Phones4U and number porting

zolablue25

I called Phones4U this morning regarding some offers they are running for Vodaphone products and asked whether I could port my number. The operator said 'Only Orange allow you to transfer your number using the PAC method'. Now I'm a bit confused. I thought Ofcom obliges network providers to transfer numbers if requested so to do. IS this not correct? Was the sales person telling porkies? Or have i misunderstood the current legislation?

Thanks

Jon_01

You can port from/to any network. The only proviso is Vodaphone ONLY let you port in at the start of your contract and not after...

zolablue25

So she was telling me porkies. If she had said that the contracts they provide don't let you port I would have accepted that but she clearly stated 'Only Orange allow you to transfer your number using the PAC method'.

mobilejunkie

I now have conflicting advice from them; I have been told something similar to someone else on another thread i.e. you can port to Vodafone from a PAYT Vodafone sim after the contract has commenced.

Gareth83

would that be porting though MJ? Or a transfer?

I have again rang them this morning and they have said it is simply not possible

mobilejunkie

Not sure what a "transfer" is. Whatever is or may be possible, I won't touch it unless my cashback is covered and proveable. Whatever people say now could change in 3 months' time, which is when the number I would prefer to keep is up (literally not metaphorically, hopefully!).

gsmmad

basically vodafone only allow the number to be ported at the time of connection. Other networks dont do this. So people at p4u allways try to get u onto something like orange as they can do the sale then and there, rather than wait for pac and then do it afterward.

However if its a payasugo then u can get the pac number straight away and get the contract. I wouldnt trust my details with phones4u and i use to work there.

Gareth83

gsmmad wrote: »

basically vodafone only allow the number to be ported at the time of connection. Other networks dont do this.

This was my understanding also until several conversations just now with Vodafone staff. They have even said I can port my o2 number after connection!

However if its a payasugo then u can get the pac number straight away and get the contract.

Are you saying it is possible to transfer a vodafone PAYG number onto an existing Vodafone account?

zolablue25

Thing is I've got a number that I've had for years, happily ported from one network to another (though never had a vodaphone contract). This number is a good, easy to remember one. I do not want to lose my number and I told the sales person this, she mentioned Orange and I told her I wasn't interested. I am currently on Tesco PAYG and am now thinking about getting an additional number for the new Vodaphone account and keeping my old number open until my vodaphone contract has run. Maybe then I could get a contract where I could port my number. Does this sound reasonable? I would obviously be ignoring GSMMAD's advice regarding Phones4U though.

Anon

There was some comment about this on another thread yesterday (cannot find it at the moment - it was in relation to their latest 12 month free offers). Someone from Phones4u was on and stated something along the lnes that it is administratively possible (ie you can do it at the point of sale, so could in a store for example), but their online system cannot process PAC as it means contacting Vodafone which means that it could not be an automated process (I am sure it could if someone put their thinking cap on!). Other networks send out a dummy SIM/temporary number, Vodafone do not which is why it is not possible. A shame, as they have the best offers at the moment and I am looking for a new cashback contract for Mrs Anon, but we would prefer to keep the existing number.

I would be very careful about transferring to PAYT then onto the contract - although technically possible sure someone will know!) this is likely to breach the cashback T&Cs as the telephone number will be different.

Anon

mobilejunkie

Hence what I already said:

mobilejunkie wrote: »

Whatever is or may be possible, I won't touch it unless my cashback is covered and proveable.