Recycling of mobile numbers

[louy]

Do they recycle old mobile numbers in Singapore ? When I bought my PrePay sim, I got it from a proper store and not a man with a table and chair in the middle of the street. The card had to be registered in by name and I had to submit my passport for them to do this.
As such, I assumed it was all legitimate and that number is mine.

However, I keep getting random uncles and aunties phoning my number asking for someone else.

I keep telling them in my best Malay accent that this is my number and no one elses. But I keep getting these calls.

How often are mobile numbers recycled here - is it possible that not too long ago this mobile number belonged to someone else and I am now suffering because of this ?

[littlegreenman]

It happens. I had the same problem couple of years ago on a plan. Some insurance company kept calling me every two days wanting to speak to Mr Tan and every time I told them the same, they got the wrong number. 2 minutes later the same person would call again

[carteki]

They do recycle numbers here. I stopped using a pre-pay card for about a year and then called it again to see if it was still working - and a stranger answered. Hopefully people will learn that they cannot get the person they are looking for shortly.

[sundaymorningstaple]

I've had a fax line in house (landline) for over 10 years now. I still get calls from a couple of chinese aunties on a regular basis even today. Now they are grand aunties and still calling that fax line!

[durain]

if telco dont recycle them, then the numbers will just go into finite! by the time our great grand children, they will have a 20-digit fone number!