Registration of pay as you go Mobiles

[Bluebell04]

I have been to see customer service at Turkcell offices, the texts we are receiving are not a scam, very helpful Turkish Lady registered my mobile, you need passport, two phone numbers that you call regularly, and mothers maiden name, also people who visit regualarly need to register, or after December, your phone number will be invalid and you will be unable to use it, hope this information helps to clarify the situation.

As usual no explanation as to why could be given, just that it is law. Oh happy days here.

[Terri299]

Fantastic! Came home on Saturday and not due out again until May. I do have a vague recollection of having my passport copied when I bought the original phone back in 2003. Can anyone else remember if they did this for pay as you go way back then. If so I may be ok.
If the phone isn't registered by January will the number be lost forever or can it be re-activated once registered

[MoBry]

We texted with our name, TRNC driving licence as ID and no, and got a text back saying our records had been updated.

[Mr Mac]

Mo do you have number you text it to? I had the text but deleted it as someone said they thought it was a scam..... Thanks

[pc4854]

Yes TERRI299, we took out our pay as you go sim cards at a Turkcell shop in 2004 and we had to produce passports for registration. So far have not received one of these text messages requiring further actions.

[Navek]

Hi TERRI299,
We also took out our pay as you go sim cards at a Turkcell shop in 2007
and we had to produce passports for registration.
Navek

[Bonnie]

I recall many years ago when I first bought a Turkcell sim card a small form had to be filled in and I had to produce my passport.
I've retained that same sim dard throughout the years & have received no texts requiring information. However my other half who bought a random sim card over the counter a couple of years ago kept receiving texts in Turkish tried Google translate but made little sense
Took it to the young lady in the Supreme kiosk. She explained text your reply to Turkcell full name & passport no
MR Mac the no to reply to is 1234

[jofra]

Now I am confused! Two years ago I bought a sim card - no passport, no forms, no questions, nothing!
This year as the card had (obviously?) through non-use run out and when tested by ringing from another phone the "number is not in service"... so I bought another card two weeks ago from a Telsim shop in Girne - once again, no passport, no forms, no questions, nothing! And the phone works perfectly!

[Bonnie]

My best guess is that some years ago you had to supply details ID etc before you could buy a Turkcell sim card. Then the requirement seems to have been relaxed but now it's being reinforced once more for whatever reason. They appear to be contacting all those who bought sim cards during the period the requirement was relaxed and playing catchup.
I know that if your phone with a Turkcell sim is inactive for a certain time it they deactivate your credit on the sim. Once you put fresh credit onto your phone,you were then reimbursed with the credit you had left previously. That is how it used to work don't know if that still applies.

Turkcell Telsim may be two different companies. If this is a legal requirement and not just something exclusive to Turkcell then Telsim may have to begin to play catchup too.

Who knows ours not to reason why.

[allytt]

It's a new regulation brought in by BTHK (the local regulatory body), so both Turkcell and Telsim/Vodafone are requesting ID information from those without any on file. The messages sent by Vodafone stated this had to be completed by 15 November I believe.

[Mr Mac]

Thank you the the number to text back to Bonny.

[chiangbill]

Is the text number to register your ID. 1234 Just found the number bit further up on this thread.

[rosiesmidge]

I have just registered mine at the Turkcell shop in Girne , Lady asked for passport or driving licence, number of two phone numbers you used and mother maiden name... that was it, only took a few minuets.... although I would be interested as to why they need your mothers maiden name

[rick bald]

Did our 2 phones this morning: Texted 1234 Passport Number, Surname, First Name, Second Name. sent text. (Simples)!

Reply came in Turkish within seconds: Thank you very much, information updated.

[Terri299]

Going back to a previous thread regarding how long a SIM card is valid for, I asked when we were in the big Turckcell shop in town and was told that all sims, be it phone or data are valid for 10 months. So although you may have to top within a certain length of time as long as you do it within the 10 months you won't lose the number. I also found out if you have a data sim, we use ours for a mi-if box, get a phone number for it and you don't have to buy a new sim every time. We weren't told that originally

[EssexOB]

In UK until next year. Would +90 1234 work as text number to send info to ?

Don't think just 1234 would work from UK.

[Asia111]

I took my pay as you go phone and passport to the TELSIM shop today and they very kindly registered my details for me by responding to the text that was sent me. I received a text acknowledgement immediately.

For anyone pay as you go mobile phone owners who are away from TRNC for a few months another option may be to ask a friend to call to the TELSIM or TURKCELL shop and register your details for you.

[Mozgor]

Thanks for sharing that information, I too was wondering if it was a scam!

Just for information, it's the same in Turkey, so perhaps they're just streamlining.

Moyra

[EssexOB]

I'm in the UK and have tried texting details to +901234 and 1234. Both failed.
Can anyone advise how to text to 1234 from UK, please.

[erol]

I'm in the UK and have tried texting details to +901234 and 1234. Both failed.
Can anyone advise how to text to 1234 from UK, please.

You can not as far as I know. Those 'short codes' are only local. You could try asking the mobile operator if they have a number you can text that works internationally or just email them the info maybe ?

[EssexOB]

Thanks. I have emailed, but no response. Will chase them up.

[meldy]

Lucky people getting theirs registered in the shop in Girne. I was told to do it myself when I went in last week!

[Dalartokat]

This has only just reached KP just for information really.

http://www.kpdailynews.com/index.php/ca ... LOCAL_NEWS

[jofra]

Out of interest - if/when a visitor brings a mobile phone (pay as you go, home country purchase) from their own country, which can make and receive calls here in Cyprus - as mine does - is that visitor expected or required to register? Or will "foreign" mobiles be banned and confiscated on entry?

[MrA]

Its not about the mobile phone its about the SIM, Turkey has always been very strict on SIMs and internet connection as part of its anti-terror campaign, TRNC used to be the same but relaxed the rules a while ago, It now seems they have re-introduced this. All of your calls are monitored by the listening bases anyway so try not to use any "key" words or there will be a knock on the door !

[jofra]

Sorry, I should have been more specific - will a SIM bought in the UK need to be registered? Considering the number of visitors who bring their own SIMs, laptops, tablets etc and access the internet one way or another, I suspect the new registration will not provide a very effective solution in the anti-terror campaign...

[jax47]

We bought our SIM card in 2009. We couldnt recall whether we had to show any ID at all and as we also are in UK until next year were a bit worried in case we lost our number and credit.

My husband rand the Customer Service number shown on the Turkcell web site to check.
This went through to Istanbul and when he gave our number the man gave him the number of phone Customer Services in TRNC (sorry, he didnt keep a note of that number!)

A very helpful lady there checked and said our number was already registered and asked him to confirm both our names. She then asked him for his current passport number. She said it was all up to date now and we do not need to do anything else.

Hope that is useful for anyone else in UK at present