This topic

Lost Landline number, can anyone help please?

cjh1 — Sat, 05 Jun 2021 12:07:10 GMT

Hi hope you don't mind me asking for help but I see a few others have been helped with this same issue.

In January I signed up to move from landline and Broadband supplier 'ThePhoneCoop' to Vodafone as they are supplying FTTP Gigafast. Unfortunately Vodafone have messed up at every stage and are currently clueless on how to supply the service.

After 5 months its time to give up so I want to get my old phone line back and start again. Vodafone had attempted to port my existing landline number but haven't managed to complete it, for a short while I could receive mobile calls to it but not landline to landline, some issues with it being VOIP, now I get no calls and no dial tone at all.

I've checked and the original provider of the number was BT, so if I take out a new Phone Landline contract with BT would I be able to retrieve my number back from Vodafone?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Re: Lost Landline number, can anyone help please?

imjolly — Sat, 05 Jun 2021 13:36:08 GMT

are you currently still with vodafone?

you say number was originally issued by BT so are you still at same address when number was originally issued?

if you have read other similar posts you will see many have succeeded in getting number back after taking out a phone contract with BT - but there is no guarantee

Re: Lost Landline number, can anyone help please?

cjh1 — Sun, 06 Jun 2021 01:50:50 GMT

thank you! Yes still at same address it was issued at and currently with Vodafone but they can't get the landline working, they have been trying for 5 months.

Is there any way to check BT have the number available to them (realise its no guarantee) Also do I need Vodafone to relinquish it or will BT start a new Port when I take out a BT phone contract?

Re: Lost Landline number, can anyone help please?

Keith_Beddoe — Sun, 06 Jun 2021 05:04:07 GMT

@cjh1

What happens if you ring the number?

What are the first seven digits of the number that you are wanting back?

Do not show the whole number.

Re: Lost Landline number, can anyone help please?

iniltous — Sun, 06 Jun 2021 07:40:44 GMT

If the number was originally a BT number , then it’s not really ported back to BT, it’s simply returned to the number range holder (BT) once the porting arrangement is no longer needed, so a lot depends on the current status of the number ....if after all the incompetence shown so far , the number has by default already been returned to BT, then you should eventually able to get that number via BT, obviously starting with raising an order and accepting any ‘BT’ number, then arranging a ‘renumber’ to the number you want , this may need you to contact the BT Mods on here to manage the renumber order.
If , from BT’s point of view , the number is ported already, you would have to ensure that whatever party is currently shown as having the number , relinquish it, thereby giving back to BT, it’s not a perfect check, but if you dial the wanted number ( from a landline , preferably a BT landline ) and the number pretty much instantly returns NU tone , then it may be already back with BT already .
The problem you may find is without any commitment from you towards BT , then why would BT even check , if you order with BT , although there is a very good chance of success it’s not a guarantee, you may have to make a leap of faith and order with BT to get the ball rolling

Re: Lost Landline number, can anyone help please?

cjh1 — Sun, 06 Jun 2021 15:03:26 GMT

Thanks both for the help.

if I call it, it says 'this persons phone is currently unavailable'

the number is 0190824

I may have to just take the leap of faith and go for it.

Vodafone have asked me to wait until Monday and they are going to have one more go. I don't have any faith in them after 6 months and they don't seem to have technical knowledge at all.

Re: Lost Landline number, can anyone help please?

Keith_Beddoe — Sun, 06 Jun 2021 16:09:30 GMT

@cjh1

Its a BT number. You will be given a new number at first, then when its working, ask for a renumber. Any problem, then post back here. As it belongs to BT, Vodaphone may not be able to help.

1908 24

Allocated

4+6

15/07/1994

Re: Lost Landline number, can anyone help please?

cjh1 — Sun, 06 Jun 2021 23:02:43 GMT

@Keith_Beddoe Thank you so much for checking. I'll wait for Vodafone to update me tomorrow and if they are still stuck i'll take out the BT contract.

Re: Lost Landline number, can anyone help please?

Keith_Beddoe — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 07:05:17 GMT

@cjh1

Any update please, have you resolved the issue with the phone number?

Re: Lost Landline number, can anyone help please?

cjh1 — Thu, 17 Jun 2021 08:22:24 GMT

Thanks for checking up @Keith_Beddoe @iniltous @imjolly

My new BT line has been connected today (48 hours ahead of schedule and with no engineer visit!) I've made the decision to keep the new BT number. Vodafone cannot guarantee that they would disconnect my broadband if my original number was taken back by BT. The ineptitude Vodafone have shown leaves me no confidence in them messing this up. The Vodafone account is named after my landline number and its mentioned multiple times for ID's and Account information so I just know that if they get a message the number is being removed they will disconnect the whole account. So I'm biting the bullet and letting everyone know my new number.

Thanks for all the help and I'm sure the BT renumber would have worked but I'll just stick with this. Now I need to try to recover the 6 months in bills Vodafone have been charging me for no service!

The BT sign up and activation has been flawless and I've been kept up to date at every step, a really good experience and service.

Re: Lost Landline number, can anyone help please?

Keith_Beddoe — Thu, 17 Jun 2021 08:42:25 GMT

@cjh1

Thanks for the update. I am a bit confused as once you moved your service to BT Retail, they would have informed Vodaphone that they are taking over your service, and all your Vodaphone services would cease, and your number would return back to BT Retail.

That is the way it works, you contact your new provider, and they do everything, including informing your old provider.

Re: Lost Landline number, can anyone help please?

cjh1 — Thu, 17 Jun 2021 15:38:06 GMT

BT said they couldn't set up the new account with my Old number, so it was set up with a new number. I was then going to try to do a renumbering back to the old number. But i was worried this would close all my vodafone services, I actually want to keep the Vodafone broadband as its the only service quicker than 2mbps available to me.

So now I have
-Vodafone gigafast on FTTP 100mbps with working broadband but a phoneline (its VOIP from the router) that is supposed to be my old number but doesn't work (Vodafone can't tell me why, number port stuck in limbo) - £26
-a separate BT copper phoneline just for Landline calls, no broadband. - £11

at £37 that's not too bad and I prefer a solid BT line over the VOIP offering (even if it worked) from Vodafone.

Re: Lost Landline number, can anyone help please?

Keith_Beddoe — Thu, 17 Jun 2021 16:11:08 GMT

@cjh1

What do you get if you ring your old number, ie, the number you want to get back?

Re: Lost Landline number, can anyone help please?

cjh1 — Thu, 17 Jun 2021 17:12:58 GMT

It still says
'this persons phone is currently unavailable’

Re: Lost Landline number, can anyone help please?

Keith_Beddoe — Thu, 17 Jun 2021 18:27:37 GMT

@cjh1 wrote:
It still says
'this persons phone is currently unavailable’

Its stuck in limbo, not sure why.

As you have a working landline with BT Retail, would you like a moderator to see if they can get your original number back?

Re: Lost Landline number, can anyone help please?

NeilO — Thu, 17 Jun 2021 19:10:22 GMT

Hi @cjh1 This sounds like a real pain for you. If it's still associated with the Vodafone VoIP service we wouldn't be able to place a renumber order. Vodafone will need to make the number spare and available before we would be able to help.

Thanks

Neil

Re: Lost Landline number, can anyone help please?

cjh1 — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 09:06:06 GMT

@Keith_Beddoe @NeilO

I'm just going to stick with the new BT number and VF broadband only. Too much risk that trying a renumber will close down the Vodafone broadband I need to keep (then its another 3-4 weeks to get connected again.)

Thanks for all the advice and trying to help.

Re: Lost Landline number, can anyone help please?

NeilO — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 09:28:47 GMT

Hi @cjh1 I can appreciate your concerns, the renumber order simply wouldn't work if the number wasn't spare. It wouldn't cancel another ISP's broadband like a line/broadband take over order would.

Thanks

Neil