Landline disconnected and old number lost.

[Vernon2]

Hi all, sorry if this is a bit long, I'm pulling out what little hair I have left!!

I recieved an email from Virgin at the end of July informing me of the switch to VOIP and asking me to contact them and arrange delivery of a new hub. I did this and had email confirmation but the hub was never delivered. I then discovered at the end of last week (29/9) that my landline had been disconnected. I called customer services to find out why and was told as I hadn't contacted them the line was disconnected - even though I did contact them. I arranged delivery of the new hub, it arrived a few days later and when it was setup I had a new number. I then rang customer services and was told that my old number had gone back to BT (the original owners) and as it was no longer active could not be transfered to me. I was told to ring BT and get it reactivated. I tried this and BT said there was nothing they could do. Back on to customer services again, twice, this time a complaint was raised and I got a call back from a manager yesterday (4/10), who again said there was nothing they could do to get the number back and I must call BT to get the number re-activated. She said she'd call me back today (5/10)

In the meantime I searched around this forum and found others with a similar problem and the only way to get a number reactivated was for VM to call BT openreach. When she called this morning I explained this to her but it was like talking to a brick wall, with her insisting that VM can't call BT and there was nothing that can be done and that is the end of the matter.

I've had this landline number for 41 years and don't need to explain the problems and stress it will cause if I cant get it back.

This is all the fault of VM, I did everyting I was asked to do yet they seem unwilling to resolve the problem.

I'd appreciate if anyone can help.

Thanks.

[Vernon2]

Sorry Matthew,

I posted a reply to you before I saw your message.

I've replied to your PM

[Vernon2]

Goslow

That's a great idea in your first paragraph.

[Vernon2]

I have been exchanging private messages with Matthew_ML on this matter and he has given me permission to post them here, I think things should be out in the open. This is only parts of his replies.

He said

"There isn't much else I can do apart from repeat the steps that have been told it has been confirmed by the porting team it has gone.

They said they need Bt to activated the number which makes sense because you said its out of service which means its not activated but they have said they its already activated?"

Can I asked who has said it's already activated, If VM said that how do they know?

He said

"All I can suggest if that you ring BT up ask to speak to there porting team ask for an emergency port back to Virgin Media or for them to reactive the number then once it has been reactivated ew can do the port."

I have tried that twice, with the same response twice, they won't deal with individual members of the public, only VM can call them and get the number re-activated. Have you called them?

He said

"We are looking into trying to get this number back for you I can't promise we will but we are trying everything we can do.

Does that include calling BT to get the number re-activated.

Thanks for your help Matthew.

In the meantime if anyone else can help I'd appreciate it.

[goslow]

Presumably if you ring your old number it tells you it is not in service?

I think I would begin several different activities from this point.

Seek out and complain to VM's executive team (you may find some past references to that on here or via Google). Posting that info on here tends to get deleted in the past so you might have to DIY some research to find it.

Make contact with OFCOM

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/contact-us

and seek advice on what to do when your phone provider has lost your number during a bungled phone upgrade.

I believe that in cases of number porting, where the port gets stuck/lost because of a log jam between the two providers, OFCOM can initiate a process to force the two providers to resolve between themselves.

You are not porting a number but there may be some similar process when your provider has messed up and lost the number. See if OFCOM can provide any advice.

You can also try filling in this OFCOM contact form

https://ofcomlive.my.salesforce-sites.com/formentry/SitesFormCCTMonitoring

This is for general monitoring but I have seen it linked elsewhere for gone-wrong number porting issues. Again you are not porting a number but might be worth a try.

In the topic from CaroleT13 linked above at the bottom of page 1 she gave an Openreach number for her issue. Why don't you try number that and see if they can provide more info? They won't action anything for you as an individual but they may possibly be able to provide some more insight into the problem(s) and processes.

Hope you can make some progress with it by some means or other.

[Vernon2]

"Presumably if you ring your old number it tells you it is not in service?"

Yes, that is correct.

Thank you for your other suggestions, I will follow up on them.