Help re mobile phone

maryjoan

Registered User
Mar 25, 2017
1,634
0
South of the Border
My partner (PWD) has been locked out of his mobile phone. I think it is because he has not paid the bill.
I have contacted 02 and explained the problem - but I cannot pass their security, as I never knew what it was - it was set up years ago. But OH cannot remember what is was due to his dementia.
02 will not speak to me now, and OH doesn't understand what its all about

Yet, we need him to have a working mobile so he can contact me if he is out and needs help.

what do I do?
 

Izzy

Volunteer Moderator
Aug 31, 2003
73,994
0
72
Dundee
Do you have power of attorney for OH? I was wondering if the company would accept a copy of the POA and perhaps close the account and open one in your name. Thinking back I believe that’s what I had to do with BT, although it took me quite a while.
 

LynneMcV

Volunteer Moderator
May 9, 2012
6,110
0
south-east London
My experience was the same as @Izzy's in that I had to send my husband's mobile phone company a copy of my POA before they would deal with me about his account. Fortunately, they accepted a copy as a pdf attached to email - but even so, it wasn't a speedy process.
 

silver'lantern

Registered User
Apr 23, 2019
208
0
easiest way i think would be to get a new pay as you go sim for his phone. if you dont have access to the account an no outstanding bill then leave it closed
my PwD has a DORO phone that has a quick dial alarm button. one press and it dials the pre set number any PAYG sim will fit we have giffgaff and direct debit set up to auto top up if below certain level. so he never runs out of credit. he rarely uses it himself but handy for me to check where he is. and gives him the confidence to wander off in town or go out occasionally on his own
 

nitram

Registered User
Apr 6, 2011
30,075
0
Bury
If you don't have LPA
Agree with @silver'lantern.
Set up a PAYG or contract with A N Other provider
Do it in your name - maybe problems with bank account with contract - so you are in control.
To retain the phone number try the generic text PAC to 65075.
O2 may block this in which case stick with the new number.

If you do have LPA tell O2 and get it sorted.
See if you can get account registered in joint names, easier than reverting to LPA in future.
 
Last edited:

PalSal

Registered User
Dec 4, 2011
972
0
Pratteln Switzerland
My husband used to wear a product that is a Tractive gps and it tracks on my telephone.(costs about 35 CHF and 15 Chf a year for the app) It is actually for pets.
But he never goes out alone now so it is not an issue anymore. But this worked for awhile., it is an inexpensive solution.
My hubby got to the point like yours , he could not remember passwords, and eventually how to use his phone. So this was a good solution

Mine is not a wanderer because I make sure he gets strenuous exercise and is never alone. Good luck.
 

AliceA

Registered User
May 27, 2016
2,911
0
I use pennymobile, the cost is 1p per minute or 1p per text. one has to put £10 min. every four months. I am well in credit. May be easier than having to top up and perhaps forgetting.
Good luck with getting access.
I was amused when cashing a small investment, they needed to speak to my husband, they asked a question, he asked me what to say, he said it and job done!!! They obviously heard the weird conversation.
 

jenniferjean

Registered User
Apr 2, 2016
925
0
Basingstoke, Hampshire
I was amused when cashing a small investment, they needed to speak to my husband, they asked a question, he asked me what to say, he said it and job done!!! They obviously heard the weird conversation.
Never worked for me when giving my husband's insurance company our change of address. They said they could hear me prompting him and refused to accept it. The funny thing was I just typed out a letter and got him to sign it which was almost illegible. ( you'd never know it was his signature.) They accepted that.
 

AliceA

Registered User
May 27, 2016
2,911
0
I might have been lucky, it was a small amount in their eyes perhaps, I like your photo. X
 

Roseleigh

Registered User
Dec 26, 2016
347
0
easiest way i think would be to get a new pay as you go sim for his phone. if you dont have access to the account an no outstanding bill then leave it closed
my PwD has a DORO phone that has a quick dial alarm button. one press and it dials the pre set number any PAYG sim will fit we have giffgaff and direct debit set up to auto top up if below certain level. so he never runs out of credit. he rarely uses it himself but handy for me to check where he is. and gives him the confidence to wander off in town or go out occasionally on his own

Mine also has a Doro which at first he used himself, then me to track him if he was late getting back, though after the occasion when he came home but went straight past our house wandered on further and got lost (I used the Doro to find him) I decided he was no longer safe to go on solo outings. The Doro sits there unused now and I am thinking of passing it to my aged mum whose poor eyesight is making using a normal simple phone tricky for her.
 

Lawson58

Registered User
Aug 1, 2014
4,333
0
Victoria, Australia
All I can say is that it's not a good idea to spend a lot of money on a device because you might find that the time will come when he can't use a phone at all. My husband had his new phone all of two months then got very confused about how to use it.