Woolworths Mobile - Failed Payment during Activation

Ljikon on 09/06/2022 - 10:56

I signed up to a long-expiry prepaid plan with Woolworths Mobile and initiated the porting of an existing number from Optus. It seemed to be going well, and according to a status page on Woolworths Mobile, the number was ported successfully.

Unfortunately, it then fell apart. Apparently, Woolworths was no able to recharge my account (by which, I think they meant take payment from my bank) and sent me a message to say that the activation of the plan was not successful.

I reached out to Woolworths Mobile to troubleshoot this. I will spare you the details - suffice to say that I would prefer to just give up and move on… which brings me to the following: would it work if I bought a new SIM card from a different provider and then ported my number from Woolworths Mobile to the new provider? Would this work even though I had not activated my plan properly with Woolworths Mobile?

Thanks heaps!

Mobile

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Everyday Mobile from Woolworths

Comments

  • MrHyde on 09/06/2022 - 13:08

    Depends on whether your number is with Woolies or the previous provider. When porting, you usually need to be able to receive a text message and sometimes respond to it. If the number is with Woolies; can you receive text messages on it. If yes, then you can port from Woolies to someone else.

    Or if the port failed; is the number still with the previous provider; then you should be porting from your previous provider to someone else.

    • jikon on 09/06/2022 - 13:44

      ah. thank you for the response. it sounds like my number is in limbo then. the service with my previous provider has definitely been cancelled but my plan with Woolworths has not been activated. At the moment, I can't connect to either networks. It looks like I will have to work with Woolies to get this sorted properly… it's so shitty.

      • Omnibane on 09/06/2022 - 18:12

        I am not entirely sure but the porting of the number and activation of a plan are 2 different steps. You should be able see the status of your account if you log into Woolworths mobile.

        Does your phone shows that you are connected to WW’s network? If so, my guess is that your number is already with WW.

        I think you should still be able to receive SMS, assuming you are already connect to WW, even if you don’t have an active plan. On the same token, you should actually be receive calls as well.

        • jikon on 09/06/2022 - 21:24

          When I log into my Woolworth's mobile account, the dashboard indicates the following:

          Number transfer completed
          Your number transfer request has completed and your number is now active with Woolworths Mobile!

          and the current status is:

          Recharge in progress
          We are currently processing your Recharge. Once completed, your service will be fully active!

          Their online-chat has been helping me work this through, and I suspect that something has gone wrong when they try to obtain payment from my bank, or something is glitchy in their payment system. We've spent a day on this and no luck so far.

          At the moment, the iPhone says 'SOS only' on my old network (Optus) and 'no service' with Woolworths. I have not been able to receive calls on my existing number. I hope I have no lost the number to the black hole of porting… so sad…

          I am going to have to contact Woolies again when the help-chat service resumes in the morning.

          • Omnibane on 09/06/2022 - 21:47

            @jikon: Hm…that’s strange. I think you should be getting WW connection now even though you have not recharge…

            I suspect the porting didn’t really complete.

            Sorry you have to go through this.

            Good luck getting it to work.

  • RebelOrlan on 09/06/2022 - 17:01

    Good luck, you can try buy a recharge voucher at your local store.

  • FeZZa21 on 29/09/2022 - 15:08

    I've been going through this hell with Woolies too, currently on day 4 and they keep blaming my banks even though I've tried using both a credit card and debit card from different banks. I ported over from Telstra prepaid and that itself had issues too which took 2 days to resolve. I can receive calls and SMS so port has been done successfully, now can't recharge with a card. They're telling me to do it via a voucher instead which I'll have to try now.

    • FeZZa21 on 29/09/2022 - 15:39

      Great voucher didn't work either, this has been the worst experience ever

  • trainblue on 28/11/2023 - 12:25

    Beware that they require your debit form auto recharge even advertise only require debit when select auto recharge. Auto recharge mean post paid, and we only want prepaid. Do lodge to ACCC for missleading they need fine for their scam. Thanks guys i htink they try steal alot of payment detail on a prepaid service.

    BEWARE DONT GO WITH THEM!!!!!

    LODGE COMPLAINT TO ACCC FOR SCAM!!!!!!

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