Hi Guys,
Thought Id drop this message here in the hope that someone has had success doing it.
Im with Sky and since I came out of my fixed period my prices have shot up. Currently paying £39 a month for Fiber and Unlimited Landline calls. I was looking to switch to NowTV Broadband and Anytime calls who are charging £20 a month and offer TopCashBack. However, I did read multiple times that people have not been able to port their existing numbers as the new potential provider cannot get access to the existing line.
I processed a Nowtv app and hadnt heard anything for a week. I checked the status and it was on hold. I gave them a call and they said it was on hold as they cannot port over the existing number due to Sky using Voip/Upgraded landline. He said I would need to get a new line with a new number which I dont want as its my parents phone line and we have had this number for 15 years.
So I feel like Im in bit of a pickle. Ive read online that even switching to other providers is proving to be an issue with Sky. The number was allocated originally by Virgin Media.
Has anyone been able to resolve this? Im on the phone with Sky now and the technical team person Im speaking too said she has never heard of this as an issue. Hopefully she comes back with some good news.
Appreciate your help with this.
CheekyMunks.
Thought Id drop this message here in the hope that someone has had success doing it.
Im with Sky and since I came out of my fixed period my prices have shot up. Currently paying £39 a month for Fiber and Unlimited Landline calls. I was looking to switch to NowTV Broadband and Anytime calls who are charging £20 a month and offer TopCashBack. However, I did read multiple times that people have not been able to port their existing numbers as the new potential provider cannot get access to the existing line.
I processed a Nowtv app and hadnt heard anything for a week. I checked the status and it was on hold. I gave them a call and they said it was on hold as they cannot port over the existing number due to Sky using Voip/Upgraded landline. He said I would need to get a new line with a new number which I dont want as its my parents phone line and we have had this number for 15 years.
So I feel like Im in bit of a pickle. Ive read online that even switching to other providers is proving to be an issue with Sky. The number was allocated originally by Virgin Media.
Has anyone been able to resolve this? Im on the phone with Sky now and the technical team person Im speaking too said she has never heard of this as an issue. Hopefully she comes back with some good news.
Appreciate your help with this.
CheekyMunks.
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sorted byCOMPLAINT
At the time of entering into the xxxx contract, I was of the understanding that telephone numbers were easily and freely portable. At no time was I made aware that I must purchase a further new landline to transfer the number away from Sky. That information would have been highly significant to me when the contract was taken out since cost is a major consideration for a consumer and was in my decision. I therefore conclude that as a layman in the highly complex technical and complex commercial arena of these services and in which by comparison Sky is an expert provider I have been misled.
I therefore ask Sky to transfer the number as originally indicated to me as a lay consumer was possible without charge.
This letter is dated xx/xx/xx. I will be escalating this matter to the relevant regulator, OFCOM and publicising the matter through Which? and other interested consumer rights oriented organisations after the 8 week moratorium period has passed or until you communicate a refusal to do as I ask.
thank you in advance etc
Sky have 'Internet Calls' and BT have 'Digital Voice', others are rolling out their own way.
Ofcom are aware of the challenges customers face when switching, the 'Right to port' to retain the same number is coming, sadly not until April 2023.
More info at ispreview.co.uk/ind…tml
What did OpenReach install?
Do you have fibre to the cabinet and copper wire to your house, or fibre to the premeses?
Did OpenReach install a copper phone line to your house?
if they didn't and you only have fibre it is likely that no matter which provider you go with you only get digital phone service.
Sky would not be the ones setting up the line differently to the other providors, it is OpenReach who own the line, but if you don' have a phone line (which is normal now for fibre to the house) you only get digital voice service.
Few months back i had similar issue, was with Sky and wanted to move to Now but They would not.
Ended up with Talktalk who did let me keep my ex Sky number.
I know this does not help your case. (edited)
I may have to do this at some point. So when I moved to this address we never used BT. I had a Virgin Media line put in for the broadband. When I switched to sky the Openreach guy turned up and installed it etc. Its just crazy to me that Sky would setup a line differently compared to the vast majority of providers out there. Let me see how this progresses and hopefully I get a resolution.
I never request VOIP. All I wanted was broadband and the standard telephone. I notice this on my bill.
I have no idea what the SKY talk Internet Calls service even is? Anybody have an idea on what it is and how you would even use it?
Thats one of the reasons why I thought it would be soo easy to switch. So from what I understand its owned by Sky but they dont have as large of a support infrastructure for customers. Less call centres, a lot of the tv is only managed online. The broadband/talk is only supported via the phone but Openreach are deal with the line itself much like Sky do.
I really dont want to lose my number and in an age when porting should be a piece of pee this is mental that there was no issue to switch to Sky but there is an issue to leave. Hopefully I get a call back tomorrow with some good news. (edited)
VOIP provider Sipgate can port-in Sky, VM and other providers' geographic landline numbers for one-off £30 and subsequently operate the number at zero cost, although the simple function of porting out the number without any other considerations may not satisfy what you are ultimately striving for.
Your indicated requirements suggests you would need to consider timing of replacement service(s) and also where to retain/operate the ported number.
Can expand if all that sounds nonsense.
I have used the Sipgate port-in service multiple times without issue.
basichelp.sipgate.co.uk/hc/…om-
basichelp.sipgate.co.uk/hc/…sic
I have no idea what they did but I just remember someone from open reach turning up in the morning and then a Sky engineer in the evening.
When I was talking to the NowBroadband person he asked if my phone line went into my router and then into my phone. I said yes. He said those are the ones they cannot use for there service. Assuming that means Internet telephone.
Lol. I have no idea what you have just written...Im a noob when it comes to this stuff.
I left them because they were rubbish lol. I really don't fancy going back. Their current offers are just as poor as sky for Broadband and Phone. (edited)
Then it sounds like if the phone goes into the router you don’t have a phone line
Weird isnt it, that one of the best deals is offered by a company soo closely affiliated with Sky but you cannot switch to them lol.
Ill keep looking.
So Im going to try and make sense of this. Does this company basically let you port your number to their services, Then I could port from them to say Nowtv? As a work around to get to where I want to go? (edited)
Your one-line (sic) assumption is correct, but will require thought to other considerations, such as:
all services previously associated with the number cease when the existing number is ported to VOIP provider, so any associated broadband will / should also cease.
when to schedule/order a replacement ll / bb service to avoid loss of service-continuity during transition from ceased service to activation of new service, considering you cannot order a replacement service to use the donating Sky line/service until the Sky line/service has been ceased.
Maybe you could consider temporary solution of cellular bb for a month during transition?, or maybe you could / will have to order installation of new line now and arrange optional port-back when new service is live?
does the receiving service accept incoming ports from Sipgate? (as Now is part of Sky and Sky has a reciprocal port arrangement with Sipgate it should be OK, but best to check).
(or my preference): why not opt to use the most flexible approach and leave the ported landline with Sipgate and enjoy a zero-cost methodology to receive calls and freebie voicemail-to-email to your orig ll via smart device app(s) wherever you are in the world, whilst having benefit a second landline via the new provider (Now)?
I am intending to port a number from Sky Broadband to Sipgate as you have done Andy. Did Sky allocate a new number to your broadband when the port out completed, or is the line ceased?
My recollection of landline ports are BT to Sipgate, but yes: Sipgate states it can port-in Sky numbers.
BT interpreted the landline number port out as contract termination and all services on the line ceased, as if cancelled. Hence my earlier suggestion of needing to consider timing of any required / alternative service(s).