfer phone numbers to new accounts. If you are sticking with the same carrier, you should be able to notify them about the lost phone and have them transfer the account to a new phone or SIM, inactivating the account in the lost phone. If your address book is copied to the SIM, I would guess that it is lost along with the SIM. (VirginmobileUSA is CDMA and has no SIM, but I don't know if that's true of Virgin Mobile in the UK.) Some carriers have the phonebook backed up. I think T-mobile USA has that feature, although the user has to have told the phone to synchronize the address book to the online backup. You could ask Virgin Mobile about that when you report the lost handset.

Answer 4

You should be able to get all your contacts transferred onto your new sim.

The guy in the orange shop did mine for me.

I was also able to keep the same number, despite changing from vodafone.

I can't remember exact details but it was something to do with getting a serial/account number from vodafone so that orange could take ownership of that number.



Not sure if it helps but you can get yourself a new mobile via incentive websites.

I use FreebieJeebies.

The way it works is you sign up, complete an offer, then get friends to sign up as your referral.

Just three referrals will get you the new mini iPod shuffle (that's what i started with)

It can take time to get freinds to sign up but is totally worth it in the end.

Check it out, what have you got to lose :o)

http://apple.freebiejeebies.co.uk/120210

Take a look at my website for more info http://www.urs4free.co.uk

Answer 5

I never delete them! I keep them, and keep in contact with them and even if I do forget I will eventually text or call the guy to see if he still has the same number, if not I delete it.