How to keep landline number whilst changing to a home essentials tarif, same line, diff name

KaiD

I live with my elderly parents and having checked their BT landline and broadband bill realised they are out of contract, paying silly money and not really understanding it so as I am in receipt of ESA I looked up BTs home essentials tarif and realised we could save £30 a month but BT will not let me keep the old landline number if I take out a contract in my name. There is no way my folks will remember a new number, they’ve had this one for £40 years but no matter how much I argue that it is the same house, the same line, hell the same phone they will not commit to giving me the number. Can anyone suggest what to do please?

DullGreyGuy

KaiD said:

I live with my elderly parents and having checked their BT landline and broadband bill realised they are out of contract, paying silly money and not really understanding it so as I am in receipt of ESA I looked up BTs home essentials tarif and realised we could save £30 a month but BT will not let me keep the old landline number if I take out a contract in my name. There is no way my folks will remember a new number, they’ve had this one for £40 years but no matter how much I argue that it is the same house, the same line, hell the same phone they will not commit to giving me the number. Can anyone suggest what to do please?

It's not yours to ask to retain. The probability is that it will remain the same but they cannot guarantee it.  If you want guarantees then your parents would need to sign up to the new service rather than you. 

In theory you could port the number else where and then forward calls to the new number but that will eat into your monthly savings and could be costly if they receive a lot of calls 

KaiD

I understand that it’s not ours to retain but as it is theirs to allocate it seems really obstructive to refuse to allocate it straight back to us. I am taking these things on as I worry about them becoming less capable and they cannot take on a contract that would be the equivalent payment as I am in the one in receipt of the benefit. If the original contract holder passed away would they refuse to let the name be changed and the surviving person retain the number?

diystarter7

Hi OP
When we moved in from Kent borders back yo London, the landline number was the one that went with the house we bought, so often stays. How do we kno it was the same one you ak - yes, getting cold calls, malicious ones that try to defraud you and they were calling us by the surname of the previous owners, these are scam calls and years after we still get them. So most likely you will get the same number.

Good luck

DullGreyGuy

The system just isnt setup for people to gift telephone numbers to different people. On a passing the surviving spouse normally takes over the account rather than cancelling it and starting a new account in their own name, at least that how we did it. 

As mentioned, with how the system worked (or certainly how it used to) there is a high chance that a line being disconnected and quickly reconnected in a different name will get the same number just there is no guarantee of it. 

Personally I've manage to ditch the landline completely but ported the number to my VOIP provider which is great as not only does the phone in the home ring but so does the app on my mobile so no missed calls when I've nipped out (plus other benefits when overseas) 

KaiD

The outcome…..
After hours being passed around on phone lines and getting nowhere I jumped into Facebook and pmd BT, despite getting a very helpful person who tried their best to help it turns out that no one could guarantee keeping the number with the change of details I needed, however she did provide an alternative solution that saved us money (not as much as swapping to the home essentials tarif but a good £20 a month less than my folks were paying, they keep the number and my name has been added as an account manager so I can keep a better eye on how much they are paying and for what. Whilst I am extremely impressed with the lady who got her teeth stuck into helping me, I am not impressed with BT and their catch 22 situations. My parents are not media savvy so they’d have been stuck paying over the odds ad infinitum.

southsidergs

KaiD said:

I am not impressed with BT and their catch 22 situations. My parents are not media savvy so they’d have been stuck paying over the odds ad infinitum.

Why the need to have a swipe like this? What you were asking was not a simple solution & ultimately your parents were savvy enough to agree something so how is that BT's fault?

Neil_Jones

KaiD said:

The outcome…..
After hours being passed around on phone lines and getting nowhere I jumped into Facebook and pmd BT, despite getting a very helpful person who tried their best to help it turns out that no one could guarantee keeping the number with the change of details I needed, however she did provide an alternative solution that saved us money (not as much as swapping to the home essentials tarif but a good £20 a month less than my folks were paying, they keep the number and my name has been added as an account manager so I can keep a better eye on how much they are paying and for what. Whilst I am extremely impressed with the lady who got her teeth stuck into helping me, I am not impressed with BT and their catch 22 situations. My parents are not media savvy so they’d have been stuck paying over the odds ad infinitum.

It is not the provider's responsibility to check their customers are on a suitable deal for them.  That is the responsibility of the customer.

You live there.  Assuming you've lived there for a while (or have always lived there, whatever it is), why have you not noticed sooner?

iniltous

Caveat emptor, buyer beware , as stated several times , it’s not BT or anyone else’s responsibility to ensure that someone is on the ‘best’ deal available.

FWIW, BT do ( or at least did ) call customers to discuss requirements, obviously not out of the goodness of their heart, but to sign them up for a new minimum term , but many complain about that , ‘cold calling’ and ‘arm twisting’ to get someone signed up , so for every complaint that someone on a now uncompetitive deal and was not contacted by BT to discuss a better option , would be another complaint about BT contacting them without ‘permission’.
Customer inertia isn’t something unique to BT , or even Telecoms, anyone with an energy supplier, or bank account, house and or car insurance , etc, etc often simply renew or stay put because it’s easier than making sure it’s the best deal or most suitable product, singling out BT when absolutely everyone else does exactly the same thing is somewhat unfair 

KaiD

Ok, this will be my final post as people are now having digs at me and my parents.
 I told BT I was impressed with their staff, particularly the last lady. The staff admitted it was a catch 22 situation that we were in and understood the worry that they’d never remember a new phone number after 40 years, particularly one that is the primary contact for the nhs etc. Maybe I should have taken this all on sooner but it is hard to undermine your father’s independence and make him tell BT that I could discuss his account with them. I have saved them some money but essentially given how much I could have saved them they are essentially paying an extra £17 a month for the peace of mind of keeping a phone number, given that I am concerned for their health and memories that is a price we shall have to pay. However after all the hours spent sorting this yesterday we have had no e mails yet confirming the new deal and every time I try to get on the site and fill out a mybtaccount form I get so far and then it says there has been a problem and to try again later. 

To the people who genuinely tried to help thank you, you provided information I didn’t have. I shall keep on it today and hope I get the confirmation and access I was told I could have.

diystarter7

KaiD said:

Ok, this will be my final post as people are now having digs at me and my parents.
 I told BT I was impressed with their staff, particularly the last lady. The staff admitted it was a catch 22 situation that we were in and understood the worry that they’d never remember a new phone number after 40 years, particularly one that is the primary contact for the nhs etc. Maybe I should have taken this all on sooner but it is hard to undermine your father’s independence and make him tell BT that I could discuss his account with them. I have saved them some money but essentially given how much I could have saved them they are essentially paying an extra £17 a month for the peace of mind of keeping a phone number, given that I am concerned for their health and memories that is a price we shall have to pay. However after all the hours spent sorting this yesterday we have had no e mails yet confirming the new deal and every time I try to get on the site and fill out a mybtaccount form I get so far and then it says there has been a problem and to try again later. 

To the people who genuinely tried to help thank you, you provided information I didn’t have. I shall keep on it today and hope I get the confirmation and access I was told I could have.

Hi OP
Sorry to hear that re "digs at your parents."
MSE mods are very hot on genuine reports like this, takes a few seconds, to report them if you wish as comments like the ones you are experiencing are not nice and put posters off.

Good luck