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Mobile disconnections

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  • 09-01-2009 9:41pm
    #1
    Thoie
    Registered Users Posts: 6,344 ✭✭✭


    My mobile was disconnected yesterday sometime between 2 and 5:30pm. I didn't realise until I went to make a call around 5:30. I phoned the customer line, and everything was sorted within about 5 minutes - there'd been a small breakdown in communications, no big deal. I just had to turn my phone off and then on again and full service was restored.

    What I was wondering about was why don't they call people before disconnecting them? In my case a quick phone call would have sorted everything out and they wouldn't have had to disconnect me in the first place.

    Alternatively if they don't want to call people, or if it's an automated system, could they not send a text saying "Your phone will be disconnected in 3 hours - please contact a service agent if you believe this to be an error". Or even leave a pre-recorded message as a voicemail?


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    #2
    krudler
    Registered Users Posts: 34,788 ✭✭✭✭krudler


    Depends on the circumstances really, was your bill unpaid?


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    #3
    Thoie
    Registered Users Posts: 6,344 ✭✭✭Thoie


    krudler wrote: »
    Depends on the circumstances really, was your bill unpaid?

    No, but even if it was would it be that difficult to warn people in advance? I meant that genuinely, not in a sarky way.


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    #4
    Paulw
    Registered Users Posts: 13,381 ✭✭✭✭Paulw


    Thoie wrote: »
    Alternatively if they don't want to call people, or if it's an automated system, could they not send a text saying "Your phone will be disconnected in 3 hours - please contact a service agent if you believe this to be an error". Or even leave a pre-recorded message as a voicemail?

    Disconnects are automatic. For pre-paid accounts, when you call 1741 (or whatever), to top up, it tells you that you can make calls until xxx and receive calls until yyyy. After that date, your phone is put in an in-active state, where you can't make/receive call, but you can still topup, whereby your phone is reactivated. After a further period (3 months???) you are then fully disconnected, and after another period, your number is then recycled.

    I don't believe that any operator makes notification calls/texts/voicemails to inform customers of disconnects. I would say that you are one of the few would were disconnected for an error. Most disconnects are just routine.


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    #5
    Thoie
    Registered Users Posts: 6,344 ✭✭✭Thoie


    Paulw wrote: »
    Most disconnects are just routine.

    True, but for billpay customers, I thought a courtesy text might be a good idea - particularly as it would be relatively easy to implement as part of the automatic disconnect system. It would give people like me (operator error) a chance to stop it from happening, and would give people who hadn't paid a sharp jolt to pay immediately.

    When I rule the world and have my own mobile operator, I'll send courtesy texts :)


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    #6
    aphex™
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,338 ✭✭✭aphex™


    Paulw wrote: »
    I don't believe that any operator makes notification calls/texts/voicemails to inform customers of disconnects.

    A friend got one once, from o2 i think. Something along the lines of "We've noticed you havent used your phone in X months. Make a phone call or simply top up today to avoid disconnection"

    Thoie: were they planning on recycling your phone number? I've seen Meteor randomly giving phone numbers to new customers, even though they are very much still in use!


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    #7
    Thoie
    Registered Users Posts: 6,344 ✭✭✭Thoie


    aphex™ wrote: »

    Thoie: were they planning on recycling your phone number? I've seen Meteor randomly giving phone numbers to new customers, even though they are very much still in use!

    I didn't really bother asking. The conversation in one act:

    Dramatis Personae:
    Me (Me)
    Him (The bloke on the other end of the phone)
    The hold music (a delightful cacophony to maximize your waiting pleasure)


    Me: Have I been disconnected?
    Him: Erm, yes
    Me: Any particular reason?
    Him: Erm, nooooo. Hang on I'll reconnect you
    The hold music: *la la la lala la la*
    Him: OK, if you turn your phone off and on again your world will become a brighter, more exciting place - one where you can communicate with loved ones
    Me: OK, thanks, bye.

    I think waiting for my phone to restart took longer than the call :)


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    #8
    Sam Vimes
    Registered Users Posts: 21,611 ✭✭✭✭Sam Vimes


    aphex™ wrote: »
    A friend got one once, from o2 i think. Something along the lines of "We've noticed you havent used your phone in X months. Make a phone call or simply top up today to avoid disconnection"

    Thoie: were they planning on recycling your phone number? I've seen Meteor randomly giving phone numbers to new customers, even though they are very much still in use!

    they don't do that on contracts that are still in contract. and networks only recycle numbers that haven't been topped up in over a year and the account gets suspended before the number is reallocated.

    it could have been some kind of technical glitch of course


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