@CWBplaster wrote:
I ordered my services several weeks ago, my old phone provider disconnected today.
Thanks
Ah in that case you may well be out of luck!
This is something that we can't really blame either VM nor your previous supplier for, as it is all in accordance with OFCOM regulations which they are obliged to follow - although a bit more transparency and explanation of the setup, probably wouldn't go amiss.
Basically, if you request a port of a phone number, then the onus is on the NEW provider to arrange it with the old provider. But if in the meantime you have given notice to your old provider (and if you didn't know the gotcha, then why not), then that puts a 'cease flag' against the account. OFCOM rules state that a number port can only happen if the line is active and THERE IS NO pending cease notification against it.
In this case what should happen is that assuming VM do actually put in the port request (not entirely 100% reliable shall we say), it immediately fails because of the cease flag. Now the onus really is on VM to contact you and let you know of this (ideally they should let you know up front to NOT cancel with your existing supplier until this is done - but I suspect a large number of their sales staff don't actually understand the rules anyway), and ask you to contact your existing supplier and cancel the cancellations at least short term, to allow it all to be sorted. Obviously doesn't always seem to happen!
In your case, I'm afraid as your old contract terminated today, the number will probably have been released back into Openreach's pool of numbers - there is a slim chance that the forum team will be able to intervene and try to get it re-instated, but I'm not too hopeful.
