Moving phone/BB from Virgin to BT, do I cancel Virgin?

Hurley · 22 September 2017 at 12:10AM

Hi all.

I have TV/phone/BB with Virgin. I plan on moving my phone and BB to BT, and cancelling the TV altogether.

I want to keep the number I currently have with Virgin (an old BT number that I moved over last year).

So I understand that I sign up to BT and inform them I would like to keep my number that i have with Virgin. but do I also need to separately contact Virgin and cancel my services with them?

Thanks for any help.

Midland45 · 22 September 2017 at 7:04AM

Yes ring Virgin up to give them their 30 days cancellation notice even though BT will have requested your phone number. You'll find the Retentions team will try to keep your business by reducing your package price. If you decline this, you'll probably get a call from the Virgin Outbound Team after a few days, who can offer even better deals. In my case it was better than the deal off BT including my Topcashback. If you do leave Virginmedia, be aware that you lose any Virgin email addresses after 90 days.

Hurley · 22 September 2017 at 10:00AM

Thanks Midland45.

My main concern is not losing my number. I read somewhere that when transferring a number, the losing provider must have the line active, as in the account not cancelled, for the gaining provider to be able to do the switch?
I don't know if this is true and if it is then does it apply to Virgin as well because they are not openreach but rather their own separate network.
So I intend to sign up to BT or Sky, and ask them to retain my number, but do I cancel Virgin too?

iniltous · 22 September 2017 at 12:09PM

By signing up to BT and asking for the number to be ported ( or in your case to be returned back to BT as it was previously ported to VM) should take care of the cessation of your phone with VM , but not necessarily the VM broadband and TV service.
Once you have confirmation from BT that their service will start with the required number , then call VM to cease the broadband and TV , enquiring if they can see the order to return the phone number to BT, avoid calling VM about the phone, because if they just 'cease' the phone, although the number goes back to the number range holder (BT) it may be held in quarantine for a period, so it takes longer to get it allocated to your BT line....used correctly the number port system should ensure you get the number from the outset

Hurley · 22 September 2017 at 12:25PM

iniltous wrote: »

By signing up to BT and asking for the number to be ported ( or in your case to be returned back to BT as it was previously ported to VM) should take care of the cessation of your phone with VM , but not necessarily the VM broadband and TV service.
Once you have confirmation from BT that their service will start with the required number , then call VM to cease the broadband and TV , enquiring if they can see the order to return the phone number to BT, avoid calling VM about the phone, because if they just 'cease' the phone, although the number goes back to the number range holder (BT) it may be held in quarantine for a period, so it takes longer to get it allocated to your BT line....used correctly the number port system should ensure you get the number from the outset

Great, thanks that makes sense.

AndyPK · 22 September 2017 at 12:29PM

If it were me I would sign up with the new provider (although it wouldn't be BT!), wait 5 days, and then call up virgin to cancel it. See if they were aware of the number request from BT.

30 days later your VM services will stop.

Do some planning on the installion dates available, when you will be at home and leave an over lap of at least 1 week when you will have broadband from both suppliers incase things go wrong.

Hurley · 27 September 2017 at 12:04AM

OK, just a quick question regarding this.

I phoned Virgin just to see if I could cancel tv/bb to save money on my final bill before I leave. They said as it's a bundle deal, I can't without entering a new 12 month contract for standalone phone. So I would need to cancel everything in one go at the same time.

As I want to keep the landline active until the port is complete to ensure it runs smoothly, that would mean paying an extra £60 to keep my Virgin services alive even though I won't be using them. This seems absurd, that is almost two months worth of my new BT contract.

I have contacted BT on their forums, but they're saying go ahead and cancel, everything will be OK. But this goes against internet consensus that says it's really a good idea to have both services alive until the port is done (and I don't know when that will be as my install date is 19th Oct) to ensure it runs smoothly.

I don't know what to do. I don't want to lose my number, but I don't want to pay £60 to Virgin for the privilege, especially as I shouldn't have to. Why can't things be simple?

AndyPK · 27 September 2017 at 9:34AM

I recommend only a 1 week overlap. Therefore you only loose £15

Hurley · 27 September 2017 at 10:17AM

AndyPK wrote: »

I recommend only a 1 week overlap. Therefore you only loose £15

Do you mean from the installation date or the sign up? My installation date is October 19th, so if I cancel now it will be over a week later than that when they cancel. But my sign up date was this Sunday gone, so I would cancel on this Sunday coming.

Also, is the overlap for if there are any issues with the number port I can still retain my number, as in uncancel Virgin and then I will be able to keep the number? Because if it's just a backup plan for loss of services then I'm not overly fussed about that, it's the number which is important.

Thanks for the replies.

Moving phone/BB from Virgin to BT, do I cancel Virgin?

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