Failed transfer of old landline number

[carolinek]

I was told my old landline number would be transferred within 10 days of joining Virgin. Nothing happened and I have tried numerous calls during which no-one can ever help - and often the call is over 30 mins. There is no way to email for help. I am surprised and disappointed this wasn't a smooth process. Please can you help as I have a hearing impairment and need my landline.

[Ryan_N]

I'm just advising on what we go by in terms of how the ports work - I apologise if you have taken it any other way, sorry for that. I wouldn't give you any other information apart from the one that is relevant to the situation. At any point during the time have our team tried to get in touch by call or text to confirm information relating to the port? 

Also, no one is blaming you, I can assure you of that. 

Cheers, 

Ryan. 

[jem101]

@carolinek why is your old account with PlusNet now closed? Did you contact them and cancel your account with them? Unfortunately if you did then inadvertently. you stopped the number port being done - not PlusNet not VM’s fault there, that would be OFCOM regulations.

So, really, really important, did you at any time call PlusNet to cancel your contract with them? If the answer is YES, then, alas, probably you have lost that number permanently!

[carolinek]

Thank you for your responses.

First to the Virgin contact: yes I received some texts which asked me to respond with a specific word which I did but the text was never able to be delivered. I have no problem sending texts with any other number. I tried over and over again as I was hoping it was going to help me get the transfer done. The text message gave no alternative way of contacting the team in the case that a response by text was not possible. Why didn't the team email or phone me then if they received no answer?

When I initially reported by phone that the number had not transferred I was told it takes up to 10 days and it would definitely get done.

Second, to the message about stopping with my previous provider being the problem. I was moving house and therefore had to stop the service with my old provider, Plusnet, who were not able to continue supplying me unfortunately as there is no BT connection in these flats ONLY Virgin. I called Virgin in good time and explained that I would like to do the transfer two weeks before I finished my contract with Plusnet though, for my own peace of mind, so that it would be all set up and working (with Virgin) when we got access to our new address. The date for transfer of my number was 17 Mar 2022 and the contract ended at the end of March you see. I did receive some slightly odd (scrappy looking) text messages which I did repeatedly try and respond to but not once was the text able to be delivered. It was frustrating and made me question Virgins capability.

[Jodi_S]

Thanks for coming back to us carolinek

We do understand that you were unable to respond to the text message, for this we apologise. Unfortunately, this does not solve the issue that without an active account with Plusnet we will be unable to transfer your number from your previous provider. 

As my colleague has advised, we will need this to be activated again before we can request another port application.

Kind regards Jodi. 

[carolinek]

Hello Virgin team,

so you are requesting me to buy a months contract with my previous provider Plusnet - if that is possible - so that you can try to port my number over by sending me a text which I am unable to respond to? Would you do that? It doesn't make any sense. I can send you proof of the undeliverable message on my phone.

Why did you need to send me a text about completing the number transfer anyway? I had instructed you to do the number transfer - it simply should have been done. I gave you all my contact details - work and mobile phone numbers, email, address so if you needed to confirm anything you had multiple ways to do so. I gave you plenty of notice and time to do it (two weeks before my Plusnet contract finished).

Please give me an email address for the managing director.  Your company head needs to hear what is happening and the failure of its service provision due to faulty and inadequate services. 

As I mentioned previously I am hearing impaired so this change of my landline creates additional problems for me.

[dannylau]

You cannot port a number if the contract with the other company is in the process of being closed, porting the number closes the contract 

[Kath_F]

Hi carolinek, 

Thanks for coming back to us on this one. 

We do understand the frustration and once again can only apologise as this should be a smooth transition and usually is. 

As mentioned by other colleagues, and community VIPs, in order for a number to port across successfully, the line has to be active with your previous provider. If you have set this to cancel then this will stop the number port from going ahead. I'm saying this, not to blame you for the issues, but just to make you aware. 

As the line is no longer active with Plusnet, we won't be able to request to port the number across to us. This is why we've advised you'll need to go back to Plusnet to get them to activate the number again. Once that's done, we can then request the number port, they can accept this and once the number is with us, we then cancel the line with Plusnet. 

Due to the dissatisfaction you've expressed, I would like to get a complaint raised for you but in terms of a resolution, we've already provided one. So I can get the complaint raised, I have sent you a private message regarding this. Just click on the little plum envelope at the top right-hand side of the page to access your inbox.

Thanks,