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Virgin Media- transferring land line number to another provider

Hi there,

Has anyone had any luck transferring a Vm land line number to another provider? I want to cancel my Virgin service but would like to keep the number. According to Vm, the number is specific to them and cannot be transferred. I was under the impression that phone numbers are allocated by BT & that any number can be ported to any other provider.

Thanks in advance.

Julian

Comments

  • macman
    macman Posts: 53,128 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 5 December 2012 am31 7:10AM
    Not necessarily if the number originated with VM. Did you port it into VM from a BT-based supplier originally?
    And have you checked with your new (BT-based provider) if they can port the number in? VM are losing your business and are hardly going to tell you something that will encourage you to go.
    It's the incoming supplier who initiates such a transfer, so I'd contact them first: you don't say who they are.
    No free lunch, and no free laptop ;)
  • jhp
    jhp Posts: 2,342 Forumite
    You can normally port to a VOIP provider so technically their shouldnt be a problem porting to another landline supplier.
  • Buzby
    Buzby Posts: 8,275 Forumite
    Nothing to do with BT - the numbers are allocated by OFCOM, and it is true that cable-only issued numbers cannot be ported. Those used on its National service however, can be. If the Virgin number was previously ported to VM, then it can be released - but it isn't a free for all.
  • You can generally transfer any Virgin number from the VM network onto the BT network, as long as the number range is supported by the destination exchange. I know this as my friend has a number originally provided by Virgin (0176722****), and has recently ported the number to Plusnet whose line rental service is WLR-only.

    Bear in mind that the porting process is geared around the "losing" circuit being live at the time of the port. If you cease your VM service, and then try to port the number it will fail as the the number will no longer be live. The best way of completing this process is to intiate the port with the gaining provider, and Virgin will be notified of the outgoing port and your VM service will cease as part of the porting process.

    If the number was originally a BT number then you should have no issue in porting it back to a WLR (i.e. Openreach) provider, but it can only be ported back to the exchange it originated from. If you cease your VM circuit prior to porting in this scenario then the number will naturally go back to the BT network, where it can be specifically requested on a new provide order by any provider capable of performing number reservation.
  • Buzby wrote: »
    Nothing to do with BT - the numbers are allocated by OFCOM, and it is true that cable-only issued numbers cannot be ported. Those used on its National service however, can be. If the Virgin number was previously ported to VM, then it can be released - but it isn't a free for all.

    Really? My number is a cable-only number (begins 205*** after the STD code - when cable phone started round here they were 201*** and have gone on from there). I recently ported it from Virgin to Sky without a problem.

    I placed the order with Sky and told them I wanted to keep my number; they handled it all without a hitch.
  • silvercar
    silvercar Posts: 48,675 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Academoney Grad Name Dropper
    I've ported my virgin number to BT without a problem.
    I'm a Forum Ambassador on the housing, mortgages, student & coronavirus Boards, money saving boards. I volunteer to help get your forum questions answered and keep the forum running smoothly. Forum Ambassadors are not moderators and don't read every post. If you spot an illegal or inappropriate post then please report it to forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com (it's not part of my role to deal with this). Any views are mine and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.com.
  • macman
    macman Posts: 53,128 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    The OP needs to speak to the incoming provider first, not waste time with VM's ill-informed CS.
    No free lunch, and no free laptop ;)
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