This topic

Help with retrieving old phone number

dforster — Mon, 07 Mar 2022 20:35:16 GMT

Hi,

Hoping someone can help. We moved sometime ago to a new provider (as part of purchasing a new phone system), taking over the lines was part of the deal (wish I hadn't said yes).

To cut a long story short the new telco went to the wall leaving Siemens being owned money for the equipment and Gamma Communication (who the bust telco used as their provider) being owned money for the line rental.

I contacted Gamma directly who did their best to help (in the constraints of GDPR and data protection), however they said as the number had been ceased it had been returned to range holder (which would be BT/Openreach). I've spoken to someone who says they have checked the WLR portal and the number still hasn't been returned to there, it was disconnected mid April last year. They say the number may still be in Quarantine but they can't be sure. As BT is the range holder are you able to provide any additional information, i.e. is it indeed in quarantine or maybe it's still with Gamma and they have got it wrong.

Any help you can provide would be most helpful, I can then chase the right company, it's so difficult to work out who has the disconnected number 😞

Happy to provide all the details you might need on a private message etc.

Thanks in advance, Dave.

Re: Help with retrieving old phone number

Keith_Beddoe — Mon, 07 Mar 2022 20:43:06 GMT

@dforster

Welcome to this user forum.

To get your BT issued number back, you would need to move your service back to BT. You would be given a new number to start with, and then you would need to request a renumber back to your original number.

BT Openreach do not exist.

I assume you are a business user, so it BT Business you would need to contact to initiate this change.

This is the BT Retail customer forum.

Re: Help with retrieving old phone number

dforster — Mon, 07 Mar 2022 20:52:09 GMT

Hi Keith,

Thanks for the quick reply. sorry maybe I didn't make it clear in my post, but the service is disconnected, so I'm advised I'm unable to move/port it back, I'd gladly do so if I could.

Yes appreciate this is a retail forum, but having done hours/days/months I'm trying anything and during a search of the internet found this forum and the mods seemed to really be able to help people as opposed to the usual brick walls you come up against, so it was a bit of a long shot on my part. Appreciate they might not be able to action anything, but if they can point me in right direction having checked a few things on their system so at least I can chase the right company/department I might be in with a chance.

Regards, David.

Re: Help with retrieving old phone number

Keith_Beddoe — Mon, 07 Mar 2022 21:03:00 GMT

@dforster

The moderators here cannot help with business connections, however you may like to try the moderators on the BT Business Forum.

https://business.forums.bt.com/

You will probably need to start a new BT Business contract.

https://business.bt.com/

Re: Help with retrieving old phone number

dforster — Mon, 07 Mar 2022 21:03:06 GMT

Thanks.

Since there isn't a connection as such anymore is was more really just a question/help about a number so surely anyone can 'advise' on the current status of a number, regardless of business or retail?

Maybe I'm missing something.

Re: Help with retrieving old phone number

Keith_Beddoe — Mon, 07 Mar 2022 21:14:26 GMT

surely anyone can 'advise' on the current status of a number, regardless of business or retail?

You can look the number owner up on the Ofcom database.

If you have a quick look at the OFCOM website :-

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/information-for-industry/numbering/numbering-data

and download the spreadsheet that contains your number range (note the numbers exclude the leading zero). The line in the spreadsheet will show to whom the range is allocated.

Re: Help with retrieving old phone number

dforster — Mon, 07 Mar 2022 21:15:53 GMT

Thanks, yes I'd already done that.

What I'm struggling to find out is if the number has been returned to the range holder or not.

Re: Help with retrieving old phone number

Keith_Beddoe — Mon, 07 Mar 2022 21:18:05 GMT

It would have been returned to the range holder. What do you get if you call the number?

Re: Help with retrieving old phone number

dforster — Mon, 07 Mar 2022 21:40:34 GMT

BT is the range holder (hence me making contact on here) so they could confirm they have it back or it’s still flagged as pointing to another provider.

It may also have gone into quarantine and if that was they case they could advise how it may be resolved.

I’ve already spoken to someone who checked the WLR3 portal and advised the number definitely isn’t back in circulation.

Calling the number just fails / unavailable

Re: Help with retrieving old phone number

Keith_Beddoe — Mon, 07 Mar 2022 21:55:11 GMT

I cannot see how this forum can help, as we are all just customers.

My initial suggestion would be to contact BT Business with a view to getting a working service back. Then see if its possible for them to allocate your old number to your service.

BT Business have a number of different voice services, bearing in mind that the analogue PSTN network is closing down, so it would be a VOIP type service, similar to BT Digital Voice, which is now the normal for new customers.

Re: Help with retrieving old phone number

mji1 — Thu, 24 Mar 2022 19:59:17 GMT

Hi @dforster

I'm also struggling with a same/similar issue, i was wondering if there had been any update please?

Apologies I'm new to this, i have been searching frantically for any help/advise on the internet and came across this thread!

Re: Help with retrieving old phone number

dforster — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 10:12:30 GMT

Sadly not I'm afraid. Lost cause 😞

Re: Help with retrieving old phone number

pegasus2464 — Thu, 09 Feb 2023 17:50:11 GMT

I got my father-in-law to move to BT from Shell Broadband in November 2022. It took until 8th February 2023 for them to install digital voice and TV. I specifically asked after two failed orders due to the BT computer system to ask to keep his old number. He had it for 20 years. At the point of sale, they told me this would not be a problem. But guess what? - now it is installed they cannot keep the number he has had for 20 years! This was due to the fact the line has not been in operation since November 2022. - Now that was not our fault. It took BT 3 months to get him connected. After many hours on the phone, I have found the BT customer service staff keener to take your money than provide customer service. They also wanted a further £1500 to install a new pole to deliver fiber optic wires. The Openreach teams said they are not allowed to work on the old copper wire system. Oh Yes, as well, they are not allowed to work in lofts either! This company is an absolute disaster with the customer services teams not knowing their own systems.

What is BT's mission statement?

It's our mission to build the best possible network with the highest quality of service and make sure that everyone in the UK can be connected.

I don't think so BT!