orange local call number

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thebaldwindowfitter
thebaldwindowfitter Posts: 1,532 Forumite
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edited 3 June 2019 at 11:28PM in Phones & TV
Has anybody on here had a local number on there mobile with orange . For almost 20 years now i have had a local to me 0161 number attached to my mobile plan for my business now orange have given me 30 days notice telling me they are stopping the service and my telephone number will be lost .This number i have used on all invoices van and shop signage so obviously very important to me orange are saying they wont compensate me and i cannot port the number elsewhere advice welcome?
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  • J_B
    J_B Posts: 6,444 Forumite
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    We all remember the recorded message when we were on hold don't we ...


    "Orange is committed to providing excellent customer services"


    :mad:


    Good luck - can you port the number elsewhere??
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 5,186 Forumite
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    Is it an orange business plan? If not you'll get zero 'compensation' on a consumer level plan. Whether the number can be ported out or not you'll have to ask Orange I think. I didn't even know such a thing was possible, do you have a separate mobile number as part of the same plan?
  • thebaldwindowfitter
    thebaldwindowfitter Posts: 1,532 Forumite
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    at present they are saying i cannot port the number and it is not on a business plan
    if you think peoples advice is helpfull please take the time to clicking the thank you button it gives great satisfaction
  • scones
    scones Posts: 58 Forumite
    edited 4 June 2019 at 9:07PM
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    Very shoddy behaviour by EE / Orange.

    I'm not sure how EE could justify breaking the rules on this. Perhaps they're dismantling whatever infrastructure they have historically hosted landline numbers and therefore wouldn't physically have any way of forwarding calls to ported numbers?

    I don't think any other mobile company would be setup to port in an 0161 number, but it might be worth attempting to port the number to another landline or VOIP phone provider despite what EE say. Landline number porting is normally organised by the new provider so you wouldn't need to talk to EE about it - the new provider would arrange the port on your behalf if possible.

    Obviously it's not ideal, but if you could port it over to a cheap VOIP service provider (Voipfone, Skype, Sipgate, etc.) you could then either divert the number to your main mobile number or just setup a voicemail greeting that tells callers your new number.

    Skype did something similar back to this in 2007, withdrawing a load of 020 numbers they'd issued to users. However, some people did manage to hang on to their numbers by initiating a port to an alternative provider. There's an old article with lots of comments from people in a similar situation to you at: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/22/skype_down_again/

    It's only the slimmest of chances, I'm afraid, as the circumstances seem a little different. It may be that Orange are going to hand their 0161 numbers back to Ofcom and have no technical ability to support porting. Worth a shot, though?!
  • J_B
    J_B Posts: 6,444 Forumite
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    When John Lewis (Plusnet) 'lost' our number, it was just returned to the pool.


    BT managed to get it back for us


    Post #4 here
    https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5953254


    Maybe if you can't port it, wait for it to be released then try to get it back, but surely you'd be better trying to get it transferred somehow before it goes???
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 5,186 Forumite
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    scones wrote: »
    Very shoddy behaviour by EE / Orange.

    I'm not sure how EE could justify breaking the rules on this. Perhaps they're dismantling whatever infrastructure they have historically hosted landline numbers and therefore wouldn't physically have any way of forwarding calls to ported numbers?

    The rest of your post was good but I've got to disagree with this. They're closing Orange down for good and the company itself on Companies House is dormant, once everybody has been moved or left they'll close it for good. They're not going to keep going some legacy system for ever and it's not like it's been an overnight decision. The customers have had a long time to sort this out.
  • scones
    scones Posts: 58 Forumite
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    Colin_Maybe wrote: »
    The rest of your post was good but I've got to disagree with this. They're closing Orange down for good and the company itself on Companies House is dormant, once everybody has been moved or left they'll close it for good. They're not going to keep going some legacy system for ever and it's not like it's been an overnight decision. The customers have had a long time to sort this out.

    Oh, I don't expect them to keep legacy systems running forever, which is why I suggested this may be, exceptionally, a valid reason for not providing porting.

    However, the OP does say that only one month's notice has been given. Probably completely in line with the terms of service on a non-business mobile contact, but it's pretty poor customer service.

    This case does raise all sorts of questions about how porting works when the original owner of a number exits the business. I believe Orange had their own direct allocation of a few blocks of landline numbers rather than reselling numbers from another provider. I guess if they hand these numbers back to Ofcom then porting really would be impossible as the numbers would be orphaned with nobody to catch and forward calls.
  • thebaldwindowfitter
    thebaldwindowfitter Posts: 1,532 Forumite
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    Colin_Maybe wrote: »
    The rest of your post was good but I've got to disagree with this. They're closing Orange down for good and the company itself on Companies House is dormant, once everybody has been moved or left they'll close it for good. They're not going to keep going some legacy system for ever and it's not like it's been an overnight decision. The customers have had a long time to sort this out.

    If your calling 30 days notice a long time to be told that a land line number that you have used on invoices signage and advertising a long time im sure you wouldnt agree
    if you think peoples advice is helpfull please take the time to clicking the thank you button it gives great satisfaction
  • thebaldwindowfitter
    thebaldwindowfitter Posts: 1,532 Forumite
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    We have other ported local call numbers from another supplier who would willingly take control .Orange have told me that ofcom will not allow this whereas ofcom have told me that they have no control over who ports the number only that it cannot be transfered to a static landline ie it can go to a mobile provider or voip company
    if you think peoples advice is helpfull please take the time to clicking the thank you button it gives great satisfaction
  • J_B
    J_B Posts: 6,444 Forumite
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    thebaldwindowfitter wrote: »
    If your calling 30 days notice a long time to be told that a land line number that you have used on invoices signage and advertising a long time im sure you wouldnt agree


    It seems that (like probably a large % of traders) you are using a 'consumer product' for your business, so, sadly now your 'rights' are not as 'strong' as they may have been if it was a B2B contract???


    :(
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