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Lost phone number when upgrading to fibre (our phone number since 1988!) Can we get it back?

LaurenKF — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 07:13:06 GMT

Hello! I feel awful. I finally managed to convince my elderly parents to upgrade their home phone and broadband to full fibre and digital voice, and they’ve lost their original phone number. It’s been their phone number since 1988, and my dad is in very poor health with doctors and nurses coming and going all the time.

This happened on Tuesday, and I’ve spent ages on the phone to BT on Wednesday and Thursday and finally last night managed to get them a working landline with a temporary number. The lady said she would request a renumber to our old number but I just can’t find any details of that request in my online account? I’ve spent hours on the phone to them this week and I’m at my wits end.

can anyone help me please? We would really like to get the old phone number back, as that’s the number the doctors and nurses will be using to get in touch with my Dad. It’s a nightmare.

Re: Lost phone number when upgrading to fibre (our phone number since 1988!) Can we get it back?

Keith_Beddoe — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 07:17:41 GMT

@LaurenKF

This is just a customer to customer help forum, everyone here, including myself, are just customers.

The only BT Employees are the forum moderators.

I have asked one of them to reply on this thread.

Have they always been with BT Retail?

I assume that their phone is now plugged into the phone socket on the back of the Smart Hub 2?

Re: Lost phone number when upgrading to fibre (our phone number since 1988!) Can we get it back?

LaurenKF — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 07:25:16 GMT

Hi @Keith_Beddoe thanks so much for replying. I’m really pleased to hear back from anyone.

the old phone number was originally a BT number back in 1988, but we were previously with EE and they sold me the BT full fibre and digital voice deal (because they’re the same company now). So that’s why we upgraded and went with BT.

My Dad does finally have the ability to call out from his landline (very late yesterday evening this finally got up and running). The phone is plugged into the back of the Smart Hub 2.

Thanks so much for replying. I’m really stressed out about this, mostly because of my Dad’s health and we’re waiting on a phone call from a consultant at the hospital, which will of course go through to the old number.

Re: Lost phone number when upgrading to fibre (our phone number since 1988!) Can we get it back?

Keith_Beddoe — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 07:38:20 GMT

@LaurenKF

EE was a separate provider before it became part of the BT Group, so that may be part of the issue, as the original number would have been ported to EE when they moved from BT to EE.

Porting numbers from other providers to BT Digital Voice, can present issues as a new complete routing has to be made, unlike existing BT customers who upgrade and have to take BT Digital Voice, where there is a process built to do that.

If its at all possible, then one of the moderators should be able to help.

Re: Lost phone number when upgrading to fibre (our phone number since 1988!) Can we get it back?

LaurenKF — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 07:40:23 GMT

Hi @Keith_Beddoe thanks so much for the info, and for flagging this up to the moderators. I’m really grateful 😊

Re: Lost phone number when upgrading to fibre (our phone number since 1988!) Can we get it back?

StuartH — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 08:12:55 GMT

Hi @LaurenKF

Thanks for posting, I can have this investigated for you to see if we can get back the original number.

As @Keith_Beddoe has said however it's not something we can guarantee we can get back, but we will do our best to help.

We are working through a small backlog of cases, so it might be next week before you hear back from us.

Thanks

Stuart

Re: Lost phone number when upgrading to fibre (our phone number since 1988!) Can we get it back?

LaurenKF — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 08:15:53 GMT

Hi @StuartH thanks so much for replying. I would really, really appreciate it if you could investigate this - do you need some more details from me? Thanks so much for replying

Re: Lost phone number when upgrading to fibre (our phone number since 1988!) Can we get it back?

StuartH — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 08:22:22 GMT

Hi @LaurenKF

Thanks, I've just sent a private message asking for details we need to investigate.

Happy to help.

Stuart

Re: Lost phone number when upgrading to fibre (our phone number since 1988!) Can we get it back?

LaurenKF — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 10:42:40 GMT

Thanks @StuartH ive just spotted it and replied

Re: Lost phone number when upgrading to fibre (our phone number since 1988!) Can we get it back?

StuartH — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 10:45:22 GMT

Hi @LaurenKF

Thanks, I can see it's popped into our queue once it reaches the top we will be in touch.

Stuart

Re: Lost phone number when upgrading to fibre (our phone number since 1988!) Can we get it back?

LaurenKF — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 11:25:54 GMT

Thank you 😊

Re: Lost phone number when upgrading to fibre (our phone number since 1988!) Can we get it back?

StuartH — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 13:14:22 GMT

Hi @LaurenKF

Thanks for taking my calls and replying to my messages.

I'm pleased we've been able to restore your Fathers number he's had since 1988.

Should you need any help with anything else in the future, please post back in the Community and we'll be happy to help.

Thanks

Stuart

Re: Lost phone number when upgrading to fibre (our phone number since 1988!) Can we get it back?

LaurenKF — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 19:10:29 GMT

Thanks Stuart you’ve gone above and beyond get this sorted out and we really appreciate it. Thank you 😊