Lost mobile, now for some reason not taking calls - WWYD?

[Pennies]

I went out about 10 days ago and lost my phone. I'm fairly useless with it and assumed I'd left it in my mate's car / dropped it at the restaurant or something dippy. It took me a few days to bother trying to find it. I did call it and it kept going to my voicemail.

I've not reported it lost to my phone company because I thought my contract had expired and I planned to switch providers and get an upgrade but it seems that I've still got 6 months of my contract left (annoyingly, I signed up for 18 months).

I tried phoning it again at the weekend to see if I could remotely access my messages and it just went to my voicemail. I rang it again today and a recorded voice says that it is not possible to connect to the number.

So... my original plan was to call my provider and say that I had lost my SIM card and could they send me another please. I have an identical spare phone which Carphone Warehouse sent me ages ago oddly without me asking for it, which I kept in the possible case of something like this happening. This would save me having to fork out to replace the original handset and I'd only have to pay for the replacement SIM card. But seeing as the number is not receiving calls that would suggest to me that the phone (or rather the SIM) has been de-activated, which would probably mean it was stolen. Am I right about that? I'm guessing here BTW, I am also wondering if the same thing would have happened if it had been damaged by being water logged or run over.

Does anyone know why it would stop going to voicemail and have another message saying no calls were being received on that number if I had not reported it lost, stolen or damaged?

What do I do now then to try and avoid getting clobbered by the phone company for the cost of a phone. Do I fess up or could I get away with requesting a new SIM.

Any phone experts about?

why would you get clobbered for the cost of a new phone? They don't care about your handset - just get a new SIM?

You must ring your provider right now & tell them you've lost it, then they can bar the phone & nobody else can use it.

Then they will send you a new SIM with your old number on which you can put in your other phone.

(They have incredible software now, they know exactly which phone you've used & what it's serial number is without you telling them )

aaaaargh - rogue apostrophe alert

its! its!

sorry if this is dim. i'd be worried about the huge bills someone could be running up on my account. my worst fear. is that not possible?

yes it is possible - that's why you have to tell your provider straight away!

It was a pay monthly contract with a free phone and on those deals you are usually (I could be wrong here) liable for the phone for the duration of your contract so if it gets damaged or stolen you have to pay the company for the phone. I am with 3 and the phone I got with it is specific to 3 only, and somehow (according to the Carphone Warehouse guys when I had some problems with the phone when I first got it) they will know if I use a SIM in an alternative phone. hence the fact that I kept the spare phone I was sent for no known reason because I knew it was one that was compatible with my 3 contract.

Sorry if confusing.

btw I think the "no connection" message is because your SIM has been removed from the phone (I have trouble getting my head round the phone/card thing)

morocco - it's very possible but until today I was pretty sure I'd just lost it, but now I'm thikning someone has done something with it.

Pennies - you don't have to pay the provider for the phone if you lose it - only if you need another handset. You will be liable for calls made on your phone with your SIM

DS2 lost his O2 phone a few months ago - it fell out of his pants pocket on a ski-lift in Italy, how exotic (and annoying!)

I rang O2, they sent a new SIM, & we bought a new PAYG O2 phone for it - no prob.

They can't be using Pennies' SIM if it's not connecting?

Sorry rest of thread blurred out (s'ok i'm shrubbish with phones anyway) when i saw WW's 'rogue' apostrophe. I think it was supposed to be there Wendy. The rule of possession applies - it is the number belonging to the phone therefore it's number. Phew, glad i got that off my chest

Are you not a native pendant then, GB?

Huh? Not really. Am i Wrong again?

Erm, its is the exception to the possessive rule - it's means it is.

Yeeeeeeeees ok - i just looked it up! Apparently i am less educated than i thought [hangs head in shame].

That'll teach me. My excuse is i have a headache.

I've tried to resist but failed. GB: the possessive "its" with an apostrophe has me in paroxysms of pedantic rage whenever I see it. "It's" (ie with an apostrophe) should only ever be used when it means "it is".

I think the reasoning for that is that if the possessive "its" had the apostrophe that might be expected if it were to follw normal rules (which it doesn't) then it might be confused with "it is".

Beaten to it!

Oh. True. I always assumed people would rely on context and not be silly bints.

Oh never mind, flower - thank you for your kind intentions (I am a hopeless compulsive pedant I'm afraid )

No, you don't understand! I am a perfectionist (the non-capital 'i' is just to save time since i don't touch type!)!

Get the paper bag ready i'm gonna start hyperventilating

pennies you are fine as far as the phone goes. if you lose your phone you are still responsible for the rest of the contract and if you want to use it have to buy a new phone but they dont charge you to replace a missing phone if you dont want a new one.

just call up cancel your old phone and request a new sim.