Virgin Media Community

[Toffipavlova]

Hi, I seem to be going around in circles between BT & VM.  My phone couldn't be ported as was not active yet BT said they have given the number back to Openreach and they said that VM need to contact Openreach to get the available number but VM don't seem interested in even trying.  A post on here shows that they actually got this done via private messaging and did in fact get their old number back.  Please help as I seem to be at a dead end as I can't talk to Openreach only VM can:(

[Chris_W1]

HI Toffipavlova, thanks for the message and welcome to the forums, we would only be able to port an active number in order for a number port to be successful. Can you confirm if you have managed to get the number active with them? If this is the case let us know and we will be able to proceed with the number request ^Chris 

[nodrogd]

If its not a BT number then it is allocated to another provider. Openreach don't actually have any numbers allocated to them as they only provide engineering assistance to the providers that pay them.

The chances of getting your number back are slim, as if it does not belong to BT in the first place they cannot recreate an account with that number on it to make it active.

It all comes down to correct procedure. Do not give notice to your old provider (except in regard to TV services). Porting synchronisation & closing of the old providers phone account is the responsibiliy of the new provider.

[Toffipavlova]

They can't and say even if I did it woukd be a different number. They say its gone from them back to openreach and said Virgin simply have to call Openreach to ask for it. I am going to write a serious complaints letter to a higher person with in VM as every step I have been through had been wrong right from the very beginning. No managers ever call me. I am waiting on a copy of the script notes but I am guessing I will never see them? 

[Toffipavlova]

Thanks , The problem started at the very beginning and think this is the problem. The guy who enrolled us said we could keep our number but managed to put no on his device ( I didn't realise this and no paperwork was ever given for me to check) he also said that once we get the confirmation email from VM we could call Bt and cancel. So we did just that. 

[goslow]

I remember reading this post a few weeks ago

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Home-Phone/HELP-LAND-LINE-NUMBER-LOST/m-p/4570242#M146879

which claims success in recovering a number by a 'favour request' to the owner of the number after it had gone back to them.

However, you would need to be clear on who actually owns the number you want back in order to make the request to them. I think you can find out who actually owns the number you want to recover via the OFCOM lists here.

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/information-for-industry/numbering/numbering-d...

No direct experience of this number recovery process above myself, so it may just have been a lucky outcome for that OP, if correct. Make of it what you will. Someone with better insider knowledge than me will comment if the above is likely to be possible or not.