Why Is It So Hard to Do a Port from an Optus Sim to an Optus Sim?

I already have an active Optus prepaid sim and I find myself with a new $50 Optus sim. So I decide to port my current service/phone number to the new sim.

Step 1: First I go here: https://www.optus.com.au/customercentre/activateprepaid but it counts as a replacement sim, so it tells me to go here:

Step 2: https://www.optus.com.au/shop/welcome?defaultTab=2 I enter the details and it sends me an SMS but no matter how many times I enter the code, it keeps bringing up this message: Hmm, something's not right. Check your SIM number and try again. Or please call us on 1300 760 026

Step 3: So I call 1300 760 026. After waiting 20 minutes, according to the customer rep, this number doesn't deal with prepaid services so gives me a new number to call: 1300 555 002

Step 4: So I call 1300 555 002. I navigate the menus and guess what? It sends me an SMS telling me go to https://www.optus.com.au/customercentre/activateprepaid (which is step 1).

Step 5: So early in the morning, I go on Live Chat and the customer rep promises to do the port. It will take a few hours they say. In the evening, my old sim continues to work, but the new ones doesn't. Obviously the port didn't happen.

Step 6: I try Live Chat again. I get the customer rep to do the port again. Seems like the sim number you've given me is wrong. Please try again. So I try again. Nope, for some reason there is an error with the sim number so how about you buy a new $2 Optus sim and then I'll credit you $50 later.

The story ends here for now.

Why is a simple internal Optus to Optus port so needlessly complicated? What am I doing wrong?

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Comments

  • That sounds very tedious… Have you tried activating through the Optus My Account? I believe its under the Settings tab

    • I didn't notice that section until now. I'll keep that in my mind for the future.

  • Port it to a $2 telstra sim then port back

    • I should've done that in the first place. Lesson learned.

  • Re: Step 5. Turns out that the person who did the port did the port incorrectly so the new sim is now a worthless piece of metal. Customer credited my existing account with $50 though so all good in the end. Still need panadol for my headaches though.

    • +4

      You can't "port" from Optus to Optus…

      It's like going to the bank and saying, i'm leaving you to be with you…

      Porting is when you move from one carrier to a different carrier…

  • you can't port from Optus to Optus + 1

    https://www.acma.gov.au/Citizen/Phones/Numbers/Keeping-your-…

    What is 'porting'?

    'Porting' is the act of transferring your number to a new service, either with a different network or a different provider, or both.

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