Lost Phone + Physical SIM While Overseas, Best Way to Replace/Port?

floor4 on 18/12/2023 - 22:44

Hoping for some smart solution to my current predicament

I've lost my phone overseas with its Aldimobile physical SIM and unlikely to get it back.
I won't be back in Australia to buy a replacement Aldi SIM until February, but would like to regain access to my Australian number while overseas for things like 2FA.

Sadly Aldi don't do eSIM, so that's out.

My next idea is to buy a long-expiry cheap eSIM from someone like Amaysim and start the porting process, but vaguely remember having to confirm the port via SMS on that number to be ported. Of course, I don't have access to that number.

Has anyone done that recently and know if you can port without access to the number? Obviously I can provide all the identification as it's really me.

Thanks

Mobile

Comments

  • sumyungguy on 18/12/2023 - 22:48
    +4

    Aldi will provide a replacement SIM, once you have that you can organise to use someone else's phone to connect it.

    • floor4 on 19/12/2023 - 04:34

      Thanks, I think that's my best bet

  • jv on 19/12/2023 - 00:00

    Where did you lose it?

    • floor4 on 19/12/2023 - 04:34

      somewhere on a glacier under the snow with no battery…

      • jonathonsunshine on 19/12/2023 - 04:59
        +1

        bahahaha

        as said above, get someone to mail you a Aldi sim, express post if need be, then get it activated.

        I lost a phone this year (Amaysim), I bought a $2 Amaysim sim card and ported it over, I didn't have to respond to an SMS, but i guess it could be different in your case cause of different providers.

        You could ask a trusted friend in Australia to go and buy the Aldi simcard, give them the info they need to activate that simcard, then they can port the new simcard to Amaysim e-sim for you (cause they'll be able to recieve and reply to the authorization SMS).

        • sumyungguy on 19/12/2023 - 08:45

          Telcos will provide a replacement SIM coded with your existing number

          • jonathonsunshine on 19/12/2023 - 08:47

            @sumyungguy: I just thought it may be faster to go esim route, not having to have simcard sent overseas. I presume anywhere with glaciers, mail is slow.

            • sumyungguy on 19/12/2023 - 09:04

              @jonathonsunshine: Hmmm, we're about to learn if that works. I assumed OP would report the SIM as non-functioning, get a clone/remplacement shipped to an address here, get a friend to put it in their phone to port in to another telco's eSIM.

              • floor4 on 20/12/2023 - 21:35

                @sumyungguy: Yeah I've gone the send-SIM-to-friend route, which I'll then port to an eSIM, was hoping to DIY but sounds like the SMS will be an issue.

  • Hybroid on 19/12/2023 - 00:01
    +1

    I recently swapped from Optus to Vodafone and thought would need a Porting Authorization Code (PAC) via SMS but doesn't seem to be the case anymore. They did it all automatically remotely without any input from me. YMMV with Aldimobile.

  • 87percent on 19/12/2023 - 08:24
    +1

    The identity processes:

    Retail—telco calls the mobile number to be ported while customer is in store. Telco verifies the call has been received by the customer’s mobile device.
    Call centre—telco calls back the mobile number to be ported to check that the person asking for the port is the actual customer.
    Online—a unique verification code is sent via SMS to the customer’s mobile device. This code is then verified by the customer.

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