Porting number from Virgin to BT

[ifb-online]

Last May I moved my office from the spare room in the house to rented space in a small business complex a 15 minute walk from the house.

The office could not be served by VM, so I had to get a BT line installed at the office. I then attempted to get my VM number at home (our second VM line there) ported to the BT line at the office.

To cut a long story short, the request failed and both sides blamed the other for not cooperating.

I'm now haveing one last go at getting the port done as I'm hoping that there was just some silly technical misunderstanding.

Has anyone had a similar problem? Any advice to be given?

Thanks,

Ian

[BenMcr]

virgin will always allow a number port to go through, as long as it is requested correctly

Problems can occur when the exchanges don't match up, as Virgin have different areas to BT, or if the number is being moved at the same time, the original postcode hasn't been provided as part of the port request.

Apart from that, I don't know anything else that would cause a problem.

Was the number issued to you by Virgin or was it a previously ported number?

I've never actually seen a residential to business number port between Virgin and BT, so that might also be a factor

[ifb-online]

virgin will always allow a number port to go through, as long as it is requested correctly

Problems can occur when the exchanges don't match up, as Virgin have different areas to BT, or if the number is being moved at the same time, the original postcode hasn't been provided as part of the port request.

Apart from that, I don't know anything else that would cause a problem.

Was the number issued to you by Virgin or was it a previously ported number?

I've never actually seen a residential to business number port between Virgin and BT, so that might also be a factor

I believe that the number was originally a BT number, ported to one of the Virgin predecessors and now to be ported back to BT.

There was no indication of a fundamental problem, like exchange distance/compatibility, it was just a situation where BT claimed Virgin wouldn't proceed and Virgin saying that BT wouldn't play ball... with me piggy in the middle!

Ian

[weesteev]

I believe that the number was originally a BT number, ported to one of the Virgin predecessors and now to be ported back to BT.

There was no indication of a fundamental problem, like exchange distance/compatibility, it was just a situation where BT claimed Virgin wouldn't proceed and Virgin saying that BT wouldn't play ball... with me piggy in the middle!

Ian

Virgin cant deny porting a number to BT, unless the account is restricted for non payment.

BT on the other hand can refuse to bring a number across if they don't have capacity or if the phone exchange for the new property falls outwith the exchange where the number would normally reside.

Since Openreach was created, BT has proven more and more unreceptive to porting orders from all other operators. This is due to three different arms of BT's porting network not being able to pass numbers between each other.

First thing, speak to Virgin and they can tell you if any port order ha been received in the first place. This will confirm to you if BT are telling porky pies. The likely answer will be that BT have never approached Virgin to take the number. Speaking to BT should confirm that your new office location is served by a different telephone exchange so the number cant be connected there.

Hope some of that makes sense!

[ifb-online]

Virgin cant deny porting a number to BT, unless the account is restricted for non payment.

BT on the other hand can refuse to bring a number across if they don't have capacity or if the phone exchange for the new property falls outwith the exchange where the number would normally reside.

Since Openreach was created, BT has proven more and more unreceptive to porting orders from all other operators. This is due to three different arms of BT's porting network not being able to pass numbers between each other.

First thing, speak to Virgin and they can tell you if any port order ha been received in the first place. This will confirm to you if BT are telling porky pies. The likely answer will be that BT have never approached Virgin to take the number. Speaking to BT should confirm that your new office location is served by a different telephone exchange so the number cant be connected there.

Hope some of that makes sense!

When I gave up the first time, both sides were accusing the other of not cooperating - if this happens again, what recourse do I have to get the job done, assuming there are no justifiable technical reasons to prevent the transfer?

Ian

---------- Post added at 13:27 ---------- Previous post was at 12:54 ----------

BT has just got back to me saying they should be able to port the number, so fingers crossed!

Ian

[wabbit]

Virgin wouldn't say no to a port out order for just any reason. From Virgin's end, as long as the Virgin account is still active, details submitted by BT on the order is correct then we will give it. If there is anything wrong with the order, we will respond with the error code and BT will have to correct it and resubmit. [This applies whichever direction the number is going to]. I suggest you speak to BT and ask them to speak to their number ports department as to whether an order was sent and if so, on what grounds. Sometimes i speak to customers who say that we refuse to release the number and demand an explanation. I check the account and tell them that no order has actually been sent to us! But this is only sometimes though.

People usually think we spend our time arguing with competitors about porting numbers but we dont. We actually get along really.

p.s. just read the last post. There is no point ringing VM as we will just tell you that an order needs to be sent by BT. Ensure they do it properly.

[colin-bennett]

Virgin wouldn't say no to a port out order for just any reason. From Virgin's end, as long as the Virgin account is still active, details submitted by BT on the order is correct then we will give it. If there is anything wrong with the order, we will respond with the error code and BT will have to correct it and resubmit. [This applies whichever direction the number is going to]. I suggest you speak to BT and ask them to speak to their number ports department as to whether an order was sent and if so, on what grounds. Sometimes i speak to customers who say that we refuse to release the number and demand an explanation. I check the account and tell them that no order has actually been sent to us! But this is only sometimes though.

People usually think we spend our time arguing with competitors about porting numbers but we dont. We actually get along really.

p.s. just read the last post. There is no point ringing VM as we will just tell you that an order needs to be sent by BT. Ensure they do it properly.

From what I can understand from the thread this is a RTD as the number was original a BT number.
Then if I understand ,, the post code for connection is not the same so it is a RTD with mobility.

There is never a guarantee this will go thru due to the differences in the switches used by the olo's

It is not an error of VM or BT.
Hope it sorts itself out tho..

[ifb-online]

From what I can understand from the thread this is a RTD as the number was original a BT number.
Then if I understand ,, the post code for connection is not the same so it is a RTD with mobility.

There is never a guarantee this will go thru due to the differences in the switches used by the olo's

It is not an error of VM or BT.
Hope it sorts itself out tho..

I thought you would like an update. The number port was finally OK'd, but despite assurances that we wouldn't lose service, our BT phone line was disconnected three weeks ago. The broadband ADSL remained working and has done ever since.

As there was concern that the ADSL might go down if the phone line was restored, we have endured no phone line (Internet is the core of our business and we could fall back on our mobiles for telephony) for the three weeks.

BT Business admitted the line cancellation was an error and we have had some compensation but it has got even more weird...

On Monday, an engineer arrived to 'install' a new line. We explained what had happened, he was amazed our broadband was still working but then proceeded to install the line to be numbered with our old Virgin number on a different spare wall socket.

Anyway, since then we have been able to receive BT-originated calls and to make out-going calls, but our Virgin line remains functional and calls from most other networks (mobiles and Virgin) are going to that line instead of the BT line at the office.

It has taken me a whole day to convince BT that there is a problem at all because of course all their tests show that our line is working normally.

Logically, this time the fault is with Virgin for not carrying out their side of the renumbering work, but as far as I'm concerned the renumbering was ordered through BT and they should be communicating with Virgin about the problem. And, phew, this morning they seem to have come to the same line of thinking...

More updates when I have them - if you are interested of course! :rolleyes:

Ian

[ifb-online]

Well, another week on and there is absolutely no progress. Half our calls to our one and only number still go to the old Virgin line and the other half (BT-originated calls) go through to the correct (BT) line here at our office. And there is still no explanation why our voice and broadband connections have been separated onto different lines. Every time I speak to anyone at BT I have to explain the situation from the start. Nobody seems interested in fixing the problem and I'm being passed around like a hot coal.

So what's the next step - how can I get BT take this seriously - who can I complain to?

Ian

[ifb-online]

Well, what do you know? Our line was finally fixed late yesterday afternoon and now all calls are coming through to where they should - phew!

Now all I have to do is sort out the mess with out BB which is still on our original (BT) and, now ceased, line - but still operating (fingers crossed).

Ian