Switching From BT with Digital Voice

[BobP1]

Hi,

Apologies if this is in the wrong topic.

I am trying to switch both Broadband and telephone from BT to Vodafone, keeping my existing number. I have not been able to do so and have had a number of discussions and online chats with both BT and Vodaphone. The latest chat this afternoon came up with this :

I have checked your account and could see we recently upgraded your from
Landline copper connection to Digital Voice. Vodafone can only take the Phone
number XXXXXXXXXXX under their services when you'll place a cancellation
request to our Order Team to remove the complete landline services from BT.
Once the cancellation part will be done, only then Vodafone will be able to
take over the number.

Why do I have to do anything other than use a standard switching service ? What has digital voice got to do with anything ?

I am concerned that if I cancel, Vodaphone won't pick up the order at the correct time and I will be left with no broadband and phone for an indefinite period. I am also concerned that my existing number won't port over at all. I really need to keep my existing number. Why do I have to coordinate the switch in any case. ISn't this what a switching service is for ?

Is this just BT putting roadblocks in the way, trying to prevent customers switching.

Additionally, when I asked if I could keep my email address when I switched, I was told no. When I said I had researched online and found that I could, they checked and confirmed "no". The next person I asked said yes, but I would have to pay. When I said that I understood that there was a free service, they eventually said there was, provided I went through their BT mail login and just accessed the email service online. I now have this in writing in an email, so hopefully this is correct.

Again, is this just BT trying to prevent customers switching ?

Any help and advice would be most welcome.

Thanks,

Bob

[iniltous]

What you have been told is abject nonsense, but it in effect you inability to port the number to VF is not BT’s problem , if you want to join Vodafone and keep your number that is entirely VF’s responsibility to arrange it , it’s up to them to take the appropriate actions to achieve this ,if they follow the correct process  BT cannot stop it ,  should VF state that BT are stopping this , they are wrong , if they fail to get the number , it’s no one else’s problem but theirs ( and yours if the number is important to you ) . 
FYI , if you did follow the instructions you supposedly were given and simply ceased you BT service , the number remains available to be ported for 30 days , so if you did that , VF could still port the number anytime in the month after cessation.

You already know that your BT email address is accessible after you leave , just not via a email client, you need to use webmail by logging into your email account manually, as you know this , it’s unclear why you even asked , this information is widely known .

[BobP1]

Thanks for the reply. I thought BT were talking rubbish.

This all started when I tried to switch to Vodafone and I got :

Unfortunately we're unable to port your landline number

It may be because the landline number you've entered doesn't match the selected address, or because you're moving to an area with a different dialing code. You can go back and edit your details if they're incorrect - or continue with a new landline number free of charge

To be clear, I am not moving, I am just trying to switch broadband and phone provider while keeping my existing number.

I talked/chatted to both BT and Vodaphone and BT have my address as 76 High St (not my real address) and in Vodaphone's drop-down list (that can't be edited) it is Sea View, 76 High St. Vodaphone thought this might be what was causing the problem and said I needed to talk to BT. When I talked to BT, they came up with the digital voice "issue".

I don't know what to do next. Vodafone say they can't do anything. BT want me to cancel before anything can happen. What do you think ?

Thanks.

Bob

[gg30340]

When you leave BT Broadband your email account will be downgraded to a free BTMail Basic account which can only be used on a web browser and not with email clients or email apps such as you may use on mobile devices.

If you want you can "upgrade" back to what you had prior to leaving BT Broadband by paying £7.50 per month to have a BT Premium email account which will return your email account to be the same as it was before you left BT and this can be used with email clients and email apps.

See link.

BT Email products | Types of BT Emails | BT Help

[BobP1]

Thanks. The link is pretty clear that I can keep my email account with the basic option.

[iniltous]

Yet again the important information isn’t initially provided , it’s the address mismatch that’s the issue …the thing I’d be asking  VF is , if they can provide service if you are willing to accept any old number allocated by VF , but not if you want to port the number , why is that the case , presumably they are prepared to order service for the wrong version of your address .

As you are intending to leave BT for VF , TBH there’s no real obligation here (on a BT customer to customer forum )  to assist VF customers, although admittedly you are not a customer of theirs yet , but if there are multiple appearances (variations) of your address on the Royal Mail database , you need them to remove the all incorrect ones and leave only the official one ( used by the council for council tax etc ) as everyone else’s address information including Openreach is intimately based on that RM data , if that data is corrupt you will have issues.

[Anonymous]

@BobP1 

So which address is correct according to RM, BT's or VF's?

If you search for your address here using the address tab at the top, does it return one entry for your property or two?