Switch to Now Broadband and have lost old number

ralawrence

I recently switched my elderly mum from Post Office Phone Broadband to NOW Broadband and although I requested number was kept she now has a new number. Contacted NOW. First reason Post Office had declined so contacted PO not true. Second reason I had not ticked the box not true. Third reason they can not transfer numbers from post office. Is this true and why was I not told.

Does anybody know if I can recover my mum's old number or is it lost for ever and I need to start contacting ever body and giving out her new number. Not the seamless process I thought it would be.

J_B

Can you cancel the order and go back to PO?


Big discussion here ...
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5969765/retaining-home-phone-number-switch-from-talktalk-to-sky


Acr fast before it's too late ...

ralawrence

Apparently the Post Office have completed the transfer to NowTV and can do nothing to help.

If I went back to them NowTV would transfer the new number, not the old number. The nice lady at the PO inferred that my case was not an isolated incident with NowTV but would say no more.

I have given up and started contacting everybody with the new number.

I'll start a formal complaint but I am very cynical of the process.

Dusty_Bin

I also switched from PO to NowTV, but it was made quite clear to me during the switching process that I would have to be issued with a new number with the explanation being as you state in reason three of your original post.

ralawrence

Unfortunately I was not informed otherwise I would have not switched to them.

I wonder which companies I could have switched to and kept the old number. If anybody has switched from Post Office and kept old number please let the forum know it might be useful to others currently with the Post Office.

Everything I've read has not mentioned any restrictions, it is promoted as a hassle free process. Not in this case as we're now trying to workout who we have to contact with the new number. my 89 year old mother is totally confused and keeps asking me why she has to change her number. I wish we had just carried on paying the Post Office's ever increasing charges.

iniltous

There is no technical reason why Now TV cannot import a number from the PO ( or anyone else for that matter ) but if they don't follow the appropriate processes then they will just end up giving you a number from their own number range....there are many other posts of a similar nature, and it does appear that the reality is that they are not really motivated to organise number ports, and will ( if the number isn't ported) just fall back on the clause in their T&C's that state they don't guarantee any particular number.

There is a pretty good chance that the OP's 'Post Office' number was originally a 'BT' number that was ported from BT in the past, possibly BT to the PO directly, or from BT to other providers , and the lastly to the PO, the problem is when number ports are not done properly, the number goes back to the number range holder ( probably BT in this case) so even if the OP sacked NowTV off, and went back to the PO, it would be with a different 'PO' number anyway , as the number will have returned to BT where it will sit in quarantine for a while before becoming a 'spare' number ready to be allocated to a new BT customer in the future.

The OP probably could sack both the PO and NowTV , and get service from BT ( with a temp BT number ) and eventually could get that temporary BT number 'renumbered' to the number they actually want, but as the OP has started advising friends and relatives etc of the new 'NowTV' number , there is probably no point , or perhaps the OP wouldn't consider BT as a provider anyway.
Number port is a reciprocal arrangement, if you want to be able to import numbers from other providers you have to have arrangements to export numbers if requested, so the PO couldn't block NowTV asking for the number ( even if the number was ported to the PO previously) but if NowTV don't ask the PO , or don't follow the correct processes , then this is what happens.
It must be galling though if the OP stresses how important the number is, receives assurances that all will be OK, then the new provider just don't bother or are incompetent , unclear on systems and processes etc and the number is effectively lost

ralawrence

Thank you for you comments. As you say by the time I fought to get the number back every body would be using the new number. Lesson learnt don't switch again so NowTV have won and have my mum for life. So they have little motivation to get it right.

JJ_Egan

Not really millions switch and retain number.

Dusty_Bin

Absolutely, JJ!

I wouldn't say never switch again, ralawrence, but you will know next time, perhaps when your Now Broadband contract ends in 12 months, say, to get an assurance that your existing number is going to be retained by your new provider before you switch.

Once bitten...

ralawrence

The problem is they say they will tell you if there is a problem with keeping old number but they didn't tell me. My advice is if your number is important to you think twice before switching, it may be rare but it does happen. Work out the cost of losing your number .v. the risk .v. the saving then decide if it is worth switching.

ralawrence

I have just received an update from "Now Broadband" and I quote directly:-

Unfortunately we are unable to retrieve landline numbers from Post Office or TalkTalk

Amazing and difficult to believe.