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Anonymous User
Not applicable

Old landline number not ported over

I've had my original home phone number for over 55 years.  NOW took over on the 21st Dec 2018.  When I filled in the application to go to NOW I ticked to say I wanted to keep my original number.  I did not get an email to give me a new number prior to the go live date.  I have discovered that NOW have issued a new number.  Spoke to NOW customer service, they say that I did not request to port my number over, and that nothing can be done to get my old number back.  I know that I ticked the 'keep my number' box.  Spoke to previous supplier (Utility Warehouse) and even though my account is still valid until 6th January 2019 my original phone number has gone, they did not get a request from NOW to have my original number off them.  I have spoke to a BT engineer and was informed that by law the original number has to stay unused/not allocated to anyone else for 18 months.  I have raised a complaint with NOW and waiting for them to contact me.  After speaking to NOW customer services yesterday, they then sent me an email with my new phone number on it, (I had not previously been sent this email).  I will be contacting BT again to see if I transfer to them whether they can get my number allocated back to me given that I have stayed at the same address for the full duration of having that number (over 55 years).  Yes, I know this would incur a hefty cancellation fee from NOW but I am so adamant that I want to keep my original number.  I will also be contacting WATCHDOG to see if they can get involved.  I will also be letting WHICH consumer association know of the poor technology support offered by NOW if they do not rectify this stressful situation for me.

20 REPLIES 20
Anonymous User
Not applicable

Hi

Did you manage to get this sorted? I am in the exact same position as you, very disappointed.  Utility Warehouse have said the request for the line came in, and there is nothing stopping Now Broadband and Phone from taking the number across as they have transferred the line. 

Who did you complain to?

Did you complain to the ombudsmen?

I found this online in a uSwitch article from November 2018.

Ofcom has written to the Office of the Telecoms Adjudicator (OTA) outlining the regulations and highlighting its desire to tackle operators that do not stick to these rules.

In the letter, Ofcom said: "The ability to retain the same telephone number fosters customer choice by enabling customers to switch providers without the cost or inconvenience of changing their telephone number, and this facilitates healthy competition in the market." 

The regulator noted that these regulations are not new, having been in place for around 25 years, so porting numbers should be a routine part of business that operators have no excuse for failing in.

Ofcom therefore warned providers: "Behaviour in breach of the General Conditions, such as trying to block or delay numbers from being ported, thereby preventing customers from switching away to rival providers, is unacceptable and unlawful."

 

Let me know how things have progressed @Anonymous User 

Thanks

Anonymous User
Not applicable

The exact same thing has just happened to me. I spoke to customer services who told me that I had not asked to keep my old number. I definitely did. They also said that they had sent an email with the new number, but I have not had an email. This is unacceptable and I have told them I want to make a formal complaint...waiting for someone to call back.....not impressed!!

Anonymous User
Not applicable
Good luck with the complaint process, I never got a contact from their complaints department. Lucky for me I was still within my 14 days cooling off after the going-live day, so I cancelled with Now, (and even then the cancellation department didn't seem bothered and unwilling to help to rectify the problem). I went to BT and they managed to get my original old number back for me.
Anonymous User
Not applicable
We did the same last week, I have had no contact from Now TV. I gave it 7days.
Anonymous User
Not applicable

i have just had the same problem, moved broadband and phone line, and number has not been ported over, never recieved any emails to say i was getting a new number

just one saying

Your NOW TV phone number:
We'll let you know this in a few days. Leave it with us
 
for which they never have, now im stuck with a number i don't want and lost my old number ive had for years
Anonymous User
Not applicable

I raised a complaint about this over the phone and was told someone would call me back to resolve.....that was over a month ago and still no call....I will be cancelling ASAP

Anonymous User
Not applicable

Service up and running on the 20th June , discovered number not ported that evening.Spent most of yesterday trying to contact customer services.On two occassions I held on for 40 mins + after being informed the wait was ' under 7 minutes'. 

 

Went through the same dance with an operative who asured me they could not port my number over as everything had gone through. At this point I raised a complaint and asked to cancel my service under the 'cooling off period' t&c. A couple of hours later I received an email informing me that my complaint had been closed. I also received another email informing me how to finish setting up my account.

 

According to Offcom it is illegal for a company to ignore requests for numbers to be ported.They have recently fined a company £50k for following this practice. 

 

In my opinion Now tv are not fit to run a Telecom business and will be following up my complaint with Offcom.

RoyB
Legend

@Anonymous User 

 

Unfortunately, the Ofcom ruling only applies to the donor service hanging on to the number, not to the new provider failing to port it.

 

It is possible that Ofcom did not envisage the level of ineptitude that NowTV Broadband is being accused of, in ignoring a clearly ticked box.

 

Trouble is, when it’s a web form, not a piece of paper, it’s harder to establish what was typed in and what wasn’t, so NowTV ought to have a Print option on the web form. Or perhaps they do, and people miss it?

 

However, your old number has gone into limbo for 18 months, so there ought to be no problem whatsoever, bringing it back for you, regardless of whether you ticked the box or missed it; if there is, then either NowTV’s procedures are flawed, or the whole number porting business is flawed.

Set a Payment PIN on your account so that no-one but you can buy memberships on it. Check your bank accounts monthly for any other unexpected payments to Now. That way you can at least nip them in the bud, while you and Now figure out whose fault they are.
Anonymous User
Not applicable

Now TV is disclaiming all responsibility for failing to port over my landline number. I want my number back and will consider not continuing with them if it does not happen. What's to be done?