Can't keep my landline number (moving to BT?)

JustAnotherSaver

I was all set & ready to move to BT from Sky tonight. Started filling out the details and then got to the page about my landline...

Do you want to use the existing phone line?
Yes We'll contact the current owner of the line, transfer it to you and give you a new phone number. A connection charge may apply.


No - I understand there is an existing line at the address but I want an additional line No problem. A connection charge may apply.

That's great but i don't want a new number. It took me long enough to memorise this number.

It seems i have an option of either getting a new number or having a second line installed. I barely use landline so i certainly don't need a second line.

Why can't i just keep my number? I did when i switched from BT to Sky!

iniltous

You should be able to keep the number you have, there should be a box to tick on the on line form, or failing that, call them instead of doing it on line.
Ther may well be a disclaimer saying that they will try to get the number but cannot 100% guarantee it ( after all there it's not just BT involved but Sky as well )
In your case , if you move away from Sky , as the number is from 'BT's' number range originally, the number unless it's ported again from Sky it will ultimately return to BT anyway

JustAnotherSaver

The problem with doing it over the phone though is that i'll be throwing away the £110 from TopCashback and i wonder whether i'll get the £75 card as part of the online deal. Even if i do get the £75 card still by going over the phone i'll certainly be throwing the £110 away.

JustAnotherSaver

Well for anyone else who stumbles across this thread with the same problem there's 2 answers (I've just called BT & been on the internet chat to them).

You can either call them up & do the order that way. They say they offer the same deal as what is advertised online.

Or if you're wanting to secure any cashback website money (like i am with the £110 from topcashback) then you're to place the order online, get the order number at the end, call BT up giving them this number & telling them you want to keep your existing landline number.

JustAnotherSaver

Well what a strange way of doing things.

I stopped at that page last night because it didn't make sense to me.

I called BT this morning as i just detailed in the above post.

So just now i went through with the order and it said once i'd gone through that they were going to keep my number anyway.

Why not just talk about it earlier in the sign up process? Since i'm sure 99% of people will want to keep their landline number.

It could certainly be a lot clearer than what it is but hey ho it's all done now.

That'll save me £500 for the year. Then it'll be time to dust off the Sky box and return to Sky for their new customer deal.

JustAnotherSaver

Well i got a text from Sky today saying they're sorry for me leaving their broadband service & they'll write to me with more info.

Does anyone know if this is standard procedure (that they only mention broadband)? I can see i'm probably going to have to call them because it's not just broadband i'm leaving, it's the whole lot - TV and calls also.

iniltous

Joining BT by migrating your phone /broadband service will notify Sky of your intention to leave their phone/broadband service ( no idea why the text only mentions broadband) but won't affect the Sky TV service, cancelling that is something you would have to do separately , so if you haven't already done it, you need to call them and give them notice..
I don't think they let you quit on line, you have to call ( so they can try and persuade you not to ) , but as you have to call them anyway, you could check that they can see the orders to quit the phone as well as broadband.

JustAnotherSaver

Hell fire what a carry on.

Called them up today. 30 minutes later i had finally cancelled but not without a fight.

They wanted to know why i was cancelling - i told them £500 difference. They said they could do me a better deal which would bring the difference to being £30 cheaper for BT but that Sky have superior TV, superior picture quality (really?) superior sound quality (really?).

Throughout i maintained i was leaving & that's the end of it.

The guy would ask me questions and as i'd go to answer them he'd talk over me. You know that bit where you both talk at the same time but then the one who asked the question usually shuts up & listens? Yeah well he hadn't learned that bit (the shutting up & listening). He did it again & again & again. I'm like do you want to hear my answer or are you happy to ask the question and answer for me??

He said that Sky have won all the awards for the last 6 years. I said that's funny because i'd read BT had won awards. Yeah but they haven't won the awards we've won.

Hmm.

Then he said Sky have faster broadband.

Ahh let me stop you there young man. No you don't. I know this because i came from BT and i know my speeds were faster AND more reliable with BT than with Sky.

That isn't possible he said.

Hmm so i'm a liar?

It's the same hardware, the same phone line so BT can't possibly be faster.

Hmm, so it's the same line that makes it unable for BT to be faster yet 10 seconds ago you claimed to be faster??? Ooooooooook.

He kept banging on about their superior TV to which i told him i'm not much of a TV watcher so i'm perfectly happy with the channels BT has on offer. Yeah but we've got better ones.

Yes that's wonderful. You can have every channel going in the world in every single country, i couldn't give a monkeys, i'm not much of a TV watcher really. The big draw is the broadband and you lag behind.

Our router is better he says.

Oh really? Is that why every single article i've read, and i've read a few, state that while there may not be massive amounts in it, BTs is superior?

It got to the point where i just stopped talking and when he stopped banging on i just went uh huh. Then there'd be a silence and he'd ask about me leaving. Yes i'm still leaving. I may be back in 12 months but that depends if Virgin is in my area by then and what they offer at the time.

I told him, look you've clearly been trained well with the hard sell act but it's not going to work here. I'm going & that's the end of the matter.

No no sir it's not a hard sell.

Well correct me if i'm wrong but it's proving pretty difficult for you so far

Anyway like i said, in the end i finally was able to cancel.

To be honest i may have at the very least considered staying but him talking over me right from the start just Pd me off & made my mind up.


For future reference - for others & also myself looking back, they wont provide a new Sky box or router if you return. They expect you to keep it. I don't know if this also applies to if you have the Sky Q router next time round rather than the normal Sky hub thing but the Sky box certainly.

teddysmum

OP it looks like you have quoted the section for people moving house,especially as they mention the current owner of the line.


My sister has just joined Sky, as she is due to move a few 100 metres from her present home, to one with no phone line, and PlusNet quoted her a higher price. However,Sky said that they could not transfer her number, even though it is a very short move, as the present occupier has no line to migrate to.

JustAnotherSaver

teddysmum wrote: »

OP it looks like you have quoted the section for people moving house,especially as they mention the current owner of the line.


My sister has just joined Sky, as she is due to move a few 100 metres from her present home, to one with no phone line, and PlusNet quoted her a higher price. However,Sky said that they could not transfer her number, even though it is a very short move, as the present occupier has no line to migrate to.

I quoted the only options that were on the page.

I answered every question honestly & that was one of the steps.

In the end like i said it worked out but it could've been worded so much better from them.