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Moving a number from one phone to another

Smiley11
3: Seeker
3: Seeker

Hi , I have been a loyal Vodafone customer for 26 years and am on the verge of leaving never to come back. I shall explain why. I have a mobile with a monthly vodafone contract , which is now at the end of its 2 year contract and so 10-days ago I asked for it to go to Pay as you go. At about the same time I found a cheap deal with Carphone Warehouse for a new phone and a new 2 year contract with Vodafone. They told me it would be easy to get Vodafone to switch my old number to the new phone and Sim, and that I should just ring them. It has proved anything but easy. I have been sent from different department to different department , from the renewals department in Ireland who were very rude and unhelpful to eventually a nice man in India who talked me through filling out an online form and said the  process was in motion and would happen within two days. I recieved an email and text saying this would happen and I should ring to confirm that I was happy for the number to move. When I rang the number that I was told to ring, after waiting 20 minutes to get through I was told it was not possible and that I should speak to a different department and that the nice gentleman had made me fill out the wrong form. When I was eventually put through to the right department I was told they would not be able to do this until 30 days after I have changed to a pay as you go contract. I have so far wasted several hours on this and am frankly appalled at your customer service. This is no way to treat an existing loyal customer nor a new customer. Please can someone advise me how to get my number on to my new sim and how the best way to make a proper complaint to Vodafone, for whom there seems no easy way to email or contact without having to waste more time being put from department to department.

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

donnyguy
16: Advanced member
16: Advanced member

Hi there,

I get that this is frustrating but basically you're playing the system in order to get a better price on your contract moving forward, I know - I did the same. 

So the situation is, just to re-cap:

  • You have a Vodafone contract (the old one), in line with the terms and conditions, if you are wanting to end the contract and go to PAYT, you need to give 30 days notice (same as if you wanted to just end it)
  • You have taken a new contract through a third party (for a better deal), you have the option to either port a number in from another provider or from Vodafone PAYT. There is no facility to port in from an already live contact. Which basically this is until you either port out using a PAC code or see out your 30 day notice to close the contract and move to PAYT

Definitely annoying and but you need to consider the situation here. Vodafone require 30 days notice to end the contract. This is in the terms and conditions. However, there is a way around this as OFCOM require them (and all networks) to waive this notice period if you use either a PAC or STAC code.

This is why the answers you receive above have pointed you down that route. It does make sense to pick up a PAYT sim card from an alternative network at your local shop (most sell them for 99p) or even go on their website and get a free one sent to your home (check out EE and O2) and port your number to that sim before then porting back to your new Vodafone line.

Point I'm making (and I do buy into your frustration) is they're basically behaving, as all networks are, in line with their terms and conditions.

So I'd recommend:

  • Porting out and back in again (most hassle but quickest way of getting end result)
  • Moving to PAYT then filling out the move my number form when complete (less hassle but longer wait)
  • Call the complaints number and see if you get someone sympathetic

View solution in original position

28 REPLIES 28

AnnS
17: Community Champion
17: Community Champion

@donnyguy 

 

Thank you for confirming the information I gave to the poster was correct.  I really shouldn't have bothered to have given my time to try and help.

Sorry Donny, I thought I said thanks for your info and that you were right. But should I have Written something elsewhere? I am new on this forum and so not quite sure how it works.

but Many thanks. 
interestingly, this hasn’t been the end of my saga. Somebody from Vodafone rang up this morning and said did I want to move my number to my other phone, and so I said yes. They then sent me an email saying they have merged my two accounts and that I now have both numbers on one phone. I rang them back to say that I don’t want that and that I just want my original number on my new phone and sim and then to cancel my old phone . They said that I had filled out a form asking to merge the accounts. I explained that I only filled out the form I was told to having spoke to an operator. They have said they will look into it and get back to me. That was 2 hours ago! I suspect that a language misunderstanding is responsible for them making me fill out the wrong form, but I totally despair at the way they are run and the inability to get through to the same person each time and how no one takes any kind of responsibility .

 

AnnS
17: Community Champion
17: Community Champion

Yes @Smiley11 

 

Customer Services have put your new number on the same account.  However, once you have ported out your old number and ported back in on the new Carphone contract this will sort itself out and you will only have the one number on the account.

 

Dear Community Champion,

 Thanks so much . So can I confirm that I need to port out my desired number to a new cheap sim, which will leave only my temporary mobile number that came with the new phone on it . I then port it back in and it will get rid of the temporary mobile number and just be my desired one number and one account? Is it easy enough to get my PAC code when I have two numbers on the account? When I tried logging into my Vodafone just now it said my phone was no longer associated with my account, and to ring. I am beyond despair. 
I get that Vodafone don’t like this done, and shall not be doing it in a hurry again, but I just please want my one long term number on my new car phone warehouse phone and to close the other account. It is not too much to ask.

AnnS
17: Community Champion
17: Community Champion

Hi @Smiley11 

 

Whatever you do make sure you request the PAC from your old number not the new Carphone contract or you will end up with a PAC for the new number.

 

When you have the PAC for the old number submit this to the other network PAYG number, the old number will move to the other network provider, when the number moves you then need to request a PAC from the other provider by texting the same number and submit the PAC to Vodafone by following the keep my number link in my reply.

 

If all goes according to the way it should, you will only have the old number on the account.

 

 

 

 

Thanks so much. Will give it a try. One final question- my original account from which the number I want to keep has come originally - will that naturally close as it has no number associated with it, or do I need to do that? (it was a pay monthly but recently,after the 2 yr contract ended,  I asked for it to go to PAYG and they said it would do by the end of this month)

  Thank you for your time.

I did just that, I ported my number to an O2 PAYG sim but now I'm trying to get a PAC code from O2 to transfer back to Vodafone and they're telling me I have to wait 28 days for the first PAC code from Vodafone I used to transfer to O2 to expire? I do not understand.

chistery
16: Advanced member
16: Advanced member

Have you tried texting for a PAC instead of talking to them?

I have. It says there's an issue processing my request and to try again later.

chistery
16: Advanced member
16: Advanced member

Sounds like the original request is still open. How long has it been since you transferred to o2?