Why can I not port my home phone number over from NOW Broadband

[millarman]

I am looking to move from NOW Broadband to Vodafone for my internet and landline but when trying to sign up my current landline number is not found on the system and I am asked to select that I will have a new landline number which will cause all sorts of problems.

If I went to BT/EE/TalkTalk/PlusNet I could port my home phone number over with no problems.

Any ideas? 

[millarman]

Having now spoken to Vodafone and NOW Broadband I have found the following information,

I asked NOW Broadband to go onto the Vodafone Home Broadband page and create a new order using my address and current phone number, and they succeed in doing this.

I then asked Vodafone customer services to do the same thing and they could only create a new home broadband account if they used a new landline number.

After further investigation Vodafone customer services told me that my number had come over from TalkTalk but I left TT 10yrs ago!

I can create a new account with Vodafone and will have to start of with a new landline number and they can them port my number over, but there is only a 70% chance of being successful.

[Jayach]

Thanks for updating us. (here and at Now)

I'm surprised you could get both customer services to try for you. You must have a very persuasive manner.

It's strange that Now appeared to be able to transfer the number (using Vodafone's order page) when Vodafone couldn't.

Your query made me try seeing what would happen if I tried to order Vodafone as if I was my immediate neighbours (both sides and across the road) and all were told Vodafone was not available to them, even though we all come from the same telephone pole.

Their databases must be in a right mess.

[Jayach]

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@millarman wrote:

I can create a new account with Vodafone and will have to start of with a new landline number and they can them port my number over, but there is only a 70% chance of being successful.

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If they can't do it as part of the transfer, I would say there is no chance they can do it later.