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Transfer same-network number from PAYG to contract - CAN'T DO

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Dear all,

As a mobile phone novice I thought it would be a straightforward process to transfer my existing PAYG number to a contract with the same network - but not so...

Being on Virgin PAYG for many years, I thought I'd take advantage of a cashback offer through CPW to Virgin contract. However:

(1) Virgin physically could not assign my old number to my new contract without porting out to a different network and porting back in;

(2) CPW point blank refused to disconnect my new SIM and reconnect my old SIM to a contract under their offer (even though I would end up with the same outcome - a new contract customer) and said the only way out is to return the phone to them (I'll refrain from a rant about their customer service - you know the score...)

Instead of throwing my phone back in the face of CPW (giving them back a phone worth a good deal more on eBay), I dedided that I still had a free phone and wanted to take advantage of the deal (with an extra 30 quid due through Quidco ;-). So here's what I decided to do:

- buy a cheap SIM through, say, Fresh, in order to port my Virgin PAYG number to them;
- port my number from Fresh to the Virgin contract a few days later.

Can anyone see any pitfalls with this hairbrain plan?

Hopefully CPW will still honour their cashback deal after once being flagged as a return item (they confirmed twice over the phone that it was...), but any experience/war stories would be extremely welcome.

Thanks :-)

Comments

  • espresso
    espresso Posts: 16,448 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    fredquimby wrote:
    - buy a cheap SIM through, say, Fresh, in order to port my Virgin PAYG number to them;
    - port my number from Fresh to the Virgin contract a few days later.

    Can anyone see any pitfalls with this hairbrain plan?

    Don't buy a SIM as they are available for free if you look around!

    :D
    :doh: Blue text on this forum usually signifies hyperlinks, so click on them!..:wall:
  • Hi,
    I've got a three contract with a number that I want to keep and want to take out another 3 cashback contract. The last couple of times I've done this I've hopped onto an O2 PAYG sim and hopped back to the new three contract. However O2 got a bit @rsey about this last time and I needed to do some (not very convincing!) quick talking before they would give me the PAC code!

    From everyone's experince what is the best network to temporarily port a number to on PAYG (in terms of minimum credit you need to put on to activate the sim and in terms of grief from the customer services group when you port the number off the PAYG sim after a week!!)?

    Many thanks

    Chris
  • try virgin mobile
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