We’ve encountered an interesting quirk in the NetSuite renewal process twice now, and it’s worth sharing what we learned so you’re prepared if it happens to you.

Sometimes during renewal, NetSuite’s provisioning system creates a new NetSuite Sandbox instead of renewing your existing one. Your original NetSuite sandbox—with all your configurations and test data—is still recoverable, but you need to act quickly.

What You Need to Know

When this happens, your original sandbox data remains available for 30 days before permanent deletion. That gives you a window to get everything back, but the standard support escalation process can take longer than you’d expect.

We’ve seen this twice now: once took 24 days to resolve, the second time took 8 days. The difference? Knowing the right escalation path.

The Fast-Track Recovery Process

If you discover your NetSuite Sandbox has been incorrectly provisioned, here’s what needs to happen:

1. Open a SuiteAnswers Case

Create a support case with these details. For more information on creating a support case, visit the official NetSuite Support page.

• Clear description: “Sandbox incorrectly provisioned during renewal”
• Both sandbox IDs (your original and the new one). These follow the format: your NetSuite account number + “_SB1” or “_SB2” (example: “1234567_SB1” is your original, “1234567_SB2” is the new one)
• Note the 30-day recovery window
• Mention your project timeline if relevant

2. Contact Your AMO Rep

Email your Account Management Office representative with the issue. Be clear about the urgency and business impact.

They’ll need to get operations approval and send you a new DocuSign to “rebook” the renewal with the correct sandbox. Sign it immediately when it arrives.

3. Get the Collections Case Number

Once the DocuSign is processed, ask your AMO rep: “What is the collections incident number for this issue?”

This is critical for the next step.

4. Call Collections Directly

Here’s the key insight: calling Collections directly with your incident number dramatically speeds up resolution.

When you call, explain:

• You have a collections incident number
• Your sandbox was incorrectly provisioned during renewal
• You need the original sandbox restored
• Your timeline (if you’re mid-implementation)

This step made the difference between extended delays and faster resolution for our clients. Expert NetSuite consulting can make all the difference.

Why This Approach Works

The sandbox swap requires several internal steps: operations approval, a renewal “rebook,” and collections processing. Each step can take 1-3 business days when going through standard channels.

Going directly to collections (with your case number) cuts through most of that waiting time.

How to Prepare

Before renewal:

• Save your AMO rep’s contact info
• Note your sandbox renewal date
• Keep regular backups of your customizations
• Have collections contact information handy

After renewal:

• Test sandbox access within 24 hours
• Verify you’re in the right environment
• Check that your customizations are present

If something’s wrong:

• Start all four escalation steps immediately
• Don’t wait days between attempts
• Be polite but clear about urgency

What This Looks Like in Practice

The first time we encountered this, our client lost access on July 29th. Their AMO rep worked through standard internal channels—billing, provisioning, approvals. Access was restored August 22nd. Nearly the entire 30-day window.

The second time, we knew to escalate more aggressively. The client contacted their AMO rep, opened a case, got the collections incident number, and called collections directly. Eight days from discovery to resolution—still longer than anyone wanted, but dramatically faster than the first experience.

The Key Takeaway

This is a solvable problem, but the solution isn’t obvious if you haven’t seen it before. Standard support escalation works, but it’s slower than the direct collections approach.

If your sandbox goes missing during renewal:

• Don’t panic (you have 30 days)
• Don’t wait (act on day 1)
• Do all four escalation steps simultaneously
• Focus on getting that collections incident number and calling them directly

The difference between knowing this process and not knowing it could mean the difference between 8 days and 24 days of downtime.

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At Limebox, we help NetSuite clients navigate unexpected challenges while keeping implementations on track. And yes, we also offer ScriptSafe for automated customization backups—because some problems are worth preventing entirely.