I have a small business mobile account with Voda with 22 lines which other than UK coverage, works well for us (I actually have another business account with EE for our UK only workforce because of coverage). Like many businesses, employees come and go and most of the time this is never a problem, users hand in their phone and we pass it to the next employee, life goes on... Very ocaisionally I get asked if the employee can take the number away with them and most of the time we would refuse because of customer relations etc. However some times, we may accept the request e.g. if someone retires from the company; no competitor issues, loyal employee. So now to the problem...........
So I want to let the employee take their number and then back-fill the contract with a replacement number e.g. start with 22 lines and after porting, end with the same 22 lines. Easy, port with a PAC and then commision a new line. Sounds straight-forward apart from Voda want to charge me to cancel the porting number from my contract (~14months remaining term) and then charge me for a new line i.e. I would pay for 23 lines for the remaining time of my contract.
Why is this such an issue with Voda? My other contract makes this process really easy, put in request, PAC is issued, number ports away and then my account is immediately re-provisioned with a new number. I think for the dozen or so times this has happened over the many years, I've been charged a small admin fee (usually around £10+VAT for a sim and shipping) just once or twice. But with Voda, I'm looking at several hundred £'s incurred cancellation fee.
Doesn't make me feel great about renewing contracts again with them. Other than the obvious money spin they get, why behave like this? The numbers should belong to the client not to the networks, it should be really easy to do this kind of move without much in the way of cost for any party.
