非官方消费者倡议

停号可以余额不能失踪

一纸“最终决定”不能代替解释，更不能让消费者在不知情中失去号码、余额和申诉机会。我们要求 giffgaff 公开停号依据、提供真正的人工复核，并把 PAC、退款和投诉期限一次说清。

信息核验：2026-07-30

先把仍能争取的权利拿回来

号码被停后，PAC、退款和投诉升级都有关键时限。先保住仍能争取的权利，再追问停号依据、人工复核和程序责任。

立即索取 PAC，别让号码在沉默中被回收身在海外或号码已停用时，直接联系 giffgaff agent 获取 PAC，并确认代码有效期及可转入的英国网络。

立即申请退款，要求书面说明每一次拒绝退款通常也有有限窗口。因“不允许的使用方式”而停用的账户可能不符合退款条件，但仍应立即书面申请并要求说明依据。

请求未解决，正式投诉并留下完整记录若首次投诉日期为 2026 年 4 月 8 日或之后，收到 deadlock letter，或投诉满 6 周仍未解决，可向 Communications Ombudsman 升级；更早投诉通常适用 8 周期限。

事实核验

关键信息均附有官方依据

PAC、余额退款、投诉期限和公益短信信息均根据相关机构公开页面整理。规则可能更新，实际操作前请查看完整说明。

查看事实说明与官方来源

我们要求

致 giffgaff：“最终决定”不是免责书

消费者要求的不是特殊待遇，而是最基本的知情、复核、携转、退款和申诉权。规则可以执行，但不能只留下结果，不留下理由和补救路径。

把境外激活和长期漫游风险写在购买与激活页面

不要等停号后，才让用户从长条款里寻找可能触发的后果。

永久停号前先警告、限制并提供人工复核

长期绑定银行、邮箱和二次验证的号码，不应只收到一句没有上下文的“最终决定”。

在同一份通知里说明 PAC、退款、投诉和 ADR

入口、条件、期限和所需材料应一次列明，不该让用户自行拼凑。

回收号码前留出更新账户绑定的时间

银行、邮箱和二次验证不能瞬间换绑；合理缓冲期是账户安全所必需。

余额处理必须有规则、入口和书面结果

若退款被拒绝，应说明依据、例外和申诉路径，并应在申请期限届满前明确告知用户。

号码可以停，流程不能黑；服务可以终止，责任不能消失。

实际影响

被停掉的不只是一张 SIM 卡

号码背后连接的是银行、邮箱、二次验证和账户找回。没有充分警告、人工复核和迁移时间，运营商的一次决定，可能把全部后果留给消费者承担。

银行、邮箱和二次验证可能同时受影响

号码一旦失效，多个重要账户的登录、验证和找回流程都可能受阻。

不透明的停号通知不应成为常态

警告、限制、人工复核和携转时间都可以清楚说明，而不是把全部风险留给用户。

处理期限必须放在用户看得到的位置

30 天窗口若只藏在帮助页里，用户可能在找到路径前就已错过期限。

受影响用户行动

先把权利拿回来，再追问谁该负责

PAC、退款和投诉升级都有关键时限。立即采取行动，不代表接受停号决定，而是避免消费者在等待解释时再次失去补救机会。

立即申请 PAC 和余额退款，并尽快完成携转

立即联系 giffgaff agent，书面申请 PAC 和余额退款。身在海外或号码已停用时，要求说明境外取得 PAC、代码有效期和可接收号码的英国网络；SIM 已停用时，可能需要先重新添加支付卡。保存工单与回复。

请求未解决，再向 giffgaff 正式投诉

如请求未解决，提交正式投诉，附上时间线、证据和希望获得的结果。收到处理结果后按通知期限回复；当前投诉说明提到 28 天回复窗口。

向 Ofcom 报告监管问题

向 Ofcom 报告可核实的事实，重点写清风险告知、停号通知、PAC、退款和投诉路径。Ofcom 通常不直接裁定个人退款。

首次投诉日期决定 6 周或 8 周期限

若首次向 giffgaff 提出投诉的日期为 2026 年 4 月 8 日或之后，收到 deadlock letter，或投诉满 6 周仍未解决，可向 Communications Ombudsman 升级；更早提出的投诉通常适用 8 周期限。

最后手段：公益短信捐赠

确实无法退款时，再考虑把剩余余额用于公益

公益短信不能代替退款申请。把余额捐给公益机构，是用户主动作出的最后选择，不应被误解为平台可以不解释、不退款或让余额自行消失。

发送前确认

已申请 PAC 和退款，并确认退款无法获得；
已确认符合所选机构的年龄要求，并已获得账单持有人许可；未满 16 岁者还需监护人同意，但 Cancer Research UK 仅限 16 岁及以上；
未收到确认短信时不要重复发送，先检查余额和扣费记录。

慈善短码通常属于套餐外服务，需要足够余额。网络限制、账户限制、余额不足、premium-rate bar 或漫游环境都可能导致发送失败。

展开三个一次性公益短信选项

Make-A-Wish UK · £1

发送 WISH1 至 70450

费用：£1 + 一条标准网络短信费。

受益对象：英国境内患有危重疾病的儿童及其家庭；捐款用于帮助实现改变生活的愿望。

到账：服务商收取 5% 费用，每 £1 中约 £0.95 由 Make-A-Wish UK 收到。

后续联系：会收到确认和 Gift Aid 信息；未经同意不会发送营销信息。

失败与限制：关键词或短码错误可能仍产生短信费，但捐款可能失败；海外发送可能产生额外费用。

官方短信条款

Young Lives vs Cancer · £3

发送 HELP 至 70030

费用：£3 + 一条标准网络短信费；英国号码在境外使用时可能产生额外网络费用。

受益对象：患有癌症的儿童、0–25 岁年轻人及其家庭；用于专业社工、经济与生活支持和治疗期间住宿等服务。

到账：官方说明机构收到 100% 的捐款金额。

后续联系：机构可能通过短信或电话联系；可使用官方指定关键词停止联系。

失败与限制：仅适用于符合条件的英国手机号码；错误关键词或短码可能收费但捐款失败，误发通常不能退款。

官方短信条款

Cancer Research UK · £5

发送 BEAT 至 70180

费用：£5 + 一条标准网络短信费；海外发送可能产生额外网络费用。

受益对象：捐款用于支持 Cancer Research UK 的癌症研究，包括预防、早期诊断和治疗相关研究。

到账：Cancer Research UK 官方说明机构收到 100% 的捐款金额。

资格：仅适用于英国手机号码；发送者须年满 16 岁并获得账单持有人许可。

失败与限制：某些 MVNO 可能不支持，且可能不会显示错误提示；关键词或短码错误可能产生短信费但捐款失败。

官方短信条款

别让“最终决定”成为沉默的终点

签署请愿，要求 giffgaff 回答：为什么停号、谁来真正复核、余额如何处理、消费者还能在什么时候申诉。

签署请愿，要求公开回应

Independent consumer campaign

A number may be disconnected.Credit must not disappear.

A one-line “final decision” is not an explanation. giffgaff must state why a number was disconnected, provide genuine human review, and make PAC, refund and complaint deadlines impossible to miss.

Sign the petition See our five demands Action for affected customers

Information checked: 30 July 2026

Recover the rights that can still be protected

PACs, refunds and complaint escalation all involve important deadlines. Protect the rights still available, then demand the missing reasons, review and accountability.

Request the PAC immediately—do not let the number be reclaimed in silenceIf you are abroad or the number is deactivated, contact a giffgaff agent and ask how to obtain and use the PAC overseas.

Request the refund immediately and demand written reasons for any refusalRefunds may be unavailable for non-permitted usage. Apply promptly and ask for the reason in writing.

If unresolved, file a formal complaint and keep a complete recordIf the complaint was first raised with giffgaff on or after 8 April 2026, it may be referred to the Communications Ombudsman after receiving a deadlock letter or after six weeks without resolution. Earlier complaints normally remain subject to the eight-week period.

Evidence

Key information is supported by official sources

Information about PACs, refunds, complaint deadlines and charity texts is based on published guidance. Check the full evidence before acting.

View the evidence and official sources

Our demands

To giffgaff:a “final decision” does not end accountability

Customers are not asking for special treatment. They are asking for basic rights to information, human review, number transfer, refunds and a meaningful route to challenge the decision. Rules may be enforced, but a result without reasons or remedies is not enough.

Make the risks of overseas activation and long-term roaming clear

Show the risk on the purchase and activation pages, before payment.

Use warnings and temporary restrictions before permanent disconnection

Provide a genuine human review. Do not disconnect a number tied to important accounts based only on a brief, unexplained “final decision”.

Put PAC, refund, complaint and ADR information in one notice

State the steps, eligibility rules, deadlines and evidence requirements together.

Allow time to update linked accounts and two-factor authentication

A reasonable grace period protects account access and security.

Explain credit decisions and provide a clear appeal route

Confirm the decision and reasons in writing before the deadline expires.

A number may be disconnected. The process must not be opaque; the service may end, but accountability must not.

Practical impact

What is at stake goes far beyond a SIM card

A mobile number can control access to banking, email, two-factor authentication and account recovery. Without proper warning, human review and time to migrate, one provider decision can leave the customer carrying every consequence.

A disconnected number can disrupt several accounts

Banking, email, messaging, two-factor authentication and account recovery may all be affected.

Opaque notices should not become the norm

Warnings, review and time to transfer can all be explained clearly.

Deadlines must be visible while customers can still act

A 30-day route hidden in a help page is easy to miss after disconnection.

Action for affected customers

Protect your rights first—then demand accountability

PACs, refunds and complaint escalation all involve important deadlines. Acting now does not mean accepting the disconnection; it prevents further loss while you are still waiting for answers.

Request the PAC and refund, then complete the transfer

If you are abroad or the number is deactivated, ask a giffgaff agent how to obtain the PAC overseas. Request a refund promptly; if the SIM is already deactivated, you may need to re-add a payment card before the refund can be processed. Keep the reply.

If unresolved, file a formal complaint and keep a complete record

Give a short timeline, evidence and the outcome sought. Reply by the stated deadline; giffgaff currently refers to a 28-day response window.

Report the regulatory issue to Ofcom

Use verifiable facts about disclosure, the notice, PAC and refund information, unused credit and complaint handling.

The date of the first complaint determines the six- or eight-week period

If the complaint was first raised with giffgaff on or after 8 April 2026, it may be referred to the Communications Ombudsman after receiving a deadlock letter or after six weeks without resolution. Complaints first raised earlier normally remain subject to the eight-week period.

Last resort: donate the remaining credit

Only if a refund is genuinely unavailableshould the remaining credit be donated

Charity texts cannot replace a refund request. Donating the remaining credit is a final choice made by the customer; it must not be treated as permission for a provider to avoid explanation, refuse a refund without reasons or let credit simply disappear.

Confirm before sending

You requested the PAC and refund, and confirmed that a refund is unavailable;
You meet the selected charity’s age rules and have the bill payer’s permission; under-16s also need parental or guardian consent, while Cancer Research UK is for people aged 16 or over only;
If no confirmation arrives, do not resend—check your balance and account activity first.

Charity short codes are normally charged outside your plan and require sufficient credit. Network restrictions, account limits, insufficient credit, a premium-rate bar or roaming may prevent the text from being sent.

Open the three one-off charity text options

Make-A-Wish UK · £1

Text WISH1 to 70450

Cost: £1 plus one standard network message.

Beneficiaries: Children in the UK living with critical illnesses and their families. Donations help grant life-changing wishes.

Received: The provider deducts a 5% fee, so Make-A-Wish UK receives about £0.95 from each £1.

Contact: You will receive confirmation and Gift Aid information. You will not receive marketing messages unless you consent.

Failure and limits: A wrong keyword or short code may still incur a message charge while the donation fails. Roaming may cost extra.

Official text-donation terms

Young Lives vs Cancer · £3

Text HELP to 70030

Cost: £3 plus one standard network message; roaming may cost extra.

Beneficiaries: Children and young people aged 0–25 with cancer and their families. Support includes specialist social work, financial and practical help, and accommodation near treatment.

Received: The charity says it receives 100% of the donation.

Contact: Calls or texts may follow. Use the charity’s official opt-out keywords to stop contact.

Failure and limits: For eligible UK mobile numbers only. A wrong keyword or short code may still incur a charge, and mistaken texts are normally non-refundable.

Official text-donation terms

Cancer Research UK · £5

Text BEAT to 70180

Cost: £5 plus one standard network message; roaming may cost extra.

Beneficiaries: Donations support Cancer Research UK’s work on cancer prevention, early diagnosis and treatment research.

Received: Cancer Research UK says it receives 100% of the donation.

Eligibility: UK mobiles only. The sender must be aged 16 or over and have the bill payer’s permission.

Failure and limits: Some MVNOs may not support the service and may show no error. A wrong keyword or short code may still incur a message charge.

Official text-donation terms

Do not let a “final decision” become the end of scrutiny

Sign the petition and demand clear answers: why was the number disconnected, who will review the decision, what happens to unused credit, and how can the customer challenge it?

Sign and demand a public response