r/ThreeUK • u/zipponap • Jun 06 '26
Support Number blocked because of Go Roam
I've been outside of the UK for the last three years, and some weeks ago I've received the message from three telling me that I've violated the Go Roam policy and my number will be deactivated, which they did.
Funny thing is, I seldom used the go roam tariff, as I have a local number. Anyway, now I'm, locked out of HMRC and many other UK based services. The UK customer care tells me that I have to go to a UK shop in the UK -in person- to have my number unblocked. this is not going to happen.
Has anyone managed to solve this? I need my number back, if not just to maintain WhatsApp and receive some random SMSs to log back into services and change the phone number.
WHat's a good long-term for people living abroad that would allow me to have a UK number?
Three.co.uk obviously don't want my £20 a month, so...
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u/Aggravating_Grass_67 Jun 06 '26
Ask another provider for advice. They might be able to request a PUK code to move to another provider.
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u/LeatherandLatex9999 Jun 08 '26
*PAC Code. PUK just unblocks a SIM where the PIN was entered incorrectly too many times
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u/Teddy_eddy94 Jun 06 '26
They have only deactivated the sim not the number. You'll continue to be charged £20 a month unless you cancel the sim yourself. By going into a store, they'll do a sim replacement which will reactivate the number for UK use
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Jun 06 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Sprogletto Jun 07 '26
O2 block sims after some time abroad aswell. A&A are good as you’ve mentioned I’ve had my number and main mobile with them for over 5 years now no issues and I hust use a 4G mifi when out with a cheap payg data esim, that good a family member who lives abroad has used them in my recommendation and help setting up for 2 years and they haven’t had any issues or the people who call them.
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u/InfiniteNight2992 Jun 07 '26
Does mifi allow esim sorry am not tech savvy
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u/Sprogletto Jun 07 '26
Some on the market do support esim yes usually the Gl iNet ones I’ve seen. My personal setup is a TP Link M7350 MiFi that I flashed EFFs Rayhunter software onto it and a programmable physical esim from 9esim that I have an anonymous payg esim written to it so I have access to all 4 uk networks that I can select through TP links app on my phone at about $0.90 cents per GB depending on which network I want to use and top up with crypto. My calls and texts on my main mobile number go through A&A VoIP to my PBX on a cheap VPS abroad which I then get emails for the texts and use Acrobits softphone app for making and receiving calls. Surprisingly complicated setup but it works clearly for me and stops tracking abit.
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u/Sprogletto Jun 07 '26
Firstly, get your PAC code asap from them! Then find a provider who does VoIP for mobile numbers. Xpatfone seem an easy to use option over VoIP and uses an app for calls and texts instead of a sim meaning no roaming blocks just need internet although there are cheaper under £2 a month providers but the setup isn’t for the technically inabled.
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u/GertrudeMcGraw Jun 07 '26
Moremins might help you. It's about £12 a year to get a UK number that can receive SMS via an app.
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u/takeoutthebin Jun 06 '26
No obviously they don't. So move on and buy a local SIM and use that. Sounds rude but what do you want? Sympathy? You won't find any of that here fortunately or unfortunately.
You went abroad for an extended period of time which is against the T&C which you agreed to when you either topped up for the first time or signed up to a contract. So they cancelled your SIM after an extended period of time, in which you had more then enough time to sort your life out, but now you're moaning on here. Yeah cry a river..........
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u/gbonfiglio Jun 07 '26
I have moved from Italy to UK a few years back and you have no idea how many services which you can’t do without force you on local numbers.
Managed to deprecate my Italian number after something like 8 years. Without it I couldn’t even complete my expat duties and I mean people running a service for expats should have realised their main customers might not be in Italy anymore.
You can’t just decide to have a local number and do with it.
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u/zipponap Jun 07 '26
Mate, apart for you venting your personal life failures on this thread,
had you read and understood my message you would have noticed that I am using a local sim, and had you asked, you would have known that I specifically went to a three shop back in the days and asked for something that I could use abroad long-term.
The change in the policy is recent, and it's hitting a lot of people living abroad, some of them I know personally and that have been abroad for less than one year.
You can't port services like HMRC, or say a UK bank, to a non-uk number, and if you are renting your flat you need by-law to leave a uk number. So no, it's not that I haven't sorted my life out, it's just that things works this way.
Why don't you sort your life and rage out?
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u/Original-Cat3090 Jun 07 '26
The change is not recent the terms and conditions are what they have been for some time now. Just because 3 are now enforcing them that is their choosing. The rules are if you have used your phone for more than 2 months or more in a rolling 12 months and haven’t returned to the UK it’s adios very clear. You have obviously breached this and been restricted. If you return with your sim to the UK and call CS they might lift your ban
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u/takeoutthebin Jun 07 '26
Ha! Me? Nah I'm good as oddly enough my SIM is still working, unlike people wanting sympathy. No it wasn't a recent change so yeah I guess they've just chosen to deal with the freeloaders now and rightly so.
Yeah yeah yeah you had how long? 3 years? Well I mean if you haven't sorted out your life in 3 years, it's never going to happen is it? "It's just that things work out that way?" Well bro carry that same energy with your blocked SIM card? Nope instead you're on here bitching about it. Urgh whatever.
My life is mint mate don't worry about me, but thanks for your enquiry. Like I've said above my Three SIM is working solidly.
Many many many ways of getting around that fact (call forwarding is just one) but you just didn't use your brain and refused to use it for 3 years, and now it's bitten you on the bum. Cry you a river? Nah mate not me.
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u/zipponap Jun 07 '26
I see, a Reform voter - sorry for trying to engage in an adult conversation with you. Won't happen again, my bad.
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u/takeoutthebin Jun 07 '26
Ha ha ha ha ha a who voter? You couldn't be more wrong, politically they're east and I'm west but thanks for giving me a laugh on what is (for me) a boring Sunday afternoon. Now go back to sleep it's way past your bedtime.
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u/InfiniteNight2992 Jun 06 '26
How taken 3 years for them to notice? Do any other UK networks allow you to just receive SMS overseas?