This topic

Re-joining BT - keeping same landline phone number?

LRS — Sat, 13 Feb 2021 19:47:54 GMT

Hi there,

I’m posting on behalf of my father, who lives in Hertfordshire.

Due to some BB issues a few years ago, he moved from BT across to Zen for his BB and landline.

He’s considering moving back to BT, but he’s heard that if he does he’ll have to have a new phone number, which he wants to avoid after 51 years with the same number.

Does anyone know if it possible to rejoin BT (landline & BB) and keep the same original landline number please?

Many thanks in advance!

Re: Re-joining BT - keeping same landline phone number?

Keith_Beddoe — Sat, 13 Feb 2021 20:03:35 GMT

@LRS

Provided he still living at the same address, or at an address that is served by the same BT Exchange building, then there should normally be no problem getting his original number back.

BT Retail would issue a new number to start with but once it is working, then he can request a renumber back to his original number. There is a small charge for this.

Re: Re-joining BT - keeping same landline phone number?

imjolly — Sat, 13 Feb 2021 20:04:22 GMT

did your father post his number to Zen when he moved a few years ago? Is he still at same address where he received the number from BT all these years ago? If so can't see why he cannot keep number when he moves to BT

Re: Re-joining BT - keeping same landline phone number?

Pedigree500 — Sat, 13 Feb 2021 22:06:40 GMT

@LRSwrote:
Does anyone know if it possible to rejoin BT (landline & BB) and keep the same original landline number please?!

It is possible but there is no guarantee it will work and, if it doesn't work, the only response he will get from Zen and BT will be "sorry, it's the other party's fault and there's nothing we can do".

Re: Re-joining BT - keeping same landline phone number?

Keith_Beddoe — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 06:42:13 GMT

@Pedigree500

If the number belongs to BT Retail, then its physically connected to the exchange, so there is no problem, once its released by Zen.

Re: Re-joining BT - keeping same landline phone number?

Firefox1701 — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 10:54:46 GMT

Based on personal experience, I would agree. Theoretically it should work; theoretically it should be simple. In practise ... all I would say is, look how many of the posts on this forum refer to similar or identical situations. You don't even necessarily have to read them all: just count how many there are that relate to number-porting, and then, as our American friends say, you do the math.

Re: Re-joining BT - keeping same landline phone number?

imjolly — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 11:11:19 GMT

@Pedigree500

I agree with @Keith_Beddoe

as number actually belongs and will be returned to BT Retail when you leave ZEN you should have no problem getting number back again most of the other posts with porting problems are due trying to transfer from the totally different Virgin system or having ported the number more than once and not necessarily an existing BT Retail number

don't cancel with ZEN as that will cause porting problems you just need to place order with BT Retail and advise you want to keep your number and BT Retail should do all the rest

Re: Re-joining BT - keeping same landline phone number?

LRS — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 11:24:03 GMT

Hi Keith,
Thanks very much for your reply! That sounds promising that he can request a renumber back to his original number! Great news!
Thanks again! LRS

Re: Re-joining BT - keeping same landline phone number?

LRS — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 11:25:40 GMT

Hi imjolly!
Thanks very much for your reply! Yes he did take his original number across to Zen, and he hasn't moved from the address, so hopefully as you say, he will be able to keep his number if he moves back to BT.
Thanks again for your help. LRS

Re: Re-joining BT - keeping same landline phone number?

LRS — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 11:27:35 GMT

Hi Pedigree500!
Thanks for your reply - if he moves back hopefully it will work - but as you say these things can sometimes fall between the two service providers. I guess the technical solution will be to keep fingers crossed!
Thanks again for your reply. LRS

Re: Re-joining BT - keeping same landline phone number?

busywait — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 11:29:41 GMT

Who said that the number would have to change? For a simple switch of providers it will probably be *at least* as smooth as it was when you moved the number from BT to Zen because of all the extra years these organisations have of doing this every day. (Who would bother to log in to a support forum to report back on this - we only see the cases here where it doesn't work).

Moving the land line numbers between providers has been pretty transparent for my and my parents' switches between different providers over the last 10 years (including in and out of Virgin Media; from BT to Talk Talk to Sky, and including from physical phone lines to the new "Digital Voice" lines that Sky and VM use by default already).

If it doesn't "just happen" on the day then it can likely be fixed over the next days and weeks by BT.

Zen do have a reputation for a slightly higher level of service and support than other providers, and if that's worth paying for to you, or don't accept any risk then it's a sensible choice to stay with. My brother loves them after the advice he got from them to fix his setup for what he needed for his work (he creates and plays computer games).

In my recent experience, BT has been helpful and responsive around setting up the details of my recontract, and retrieving my phone number of 28 years after it has spent 13 days with Virgin Media 😄

Maybe it will be a good excuse to phone a few old friends if I do need to change it? (Probably I'll just text their mobiles though :D)

Re: Re-joining BT - keeping same landline phone number?

LRS — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 11:29:53 GMT

Hi Keith,
Thanks for your reply - the number was originally a BT landline number (from around 1970), so it sounds as though it should be possible - fingers crossed of course!
Thanks again, LRS

Re: Re-joining BT - keeping same landline phone number?

Keith_Beddoe — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 11:31:04 GMT

@LRS wrote:
Hi Keith,
Thanks very much for your reply! That sounds promising that he can request a renumber back to his original number! Great news!
Thanks again! LRS

If he has any issues with the renumber, once his BT service is live, then one of the forum moderators can normally help.

Re: Re-joining BT - keeping same landline phone number?

LRS — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 11:31:33 GMT

Hi Firefox 1701!
Thanks for your reply! Reading your's and the replies above, it sounds as though it should be possible to keep the same landline number - especially as was originally a BT number before moving to Zen, but let's hope!
Thanks again, LRS

Re: Re-joining BT - keeping same landline phone number?

LRS — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 11:33:52 GMT

Hi again imjolly!
Thanks for your follow-up reply! As you say, there are lots of different scenarios, but hopefully in my Dad's case the fact the it was originally a BT Landline number will mean that he can keep the original number. Thanks for the advice ref not cancelling Zen first, but let BT Retail do the changeover.
LRS.