Transferring Account

[Peawee]

Hi,

I have had a broadband and landline account with BT for many years now, and wanted to transfer it to my daughter, who lives at the same address, as she is eligible for the social tariff. I'm out of contract. I was told on online chat that I could do this - I should call to do the transfer and then go online to apply for the social tariff. However, on making the call, I have been told that I can't do a transfer, and that I need to cancel my account and then my daughter needs to set up a new one. I've also been told there is no guarantee that we can keep our existing phone number. We've had the same number for over 30 years, so I am obviously anxious to keep it. I'm told it will go into quarantine and we may have to have a different number temporarily and then we may get the old one back, but sometimes things slip through the net and the new number might be permanent. When I switched mobile phone providers, it was a simple process to port my existing number, so it seems crazy to me that your own provider can't allow you to keep an existing number. Can anyone verify that what I've been told is correct? And if I go elsewhere, is it usually possible to port an existing number in the same way you can with a mobile? Thanks

[Keith_Beddoe]

@Peawee 

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

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

The only BT Employees are the forum moderators.

What you have been told is correct. 

She would have to takeover your line, which would cancel your service. 

As for retaining the number, you may be able to get your original number back, provided its done within 28 days. You would need to pay a small charge to get the line renumbered.

Another thing to be aware of, is if you have fibre broadband and there is no capacity left in the street cabinet. When the line is taken over the old broadband connection in the cabinet will be ceased and given to another customer, so that could mean that she would have to wait for a connection to become available.

As for taking the number to another provider, that is not always guaranteed.

[Keith_Beddoe]

deleted by poster