Moving landline number back from Virgin Media

[BennyCe]

hey guys
So moved my parents to Virgin Media around 18 months ago, and moved the BT number that was in the family for decades, the process was pretty smooth.

Virgin have been rubbish though, the Internet, with multiple downtimes due to issues in the area, but managed to get BT Home Essentials 2 for my parents as a backup Internet (with a phone line) last May, now looking to cancel Virgin altogether. Trying to move the number back to BT (replacing the one BT issued with Home Essentials 2), was told on the phone that it's all possible. 

Then I find out they can't, apparently Virgin need to "release the number"!
Virgin stated multiple times that BT need to actually to make the request, a job was raised by BT, but it turns out, it was raised just to get me off the phone as when I chased as week later, was told the same thing, Virgin will need to release the number. Possible solution is to cancel the number with Virgin, then two weeks after the termination date, I need to make a request with BT who should be able to transfer the number over?
I don't have much faith this will be done. 

Can someone please explain if BT are just telling porkies or if there are real reasons for this? This is in London (0207 area), as I saw a post about potentially different area code, not applicable here, also Virgin didn't have problems transferring the number over, why is BT having problems? 

I don't want to lose the number, so the danger of cancelling the landline with Virgin is that it'll be assigned to another Virgin customer before BT can make the request. 

If there are real reasons and the risk is high to lose the number. Any suggestions? 

As an alternative, I am thinking of maybe moving the number from Virgin to SIPGate, then to BT eventually, but I'd rather it was done straight to BT if possible. 

Thanks

[Keith_Beddoe]

@BennyCe 

Because there are no new physical phone lines being provided, all BT Retail phone connections are provided by BT Digital Voice, which uses the broadband connection.

Its not always possible to renumber an existing service, with an older BT Retail number.

Once Virgin Media cease their line, the number will return back to BT, but there is only a short time period that re-numbering is possible.

Do your parents have a normal phone connection with the phone plugged into a phone socket, or does their phone plug into the socket on the back of the Smart Hub 2?

[iniltous]

Most number ports are done with new service , so for example , leaving VM , joining BT and porting the number on the same date , your problem is that you already have a BT line with a BT number on it and what you want is to cease the VM service and then renumber the BT service to the number that was on the now ceased VM service ( the number originally a BT number ) , this is a somewhat unusual request and not the normal ‘number portability’ order journey.

Various ways you could attempt this ,
Cancel the BT service, then when it’s ‘gone’ , reorder BT as a normal ‘new line’ requesting the number be ported from VM , or cancel VM , eventually the number ( because it was a BT number originally ) is returned back to  BT , and you then  request a renumber from the existing BT number to the now returned number from VM ,  or as you say , keep the BT number , port the wanted number to a third party VoIP provider ( this should cease the VM telephony service) and then access it via an ATA ( or whatever ) on your existing BT broadband, retaining its phone number ( so two phone numbers associated with it , one with BT one with a VoIP provider ) 
I would probably go for the third party VoIP pro as it’s the most likely one to work , and guarantees the only service that will stop is the VM service

[BennyCe]

thanks for the response, there is a phone line active, via the actual BT socket, so "old school", not digital yet.  

[iniltous]

The problem potentially is any new order for telephony will require DV

[Keith_Beddoe]

@BennyCe 

Its not likely to be possible to re-number that analogue line, as any changes would require a move to BT Digital Voice.

Whatever option is taken, the Virgin Media service is going to need ceasing first, to release the number. It may be possible for BT to re-use this number on a Digital Voice provision, which would mean losing the analogue line.

As @iniltous  has said, its an unusual request, and I cannot recall a similar post on this forum.

Its possible a moderator may be able to offer advice on what may be possible.

[BennyCe]

tbh, when I explained it to BT, they said (confidently) that it should be of no problem, they do it all the times!
Yet when they tried to raise the job/request, the issue about Virgin needing to release the number was coming up. 

[Keith_Beddoe]

They would have to release the number, but that will happen when the service is ceased, as the original number port routing, would be broken down. They cannot re-use that number because it would not exist on their network.

[iniltous]

It’s supposedly the case that now , and it’s an Ofcom condition, any provider that ceases a service has to make the phone number that was associated with that service available to port for 30 days after cessation , so it should be possible to cease the VM service , then ask BT ( within those 30 days ) to arrange an import/renumber order to get VM to relinquish control of the number you want and BT to allocate that number to your existing service, its definitely possible but it’s the sort of thing that seems to go wrong and when it does , you never know who messed up , VM would blame BT , BT would blame VM, but it requires both companies to do the correct thing , VM as they end up the ‘loser’ having lost a customer completely, have less incentive to ensure it all goes to plan , after all what’s the penalty for them if it goes wrong , you have already stopped using them .

[BennyCe]

That's the issue, blame game, customer stuck in the middle. I think I'll move it to SIPGate for the time being as I cannot trust either VM or BT.  ☹️