Shell have closed my landline before a switch completed

HBone · 10 August 2022 at 3:12PM

Shell, have "ceased" my landline during a switch period and no amount of telling them to cancel that "cease" has got the message through. NowTV therefore, couldn't complete the switch as Openreach kept saying there was a problem with the line. The switch should have happened today (Wedn) but Now cancelled it completely on Monday. I was assured by retentions at Shell on Monday and on several previous occasions in the last couple of weeks (having sat in the queue for ages and been pushed from pillar to post) that my landline and internet wouldn't be lost today. But it has. I spent another 45mins on to Shell from 8am today being passed around until someone cut me off trying to transfer me elsewhere.
They claim they can't reinstate the landline and therefore I won't get my phone number back. Can anyone tell me if this is true? I don't want a new landline number and the inconvenience and cost of stamps letting friends and family know the new number I know BT won't give the old number to anyone else for ages, if at all, so why wouldn't I be able to have it back?
I lodged a complaint with Shell on Monday and as per, no one has got back to me and allegedly I can't speak to Complaints on the phone. From previous experience it will be days before I hear from complaints, if they respond at all, as I now don't have an open account with Shell. This morning I was told Complaints will call you. I asked how they would do that then as the landline is closed down?!
Shell have managed to email me this morning demanding the router back using a label I can download from the internet! The Internet I don't have as they have closed it down. Luckily, I have limited internet on a dongle and sim for when away from home, so using that right now. Meanwhile, I can't set up an account with another supplier unless I accept a new landline number and am very reluctant to go back to Shell obviously. Besides which they claimed I couldn't get my number back anyway.
I am not in any debt to Shell.
Incidentally, I had awful trouble switching to Shell in March 2020, and ended up with no internet for six weeks and no landline for eight weeks or thereabouts due to them mucking up that switch from the previous supplier. Which they accepted total responsibility for at the time.
If anyone has had a similar situation and managed to get their number back please do tell how.
Thanks

southsidergs · 10 August 2022 at 9:13PM

They are correct unfortunately it's not as simple as flicking some switches & re-activating services with the same number I'm afraid. The number will have been returned to which ever company first provided it to you as it's there number & the only way to possibly get it back is to join that company with a new number to begin with & request a renumber once live but that cannot be 100% guaranteed

HBone · 11 August 2022 at 4:34AM

Thanks Southsidergs. I had switched broadband numerous times before choosing Shell in 2020, when they were equally as incompetent, and never had any issues switching previous to that from and to other broadband suppliers. Now they have totally mucked up the switch to them and away from them. Be warned folks. The most frustrating bit is all the hours I spent on the phone in the last three weeks to Shell trying to stop this happening after NowTV said they couldn't switch me as Shell had done something to the line ie told Openreach to close it. And the fact that whoever I now go with, it will be another two weeks without internet. Besides having to tell everyone I know from maiden aunt to the doctor the new tel. number.

Madmel · 17 August 2022 at 3:13PM

I know this is a bit late but Shell are useless (see other threads). However, due to a mess up, we were without a landline. To make matters worse, we were away when it all kicked off. My adult daughter managed to get our number reinstated by signing up with BT, although we had no intention of staying with them long-term. That all worked out; we ported it to a VOIP provider and gave notice to BT. It's all working fine now.