Migrate Broadband but lost landline number

henleygoldnet

After reviewing the market as I came to the end of my 2 year broadband/phone contract with Vodafone, the best option was an equivalent deal with Sky through Quidco, offering a cash back sum and an Amazon voucher from Sky. 

The broadband migration completed smoothly four days later. It was only when a neighbour told me they hadn’t been able to call me that I realised that my phone number hadn’t migrated as requested and Sky had instead allocated me a new number. I live in a small village where we all have the same first 3 digits and know each other's number by the last 3 digits of our phone numbers, which we can still dial direct. My old landline number also used the same digits as my mobile number, linking the two nicely together.

I called Sky on the day of activation and was assured that porting the number was in process and would complete within 24 hours. The agent sent me an SMS text with the relevant reference for the transfer and told me to call and quote that if it didn’t complete satisfactorily. It didn’t so I called Sky again the following day. The first agent didn’t listen to anything I said, insisting I needed to have requested my existing number be transferred and quoting it in the online application form (as I had and told them three times) before hanging up on me.  I called again and the second agent assured me he could see a green light on his screen showing the transfer was in progress. He told me not to call again the next day but wait until after the weekend.

I spent over two and half hours on the phone to Sky yesterday (Monday), speaking with the phone team, the cancellations team and the complaints team, then repeating the round again as I was passed from one team to another.

I was lied to by the first agents as the number porting had clearly failed. I was told that it ought to be able to retrieve the number but this requires cancelling my contract and applying anew. I was variously told that this would involve no break in my broadband or landline service, that I would lose service while the new application was taking place and that I would be posted a mobile data SIM so I could use a hotspot for broadband until I was reconnected. 

The cashback and voucher deal that made this the best value deal only applies if the contract completes entirely online. Cancelling and recontracting on the phone would mean losing my cash back and thus paying more than remaining with Vodafone.

After speaking with Sky, I called Vodafone to ask about the process for cancelling Sky and returning to them. They said I ought to be able to recover my number but could not guarantee it but wouldn’t honour their renewal price offer, so I would face a price rise and no guarantee I will recover my old number. 

I think I’ve decided to leave things as they are and sacrifice my landline number, as any alternative costs me more due to loss of the cashback deal. I could also cancel Sky within the cooling off preiod and apply to Vodafone as a new customer, with a new cashback offer. Unsure what happens to my services if I cancel with Sky - presumably they just cut me off?

Two of my neighbours have experienced the same loss of their landline number in the last month (one of whom was upgrading their broadband service while staying the same provider). They too had to cancel the contract within the cooling-off period to regain their number and even then have lost some of their previous mobile phone benefits. 

I have reviewed and usually changed my broadband provider every two years for as long as I can remember. I have never had any problem with the migration or number. I was a former Sky customer at a former address - they were the only provider I ever renewed with year-on-year as their incentive retention deals were extremely favourable.

So given what a simple procedure a switch should be (it’s the same service coming down the same wires, after all!), why, seemingly suddenly, are people having difficulty retaining their phone number?  Why does a requested number transfer fail? Why is it then seemingly impossible to retrieve the number and port it across without cancelling a contract and applying anew, losing any benefits one might have negotiated? Who is responsible for the failure: the new provider or the old? 

Hermann

Landlines are being phased out and no new contracts will include your your old landline.
You will either have broadband only with no phone or broadband with a VOIP phone service instead.
That VOIP phone service will either come with a new number or your old landline number can be ported over to a VOIP service.
Some providers are very poor at porting the old number to VOIP.
Once your landline number has been cancelled you have 30 days to recover it or it is lost forever.

So you can keep your current broadband package and use a third party VOIP supplier to recover and provide phone services with your old landline number, provided you do so within 30 days.

Andrews & Arnolds are a VOIP provider with a good reputation for recovering landline numbers and provide sensible VOIP services from £1.29 a month. https://www.aa.net.uk/voice-and-mobile/number-porting/

You would need the 'port in a ceased number' option.

It may be that your chosen package with Sky isn't the cheapest if you don't need their VOIP service with the new number they have given you. 

mgns

I've read various posts about this over the last few weeks - I don't think there is a general rule or explanation as to why some landline ports go smoothly and others don't.

You could keep complaining to Sky and hope things are rectified within 30 days. The below thread references an 'Order Recovery Team' and a 'Number Port Team' if that provides better contacts within Sky.

https://helpforum.sky.com/t5/Talk/re-port-landline/m-p/4519529

Another option I've seen in the past, is signing up with BT Broadband - it’s been said they can offer a better chance of retrieving your old number than other providers.

iniltous

henleygoldnet said:

So given what a simple procedure a switch should be (it’s the same service coming down the same wires, after all!), why, seemingly suddenly, are people having difficulty retaining their phone number? 

Not sure why you think it’s a simple procedure , BT , Sky , Talk Talk , Virgin , Vodafone are all separate, independent ‘telephony’ networks, there are dozens of Alternative Networks  ( City  Fibre , Netomnia etc ) some offer telephony, some don’t , it’s a fallacy to think it’s the same service coming down the same wires , it’s not, if you frequently move your telephone service around providers at effectively every renewal it’s amazing this is the first time it’s gone wrong , number portability is many things , but simple it isn’t .

henleygoldnet

Hermann said:

Landlines are being phased out and no new contracts will include your your old landline.
You will either have broadband only with no phone or broadband with a VOIP phone service instead.
That VOIP phone service will either come with a new number or your old landline number can be ported over to a VOIP service.
Some providers are very poor at porting the old number to VOIP.
Once your landline number has been cancelled you have 30 days to recover it or it is lost forever.

So you can keep your current broadband package and use a third party VOIP supplier to recover and provide phone services with your old landline number, provided you do so within 30 days.

Andrews & Arnolds are a VOIP provider with a good reputation for recovering landline numbers and provide sensible VOIP services from £1.29 a month. https://www.aa.net.uk/voice-and-mobile/number-porting/

You would need the 'port in a ceased number' option.

It may be that your chosen package with Sky isn't the cheapest if you don't need their VOIP service with the new number they have given you. 

My old landline became a VOIP connection (plug into router) at the previous recontract 2 years ago, so aware of that. Also aware that a number of providers don't include a landline in the package - Sky, Vodafone and BT do. I don't think Sky (or Vodafone) reduce the broadband cost if you don't have a landline. It's ironic that in former times, I didn't need a landline but the broadband/phone package was no cheaper, so I kept it!

I'll keep on with Sky to try to retrieve the number - they promised a review call on 30th, which never happened. I've let them know, I'll cancel and renew as long as they guarantee the cashback and voucher, otherwise I'll leave as is.

I was going to take out a new Vodafone contract but cashback has dropped, making it unviable. 

henleygoldnet

mgns said:

I've read various posts about this over the last few weeks - I don't think there is a general rule or explanation as to why some landline ports go smoothly and others don't.

You could keep complaining to Sky and hope things are rectified within 30 days. The below thread references an 'Order Recovery Team' and a 'Number Port Team' if that provides better contacts within Sky.

https://helpforum.sky.com/t5/Talk/re-port-landline/m-p/4519529

Another option I've seen in the past, is signing up with BT Broadband - it’s been said they can offer a better chance of retrieving your old number than other providers.

Thanks. I will see whether Sky (who promised a review call on 30th but didn't make one!) will guarantee my cashback and voucher and, if so, do the cancel and recontract and see if they have better success with the port on second attempt. Otherwise, financially, it makes sense to leave it as is and lose my number. Last week, I could have taken a new connection with Vodafone but the cashback deal has changed and it's no longer viable. BT is considerably more expensive.

henleygoldnet

iniltous said:

henleygoldnet said:

So given what a simple procedure a switch should be (it’s the same service coming down the same wires, after all!), why, seemingly suddenly, are people having difficulty retaining their phone number? 

Not sure why you think it’s a simple procedure , BT , Sky , Talk Talk , Virgin , Vodafone are all separate, independent ‘telephony’ networks, there are dozens of Alternative Networks  ( City  Fibre , Netomnia etc ) some offer telephony, some don’t , it’s a fallacy to think it’s the same service coming down the same wires , it’s not, if you frequently move your telephone service around providers at effectively every renewal it’s amazing this is the first time it’s gone wrong , number portability is many things , but simple it isn’t .

Doesn't really matter whether I think its simple or not or whether it is indeed simple or not. When you apply for the connection you tick a box to say keep existing number and state the number to be kept. That really ought to be part of the contract. Nowhere is it stated that "there is a significant risk that we will not be able to transfer your existing number and you tick this box at your own risk with no guarantees", which is what the experience seems to be now for many people.

iniltous

henleygoldnet said:

iniltous said:

henleygoldnet said:

So given what a simple procedure a switch should be (it’s the same service coming down the same wires, after all!), why, seemingly suddenly, are people having difficulty retaining their phone number? 

Not sure why you think it’s a simple procedure , BT , Sky , Talk Talk , Virgin , Vodafone are all separate, independent ‘telephony’ networks, there are dozens of Alternative Networks  ( City  Fibre , Netomnia etc ) some offer telephony, some don’t , it’s a fallacy to think it’s the same service coming down the same wires , it’s not, if you frequently move your telephone service around providers at effectively every renewal it’s amazing this is the first time it’s gone wrong , number portability is many things , but simple it isn’t .

Doesn't really matter whether I think it’s simple or not or whether it is indeed simple or not. When you apply for the connection you tick a box to say keep existing number and state the number to be kept. That really ought to be part of the contract. Nowhere is it stated that "there is a significant risk that we will not be able to transfer your existing number and you tick this box at your own risk with no guarantees", which is what the experience seems to be now for many people.

You have obviously never really examined the T&C’s of your various providers, because that’s exactly what they say , it’s ‘best efforts’  it’s impossible for the new company to guarantee anything as they are not the only party that’s involved , I’d agree that it should be possible for this to be done if the company offers to import , you ask who is responsible, your contract is with the b]new company , and indeed any company that offers to import numbers has to also export numbers on request, provided correct porting process is used , but that isn’t always the case .

I’ve no idea if your observation that number portability problems have never been worse , my point you seem to have ignored is that it’s not simple , it’s not ‘the same service coming down the same pair of wires ‘ at all .

WIAWSNB

henleygoldnet said:

Doesn't really matter whether I think its simple or not or whether it is indeed simple or not. When you apply for the connection you tick a box to say keep existing number and state the number to be kept. That really ought to be part of the contract. Nowhere is it stated that "there is a significant risk that we will not be able to transfer your existing number and you tick this box at your own risk with no guarantees", which is what the experience seems to be now for many people.

Utterly galling, isn't it? I had the same when transferring from TalkTalk to Vodafone. 

My conclusion is that it comes down to either incompetence, overworked staff, or perhaps it costs them a bit to make the transfer. 

I did all my comms by 'chat' as it provided me with a complete record - and, my gawd - the hours I spent over numerous days. Each company blamed the other - straight up.

How did it resolve? I wrote out a brief but succinct account of what happened, and quoted - verbatim - all the times I was told it would be ported ok, and by whom. I sent that to Vodafone's complaints dept, making it an 'official complaint' (they hate that...), and giving them a week. I added that I'd take it to CISAS (I think it was) if they didn't sort it. 

They suddenly found my number.

I was concerned by your OP as you mentioned 'phonecalls'. These will likely be recorded, but it's a pain to get hold of them. Thankfully, you also mention that Sky SMS'd you, so that's the visual evidence you need that they said they would transfer it. Phew.

What not to do? I suggest do NOT cancel anything! Do NOT go back to Voda! This will very much more likely mess up the situation, and make it even more complex to resolve. It's already headbanging stuff, isn't it?!

Instead, write the briefest account you can, purely stating the facts, no emoting, with all the key stages and comments made. Begin with your very valid reasons why the number is so important to you - the close-knit community, and the similarity to your mobile number. Add their SMS text as evidecne that they SAID they'd SORT it. And then send it to Voda's complaints dept. End with saying you'll take it to CISAS (or Ofcom or whoever - do a Google) if they fail.

Good luck.