I have a skinny number and it has 8 digits not including the prefix instead of the usual 7. (EG 020 1234 5678 instead of 021 123 4567), and have been having some issues with websites and some competitions not accepting it. Is there a fix for this?
Issues with Skinny 8 Digit Phone Number
Bobtherobber on 26/01/2024 - 15:47
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I have never had any issues with my skinny number in the 6 years I have it.
Sounds like something wrong with the website or something else wrong with your format.Have you tried removing the first "0" out of the number? I've been on skinny since they've started (8 years ago(?)) and removing the first zero always worked for me. E.g. where a site prompts you to type your number in with +64 _____ , instead of typing 0204 xxxxxx type in 204 xxxxxx.
It's rare but problems do exist, spotlight sign up was one recently that I had issues with where I had to use my work number the. Change it after registering. It's not common but it definitely does happen from time to time.
As others have said it's likely whoever devised the system didn't know we have numbers that could be one digit longer so didn't code for that. Either the field length or validation is one digit too short.
Had the same problem, usually with Australian websites. They won't accept mobile eight digit numbers, only 7 digits.
It's an easy fix when entering your Skinny mobile number.
Just drop the first 0, as AnAlpaca has suggested..
That works!That's because the zero isn't needed when dialing from overseas.
+64 222 2222 is the format for any overseas fill in. The ones that are set up correctly will automatically drop the 0.
Just that doomsday Y2K bug that is still lingering around and affecting some websites. Nothing to worry about.
Eight digit numbers (or really 12 digit numbers if you consider it from a broader, rather than purely local perspective such as '+64 20 1234 5678') should work fine (obviously!)
If it doesn't, the issue lies either with the web programmer (for example, they might not know as much as they think they do about phone numbers, and have coded something that truncates some numbers incorrectly or fails to convert a 'provincial style' (020 1234 5678) to a full number (+64 20 1234 5678)) or, if you just aren't getting an SMS through, the website could be using a cheapo foreign SMS gateway, and that gateway is not sending the SMS through correctly.
In either of those cases, there is little you can do to get it to work. You could try contacting the website / customer services, but they likely won't have a clue what you are talking about, won't care, or won't have any clue how to escalate it to someone who might be able to do anything about it, especially if the issue is with the third-party SMS gateway.
The way you have phrased it, your issue sounds like your number is being rejected by the web form for a competition entry, which would be entirely a web programmer making a mistake (or making assumptions that aren't true) - you might have luck trying to contact the website, but I'd still not be holding my breath :-(