NUMBER CHANGED BY BT AFTER SWITCH TO DIGITAL VOICE

[BPBPBP]

I switched to digital voice when renewing my phone and broadband package.  BT then removed my number without notice.  After some time BT installed a new number without notice or notification.  I have been trying to get BT to revert to my original permanent number for over 2 weeks.

Telephone contacts through the help line produced nothing other than confirmation that there wasn't a problem at my home.  On line fault reporting produced nothing.  Writing to the CEO has proved to be pointless as the matter was merely referred to the consumer resolution team which had already proved to to be incapable of solving the problem.  The fault record shows that an adviser has allegedly worked on the problem 34 times in the past two weeks.  Promises of action and revised target dates have produced nothing.

Any ideas about who at BT is capable of executing a simple reinstatement of a domestic telephone number?

[imjolly]

changing to DV it is not always possible to keep same number but I would have expected BT to have told you that was likely to happen before the change.  If you have already involved the CEO and Executive level complaints not sure where else to go.  really surprised ELC have not resolved the problem or given good reason why not possible

[Keith_Beddoe]

@BPBPBP 

Were you told that you had to move to digital voice, or did you request a change?

If you initiated the request, then that is most likely why you were given a new number, as your old number would still reside on the old exchange equipment as a stopped line.

If you were forced to change, then your number should have been migrated, provided of course, it was a BT Retail number, and was not previously ported in from another provider.

[BPBPBP]

Thank you for this.  BT has come up with a tale telling me that it's proving difficult to restore my original number because there is an outstanding order against it - there isn't.  Of course, BT didn't inform me that I might have to have a new number and the change was made without warning or subsequent notification.

The fault record page has now reverted to the original target date of 19 September and is asking me to confirm that the problem has been solved - it hasn't.  I suspect that the executive team is just a part of the standard team with a fancy title to give the appearance that problems referred to the Chief Executive are getting special attention.

[BPBPBP]

Thank you.  I switched to DV by invitation when I renewed my Broadband service.  I think that your explanation about my original number being stopped at the exchange is the most reasonable explanation and far more plausible than anything I have heard from BT.  

BT 's tale that it's proving difficult to restore my original number because there is an outstanding order against it is hardly credible.  There are no outstanding or incomplete orders on my account.  It goes without saying that BT didn't inform me that I might have to have a new number and the change was made without warning or subsequent notification.  That part of the deal is probably buried away in reams of small print terms and conditions.

[Keith_Beddoe]

@BPBPBP 

Your original number would have a cease against it, but you would not be able to see that on your orders, as its no longer connected to your account.

What I would suggest, is waiting until that order closes, possibly within a couple of weeks, then ring BT and request a renumber back to your original number. In theory, this should be possible, as your original number should just be a "stopped" number. This may need manual intervention, as there may not be a robotic process to do that yet.

Renumber request are quite common, especially if people are receiving unwanted calls. There is normally a small charge for this.

[BPBPBP]

Original number is still showing on my account as are all the orders placed against it.  It's already over 2 weeks without my original number I don't wish to inform all my contacts of what might be a temporary change of number and then have to go through the whole process again some weeks later.  The reality is that I don't believe I'm being given the full picture and that BT is just procrastinating in the hope that I'll accept the new number.

[BPBPBP]

Over a month has passed and I am still without a fully functioning number.  I have had 2 temporary numbers, one worked and one didn’t.  BT wouldn’t let me keep the working number and now claims to have restored the original number.  I can make outgoing calls to land lines and mobiles.  I can receive calls from mobile phones but I can’t receive incoming calls from land lines.  Callers either get a number not recognised message or a dead line.

BT is now blaming Openreach with no clear indication of a resolution. 

[how2b]

I have just switched to BT fibre optic. We previously had their Broadband but now have the upgraded Broadband package.

When the fibre optic cable was installed, the copper landline has been completely removed. Our phone number has now .......... stopped working. BT said nothing about a new phone number being issued and i only discovered this by checking our BT home page. I was MORE than surprised to see a new phone number for our account.

Its the 2nd of January so i won't get any sense from BT ..... (if ever)  until next week.

In view of what i have read in this column, i doubt we shall ever see our old number again.

The MOST ignorant thing is that of ALL the many BT assistants we spoke to, NO ONE mentioned a change in phone number.

It must be on their crib sheet NOT to mention this to customers.

I am going to try to have the number restored but i am not giving it ANY hope. The real inconvenience is having to advise ALL the contacts of the new number.

Yes I am furious. Yes I am livid and as a customer am , as usual unable to do anything.

Good luck with your number

How2b

[BPBPBP · Accepted solution]

Your story is very similar to mine.  After a lengthy saga (emails to Jansen the Chief Executive seemed to help) I did get my old number returned but it took well over a month.  I prioritised giving key personal contacts the temporary number but didn't do that with commercial contacts, most of which seem to use mobile numbers these days.

Given my experience it is possible to revert to an original number but it's clear that BT don't want do that.  Persistence is necessary and be prepared for the excuse that problems are down to Openreach.  Note that it's also possible that you might get a second temporary number, as I did, which only compounded the problem.  By that time I was pretty fed up and said that I would keep the second new number only to be told that wasn't possible as it would cause too much confusion!

Don't forget to request compensation.  Once I had my old number reinstated I asked for compensation via reduced charges; that did happen, saving me £300+ over the next 2 years.

Good luck.