Number Porting

[Aaron1875]

We were with BT for excess of 40 years and lost our landline number during a number porting request to Virgin Media in Jan 2017. The number was allocated to a local neighbour who stated they did not want it, the number is really important to us, we have lost contact with people from abroad and missed out on paying respect to so many nearest and dearest falling ill or sadly passing.
the number was live with the neighbour exactly 15 days ago and she had stated that BT were restoring her old number of 50 years, meanwhile I contacted BT who asked me to request Virgin Media request porting that number. However It’s been over 16 days and now that BT no is off and Virgin Media are telling me that the porting request is cancelled because the number is inactive. They advised that I ask BT to temporarily activate it. Is this possible ? Please help and Thanks in advance. 
The number in question that I want reactivated  is ***********

[Keith_Beddoe]

@Aaron1875 

Please edit out your number, as this is a public forum.

If the number is owned by BT Retail, then the only way you will get it back, is by becoming a BT Retail phone customer. You would also need to be living at the same address as when the number was first issued to you.

The number does belong to BT Retail, and they will not release it to another provider.

1214 44

Allocated

BT

3+7

15/07/1994

As you are not a current BT Retail customer, this forum cannot help with this.

If you do not want to leave Virgin Media, and still want the number, then you would have to get a BT Retail phone line installed as well, and keep VM for your other services. This would involve addition cost.

[iniltous]

I may have mis-interpreted your post, but are you a Virgin Media customer , and have been since Jan 2017 and are asking ( after 4 years ) if it’s possible for BT to port a number to VM , and therefore to you ?, if that’s what you are asking , then the answer is No, that cannot be done, after all , you are not a BT customer , and frankly they have no relationship with you.
If the number is currently un-allocated , and you are prepared to become a BT customer, then by rejoining BT , it’s possible that the number you want could be eventually be allocated to the ‘BT’ line, initially getting a ‘random’ BT number to start with, then getting that number changed to the one you want .

If you want to remain with VM, the number should have been ported 4 years ago when you left BT, but wasn’t, ( VM never got you the number , even if they told you it wasn’t them that messed up the port it was their responsibility ) if VM couldn’t arrange it then , it isn’t going to be possible 4 years later.

[Aaron1875]

Yep just spoke with BT I’m now in process of restoring BT landline, my family had that number since 1973, I was livid when VM failed to port it. 

[Keith_Beddoe · Accepted solution]

@Aaron1875 

You will be given a new number to start with, so you will have to ask for a re-number back to the number you want.

You may save a bit of money if you stop the "phone" part of your VM service.

[Andy_N]

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@Keith_Beddoewrote:

@Aaron1875 

Please edit out your number, as this is a public forum.

If the number is owned by BT Retail, then the only way you will get it back, is by becoming a BT Retail phone customer. You would also need to be living at the same address as when the number was first issued to you.

Is this the case anymore? It may have been in the past, but is it possible that for a subsequent number port - the original number range holder is informed so that they have to change the porting to the new provider?