Plusnet Number Porting Woes

pyrrhus80

I signed up to switch to Plusnet’s broadband and phone service on 08 May 2022. There was never any info given about either keeping or losing my old phone number during the signup process.

Later that evening, I received an email from Plusnet, informing me when my service would go active and what my telephone number would be. It was a new/different number.

The following morning, I rang Plusnet, informing them that I wished to keep my existing number. The customer support agent that I spoke with assured me this wasn't a problem and my number would return 48 hours after my service goes active. They sent me an email to confirm this.

My service went active on 23 May 2022.

On 28 May 2022, I rang Plusnet, informing them that my original number had still not been returned to me. The customer support agent informed me that he had placed an order for the number to be returned and that the procedure would take two weeks to complete. I received an email stating that it would be complete by 08 June 2022.

As of today, I still haven't had my number returned. I feel I'm wasting my time calling customer service when they've already twice given me false dates.

I opened a case on the Resolver website, but a week has past and they still haven't responded.

I was going to try posting on Plusnet's community forum - but I can't even register. I never receive the verification email to enable me to create a post. (I have tried three different email addresses.)

I don't know what else to do or what my rights are if I cancel my contract with them. I just want my old number back.

molerat

Who was your previous provider ?

pyrrhus80

molerat said:

Who was your previous provider ?

I was most recently with Vodafone.

Prior to that I was with Plusnet (and never experienced any problems with them.)
Prior to that I was with Virgin.

I've had the same number for over 30 years. Porting it was never an issue all the previous times I have switched provider.

iniltous

So you previously had the same number with Plusnet , so obviously it’s technically possible after all you are in effect going back to previous setup , but ( unfortunately ) the port request needs to be done at the initial order stage  ( when you signed up to PN and asked for the number to be retained from your what was then your current provider,  VF ) , by processing an order with any old PN number and then retrospectively asking VF for your number , it’s likely that by now , the number has been returned to the original number range holder ( presumably Virgin ) and getting the number onto PN  would require VM to become involved and they obviously have no incentive to do anything, after all you are not a VM customer .
Thats not to say it’s impossible, it could take someone that knows how to deal with porting requests  that don’t adhere to the normal process, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up.
Did you click the box stating to retain the number when ordering with PN ?, they do have a disclaimer that they make best efforts, but didn’t guarantee the previous number will be available , if they cannot get the number and you did tick the appropriate box ( therefore it’s PN’s ‘fault’ , you could get some compensation if they simply state the number has gone for good….in that scenario joining VM ( if the number is of such importance ) would be the only real option , and even then , they may stop short of promises that you can have that number 

pyrrhus80

As I said, there was never any information given about keeping my old number during the initial sign up stage. No question asked. No boxes to tick. Nothing.

I was notably aware of the absence of this because I have switched a few times previously. I nevertheless went ahead with the order because I never expected it to be a problem given that it never had been previously - and as you've stated, I even had the number with Plusnet just a couple of years ago.

As it turns out, they have actually responded to my Resolver case, albeit through the message page on my Plusnet account rather than through Resolver. I'm not quite sure why they did that because I was never given any notification of these messages, and it was only by chance that I happened to spot it.

Anyway - they initially said much the same as you, that the number had been returned to Virgin and that they would make a request for it. A few days later they follwed up with the information that the request has been rejected because Virgin don't have it. They're now claiming  BT PSTN has it.

It's becoming farcical.

molerat

Yet another simple task the providers can't manage to get right and the useless regulator does nothing about.  It should be a simple case of the number is ported unless a request is made to the contrary.

iniltous

The only way BT could have the number is if , back in the day, the number was ported to VM from BT , you can check if BT are the number range holder on the Ofcom website site , if you have had the phone number for 30 years this is right at the time the cable industry were building out their network,  back then number port was a device they used frequently to get customers to switch from BT , arguably keeping the phone number was much more important than it is now , being the only way most people kept in-touch with others , ( mobiles , email etc were very rare ) so keeping the number was in many cases the only way people would consider switching …is it possible the number was BT first ?

pyrrhus80

iniltous said:

…is it possible the number was BT first ?

I'm not knowledgeable enough to be able to answer that. It's never been a BT number in all the time that I've had it.
I acquired it when I first switched to NTL, which later became Virgin.

I was under the impression that Plusnet was owned by BT

iniltous

If you post your STD code and first 3 digits ( for example 01325 348*** ) that should be sufficient to check who the number range holder is, NTL would have had their own number range , but when they were first available ( as stated ) would have signed up many ex BT customers , that ported their BT numbers  into NTL….if someone just went with NTL from scratch or wasn’t bothered about keeping an existing number they would have been given an NTL number from NTLs own number range.
PN are part of BT Group , and can provide service in the same way as BT themselves, but also have their own number ranges in some areas .

pyrrhus80

I just did a check and it says that Virgin Media is the range holder.

According to the messages I received from Plusnet, the number is "not with Virgin" and " is already ported to BT."

I really have no idea what is going on. They've said they'll get back to me on Monday.

iniltous

BT ( Consumer ) don’t have any involvement, so that’s BS , but , if PN are in effect using a BTw /WLR BT ( wholesale line rental ) line , then ‘BT’ as in BTw ( not BT Consumer division ) could be the ‘network’ provider than Plusnet  use  in your area, if that the case then the PN order should be associated with the port of the VM number and if VM state that the number is ported , PN should be the recipient , but VM or PN shouldn’t be referring to ‘BT’ as that will only cause confusion….