# Are old Mobile Phone numbers Re-issued



## papervalue (18 Oct 2009)

Just trying to contact a person from the past. I ring the number I have and some one else seems to be using the number.Just wondering is it possible for a phone number to be reissued to some one else.

If for example i stopped/cancelled my mobile number tomorrow- Could my number ne issued to some else in future. Would the number not just die?


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## PaddyBloggit (18 Oct 2009)

Yes ... old numbers are reissued if they are inactive for a period of time.

Number doesn't die .... it gets a new life with someone else.


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## bullworth (18 Oct 2009)

It's possible for someone to give to a friend or relative or sell their phone (including the sim with number) to somebody else.


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## bond-007 (18 Oct 2009)

Yes it is.


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## gianni (19 Oct 2009)

papervalue said:


> Just trying to contact a person from the past. I ring the number I have and some one else seems to be using the number.Just wondering is it possible for a phone number to be reissued to some one else.
> 
> If for example i stopped/cancelled my mobile number tomorrow- Could my number ne issued to some else in future. Would the number not just die?


 
They are reused after a period of several years... I remember reading about it before somewhere on the regulator website...


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## papervalue (19 Oct 2009)

I find it uncomfartable to think this happens. 

The person I am trying to contact has a new person using phone with previous person voice message still on mail box(maybe they dont realise last person mail box still alive)

I recollect that it does happen in Britain as before I remember reading in paper a mother put a tun off mobile into coffin with her 16 year old daughter. Months later she rang the mail box just to hear her voice and some body answered- turned out the number was reissued.

I wonder in future if I cancelled my own number in years to come- Would it be possible to retire that number. 

I would probably be unconfortable even for a deceased parent phone number to be used by some one else in future.


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## truthseeker (19 Oct 2009)

It definitely happens, I had an 085 number at one stage and a number of years after I stopped using it a friend emailed me and said she had phoned the old number by accident and the person who answered gave her a ream of abuse to the tune of 'who is this xxxx person that I keep getting calls for, she doesnt own this phone anymore, i do, im gonna get you...etc...etc...' - there were a lot of swear words in there too. I subsequently found out that a few people had phoned the number over time and the person was obviously annoyed that their number once belonged to someone else.


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