This topic

Number porting problem - HELP!

barrington — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 12:25:09 GMT

Hopefully someone can help. My mother in law moved house last week. I arranged the transfer of her services from Sky to Virgin which included transferring her telephone number. There appears to have been an almightly mix up and this hasn't happened. Virgin claim to have asked Sky for the details but didn't get them. Sky claim to have heard nothing and to have passed the number back to BT when the contract ended (on the day of the move).

Virgin claim to be unable to do anything without an active number, Sky claim to have no active number and have returned the number to a 'pot' for 6 months. They pointed me at BT.

I spoke to BT on Sunday who claim to not have the number.

I have no idea how to progress this. It's the number she's had for over 30 years and is the last link to her husband who passed away 6 months ago.

I've spent around 12 hours on hold with various companies over the past three days.

Any help or thoughts very greatfully received.

Re: Number porting problem - HELP!

Keith_Beddoe — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 12:33:30 GMT

@barrington

Her number would have returned to the number range holder, not to BT Retail, unless her number was originally issued by BT Retail.

If it was issued by BT Retail, and the house she is now living in, is connected to the same BT exchange building, then she should be able to get the number back, by becoming a BT Retail customer.

What are the first six digits of her phone number? Please do not post the full number here.

Re: Number porting problem - HELP!

barrington — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 12:38:29 GMT

0191257

Re: Number porting problem - HELP!

Keith_Beddoe — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 12:40:09 GMT

@barrington wrote:

0191257

Thanks, I will look that up for you.

Re: Number porting problem - HELP!

Keith_Beddoe — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 12:44:54 GMT

The number belongs to BT Retail and could only be returned to her, if she got her phone service from BT Retail.

As this would have been issued to her, at her original address, the how far has she moved from that address, as each BT exchange has its own unique number range?

1912 57

Allocated

3+7

15/07/1994

Re: Number porting problem - HELP!

barrington — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 12:46:12 GMT

Thanks so much, She's moved around 6 streets away - on the same estate.

Re: Number porting problem - HELP!

Keith_Beddoe — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 12:51:52 GMT

@barrington wrote:

Thanks so much, She's moved around 6 streets away - on the same estate.

There is a fairly good chance she is still connected to the same BT Exchange building.

If she decides to get her phone service from BT Retail, then initially she would be given a new phone number. Once this is active, she can then request a re-number back to here original number.

If she is taking her other services from Virgin, then that would mean paying for a separate phone line from BT. There may be a reduction from VM, if she does not want a phone line from them.

Re: Number porting problem - HELP!

barrington — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 13:01:26 GMT

Thanks for the help. I guess my issue is - do I have any recourse? It seems that between them Sky and Virgin have dropped the ball. As a customer I asked for a service and neither of them have delivered.

Re: Number porting problem - HELP!

imjolly — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 13:06:05 GMT

as the number is owned by BT Retail the number porting was never going to happen

you need to take it up with SKY and/or Virgin

Re: Number porting problem - HELP!

Keith_Beddoe — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 13:40:51 GMT

@barrington wrote:

Thanks for the help. I guess my issue is - do I have any recourse? It seems that between them Sky and Virgin have dropped the ball. As a customer I asked for a service and neither of them have delivered.

Its very unlikely you will make any progress with them.

Sky did not own her number, it belonged to BT Retail, so Sky would not have been able to give it to VM. Also. VM have their own network, which is totally different to both BT and Sky.

If she is still within her cancellation period, the she could cancel VM, and then take all her service from BT Retail, provided they offer the same features.

This is a very common problem, and it has been reported many times before.

Re: Number porting problem - HELP!

iniltous — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 13:43:20 GMT

Landline number portability is moving a number between providers while remaining in the same property , moving house is something else......although it’s being wise after the event, if the idea was to keep the number and use Virgin ( not Sky ) at the new address and assuming that their physical network would allow this it, the process that may have worked would have been to use number portability to switch from Sky to Virgin at the old property and then use VM’s home mover service , assuming they offer such a service , to take the now ported to VM number ( that was previously BT and Sky ) with you to the new address, attempting to do both things on the same day with one ‘order’ was always likely to fail.
As already indicated , if the number has been returned to BT , the only realistic way to eventually get the number back would be to join BT at the new address , again assuming both addresses are from the same ( BT ) local exchange, as far as any comeback on Sky or VM , you won’t have any claim, you may possibly get VM to release you from any minimum term at the new address , but even that would be a good will gesture, that they may not offer.

Re: Number porting problem - HELP!

Keith_Beddoe — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 15:36:50 GMT

@barrington

As this is a BT Retail customer forum, there is nothing else that can be suggested, as she is not a BT Retail customer.

If she does decide to become a customer, then please post back here.