Mobile phone company

DAA

Can someone please help with this query. 
Can O2 keep my telephone number if I have defaulted on the account. 
I was in difficulty regarding payments and contacted O2 to arrange a payment plan but they were not interested and closed my account, referred the debt to a debt agency and kept my number, which I purchased many years ago for £300. 
They now want me to pay the money owed to them to the debt agency and keep my number to sell. 
This doesn't seem fair. 

JJ_Egan

Do you have evidence of this purchase  .

Is this a business number.

DAA

I purchased the number about 20 years ago from Orange I believe and I always transferred it over when I changed mobile phone companies. I don't have proof of purchase but it was a memorable number which O2 will sell on and still expect me to pay the outstanding debt, hence eventually to make a profit from me. 

DAA

It was a personal number, not business. 

Yahoo_Mail

You don't "own" a phone number, so, unfortunately, you've lost it.

liggerz87

As they closed the account you lost it they tried keeping my number i just said if you don't give me pac ill just call back and get your name and put in a complaint they transferred me to a manager asked why I wanted pac even tho I owed them money I just said I had number for while and o2 was getting added to a dro so wanted number got code in end but they hadn't closed the account 

Jon_01

If it was an Orange number it will have been transferred back to them (EE now) when your acc was closed.  That's the system on all numbers if they've been moved from their home network and the acc is closed.
So O2 couldn't get it back as they don't have it.

DAA

Many thanks for your replies, a little disappointed but as usual everything is always in the favour of these large companies.