BT won't let use move number

lolly5648

We have two phone numbers on the one line - different rings and one of which is used by my husband for business.

We tried to transfer our line rental to another supplier and although BT is fine about our transferring our original home number, they will not let us transfer the work number. We are willing to pay BT a small fee for this number but they said no.

Does anyone know if this is legal - can we force them to transfer the number or are we stuck with BT for line rental forever plus their persistant phone calls offering us different deals every week.

Lolly

black-saturn

Threaten to go with another supplier for the business number. They gave in to me when I did that.

RoyRace

Get onto Ofcom about it! www.ofcom.org.uk

clark1982

You can usally transfer your call sign number, but it depends on the company that your going to. You'll need to check with your new supplier if they can transfer this service without you loosing the number. BT really have no involvment in the export, so as long as your new supplier says they can, then there should not be a problem. Your new supplier will then make BT aware that you want to xfer this service aswell, you as the customer would have no direct dealings with BT. Just be careful though, as most providers do offer this service, but the question you need to ask them is "can I transfer the service and be allowed to keep the same number?"

quoia

black-saturn wrote:

Threaten to go with another supplier for the business number. They gave in to me when I did that.

I think you missed the point - that is what lolly is trying to do !!!

lolly5648

Thanks everyone. I think I will have to get on to ofcom. I first had this problem when I tried to transfer to cable a few years ago. Now my calls are with Toucan and when I spoke to them they said they can handle the two different rings on the same line but they had encountered this problem before with BT.

BT say that the second number we have is not a 'real' number just a number they gave us to use to have different rings. It might not be a real number to them but it is to us and all my husband's clients.

Tomorrow I will contact Ofcom and see if they can help. I want to move away from BT on principle now.

clark1982

I would check with your new supplier first if they can xfer this service for you. As I said earlier if BT are asked to transfer this service then they will, but it up to the company your going to to request it. You would have no contact with BT its all done between, Bt and the new supplier. You really need to be asking the new supplier if they can xfer this service with the same number. Some suppliers offer their customers the option to xfer services just as they had them with BT, other offer the services as new services once your connected.

lolly5648

As I said above my new supplier can handle the service but when they tried to do this BT would not release the second number as they say it was never a real phone number.

My new supplier is quite willing to give us a second number so we still have the same service but this is no good as it would cost too much for my husband to change his stationery.