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Re: Old landline number retrieval

WIRRALDAVE — Sat, 04 Nov 2023 10:26:32 GMT

This is to the whole Community.... has ANYONE successfully retrieved their old landline number ? I suspect I won't find anyone .. We were told a) verbally AND b) by email, the same day ( 27/10/23 ) that a) it WOULD be done on 2/11/23 and b) it WOULD be done within 10 days . Needless to say, it WASN'T and the " explanation" was that " the system wouldn't allow it ... Any similar experiences ?

Re: Old landline number retrieval

Keith_Beddoe — Sat, 04 Nov 2023 10:43:37 GMT

@WIRRALDAVE

Welcome to this user forum for BT Retail phone and broadband customers.

I have moved your post to this new thread, so you can get personal help from the community or moderators, so please watch this thread for updates.

There have been many cases where BT have been able to arrange a re-number of BT Retail owned numbers.

A lot depends on which provider owns the number you are trying to get back. If its owned by BT Retail, then its normally possible to keep the number, provided its done within 28 days. If its owned by another provider, then it can present a problem.

Re: Old landline number retrieval

iniltous — Sat, 04 Nov 2023 12:05:07 GMT

There are too many variables to ask the question and get a simple Yes or No , was the number originally BT and exported to another provider and you are attempting to switch to BT and retrieve the number , are you with another provider , the number is part of that other provider’s number range and you want them to export it to BT when you become a BT customer, are you already a BT customer with a number that has always been a ‘BT’ number , you have migrated to DV ( digital voice ) the original number somehow ‘lost’ and the problem is getting this number onto DV .
They are not the only permutations, so without context, your question cannot really be answered .

In general number portability ‘generally’ is successful, but hopefully you appreciate in most cases there are at least two parties involved, an error by either can mess up this process

Re: Old landline number retrieval

WIRRALDAVE — Sat, 04 Nov 2023 12:09:28 GMT

Hi Keith, we started the process 10 days after the contract ( switch from copper to Full Fibre ) was set up and, notwithstanding that, we received verbal AND email confirmation, of getting our old landline number back, 16 days after the contract was set up...

Thanks for your interest,

Dave ( Ball )

Re: Old landline number retrieval

Keith_Beddoe — Sat, 04 Nov 2023 12:18:00 GMT

@WIRRALDAVE

As @iniltous has pointed out, there are a lot of variables.

The main one is whether you moved from another provider, or whether you are an existing BT Retail customer upgrading to full fibre, and you already had an existing BT Retail number.

Did you ask to retain your existing number to be transferred over to BT Digital Voice, when you placed your order?

Re: Old landline number retrieval

WIRRALDAVE — Sat, 04 Nov 2023 12:41:25 GMT

Hi Keith,

Yes, we were a BT/EE Retail Customer and, Yes, we were in a BT Directory ... We were not made aware of any need to mention " Digital Voice " ....

Dave

Re: Old landline number retrieval

Keith_Beddoe — Sat, 04 Nov 2023 12:48:15 GMT

@WIRRALDAVE

When you move to full fibre, the only option for a phone service is BT Digital voice, which is delivered to the phone socket on the back of your BT Smart Hub 2.

Is that where your phone is plugged into at the moment?

Was it BT Retail or EE that issued your original phone number?

Re: Old landline number retrieval

WIRRALDAVE — Sat, 04 Nov 2023 13:07:05 GMT

Ha again,

Yes that's where, and how, it was plugged in.. and, Yes, the old number was issued by BT when we moved here nearly 4 years ago...

This is possibly, though you would know better than me, all semantics, as we WERE told, verbally and by email that the old number WAS being retrieved ...

Dave

Re: Old landline number retrieval

Keith_Beddoe — Sat, 04 Nov 2023 13:30:58 GMT

Is the number you want, the same number that you had working on your old copper connection before you were upgraded to fibre? Or are you trying to get back an old number?

Re: Old landline number retrieval

WIRRALDAVE — Sat, 04 Nov 2023 13:41:28 GMT

Yes to the first option Keith,

Dave

Re: Old landline number retrieval

Keith_Beddoe — Sat, 04 Nov 2023 13:55:18 GMT

In that case, all I can do is to ask one of the moderators to look at your problem, as its not going to be possible for forum members to help with this.

One of them should post here, when they get time.

Re: Old landline number retrieval

WIRRALDAVE — Sat, 04 Nov 2023 14:00:26 GMT

Thanks for your interest, and help, Keith. I'll await further clarification, even if only academic now, then.

Dave

Re: Old landline number retrieval

DanielS — Sat, 04 Nov 2023 16:20:20 GMT

Hi @WIRRALDAVE,

I'm sorry to read about the problems you've had trying to get your number back.

We'd need to look into this to see if we can get it back and if not, why not. I sent you a private message earlier that you can reply back to my team on.

It's going to take us longer than normal to get back to you but we will make sure to check everything and get in touch with you.

Thank you
DanielS

Re: Old landline number retrieval

WIRRALDAVE — Sat, 04 Nov 2023 18:29:18 GMT

Thanks Daniel ! In the meantime we've been back to BT and spoken to another operative who seems to have spotted the reason in the system for the previous failure. The exact process/order has been recommenced and we now have a new date - 10/11/23 - for the number retrieval. If there is still a problem, I will look for your help, as offered.

David Ball