Nightmare porting landline number from Virgin Media on house move

[#1]

I have moved house in the same area but cannot remain with Virgin Media as the service is not available.  I have therefore selected Plusnet as my new provider for landline phone and broaband.  As part of this process, I wished to retain my existing landline number (which is an old BT number and compatible with my local exchange, which I have had since 1987).  I kicked off this process on 25th July 2023 with move date of 14th August.  I was told to keep my Virgin service active until the new service was up and running; this was possible as there is an overlap between moving into the new house and a tenant moving into the old house.  After five weeks I am at the stage of tearing out what little hair I have left.  Every time a call Plusnet customer service I speak to someone different.  They are all friendly and polite but seem wholly incapable of getting problems fixed or even understanding what the problem is.  Current sequence of events:-

• 25/7/23 - order placed with request to retain landline number
• 26/7/23 - I am advised that order is "stuck in the system" and will need to be re-ordered
• 28/7/23 - I am told that he order has be placed
• 1/8/23 - I learn (by calling support) that the order has been cancelled, but the reason is unknown
• 3/8/23 - I am told that he order has been placed again (3rd time)
• 10/8/23 - I am told that there is a problem with the suppliers and the porting request has been rejected due to Code 41
• 15/8/23 - I am told that the order has been placed again (4th time)
• 17/8/23 - The order is rejected with Code 41
• 18/8/23 - I am asked by customer support to contact Virgin to get my information updated
• 18/8/23 - I contact Virgin who confirm that all my information is correct and that Plusnet need to lead the process
• 18/8/23 - I speak to customer services again and am told they need to submit an ORDI request to correct the information in Openreach's database which is showing no service at my old address (which is wrong)
• 18/8/23 - I am told that an ORDI request has been made
• 21/8/23 - I am told agains that an ORDI request has been made but there has been no feedback
• 24/8/23 - I am told that Plusnet are working on fixing the issue
• 29/8/23 - I am told that porting the number may not be possible
• 29/8/23 - I speak to customer services who confirm that they are unable to speak directly to Openreach to find out what the problem is.  When I ask for the issue to be escalated, I am told it will be taken up by the "Customer Assist Team".  I am told that customer assist have no direct telephone number and I will have to wait for them to contact me!

At this point I have been at my new house for two weeks, I have no landline or broadband and I am still retaining my Virgin Media service active at my old address.  I have no idea why there is a problem porting my landline number and customer service seem to be equally clueless. 

Can anyone help resolve this issue?  I may be in a position in a few days when I have no option but to discontinue the service at the old address. 

[#2]

@mattd15 

Porting error code 41 is

LCP Installation Postcode invalid (code 41) - the postcode submitted does not match the records of the current/losing pprovider.

AIUI you're trying to port the number, which is active at your old address  to your new address.

Suppliers are able to take over an active number at the same address, but I'm not sure they can move the number to a new address at the same time ?

[#3]

Hi MisterW.  Thanks for the input.  All the customer service agents I have spoken to (and I think this numbers about 6 by now) say the process should be possible provided my new property is served by the same exchange.  This is the case and, in fact, I have moved the number once before (in 1991) from a house which is only a few hundred metres from my new property. 

[#4]

This is the case and, in fact, I have moved the number once before (in 1991) from a house which is only a few hundred metres from my new property. 

was that a house move but  staying with the same provider?

Moving house with the same provider is no problem, as is changing provider at the same house. What I'm not sure of, is moving house AND changing provider at the same time ?

Hopefully one of the P,lusnet help team will see this thread and clarify the situation

[#5]

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@MisterW wrote:

What I'm not sure of, is moving house AND changing provider at the same time ?

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If so I guesss that it needs a two stage process:

1 Move the service from Virgin to Plusnet at the old address.

2 When 1 is complete, do a house move of the Plusnet service.

However time is of the essence here. September 5th is only 6 days away. If the phone line is not transferred before then presumably it will not be possible to transfer the 'landline' and the number will have to be recovered from quarantine to a VoIP service. One must assume that this will create yet another level of complication to the issue.

[#6]

Personally I would port the number to a VoIP supplier now (say Andrews and Arnold) effectively from your old address.

Once it is with the VoIP supplier you can change the address the number is associated with.

This is probably the most "futureproof" approach.

[#7]

@markhawkin 

It would be the futureproof solution but that will trigger contract cancellation. Presumably this will automatically result in a loss of broadband and cancellation charges unless it's less than 14 days since the @mattd15  signed up, not the go live date.

It needs a call to the Customer Options Team if this is the proposed solution. 0800 013 2632

[#8]

It would be the futureproof solution but that will trigger contract cancellation.

but it will cancel the old Virgin connection at the old house, so presumably that's not a problem.

Then just replace the Plusnet order as a SoGEA connection ( its probably cancelled itself again anyway ? )

[#9]

Perhaps I didn't make my thinking clear.

I anticipate that porting the number from Virgin will stop the Virgin Media service but that is at the old address.

Once the number is safely with a VoIP supplier then the broadband (and potentially phone line) to the new address can be addressed.

[#10]

I am totalling confused now. If it is the intention to move the phone to VoIP then is it not simply a case of starting a new SOGEA service with Plusnet at the new address with no need to even mention the old address, never mind discuss the POTS phone at the old address. Then when the Plusnet service is up and running simply transfer the POTS phone at the old address, using the old address so that the ownership of the line can be confirmed, to a VoIP service, hence triggering the cancellation of the Virgin service? The VoIP number is not address related. It will just need a change of address on the VoIP account after the transfer is completed.

[#11]

Finally, my phone line and broadband have been connected.  It took 3 Openreach engineers and 5 weeks.  I have still not had my number ported, but have been told this will be resolved within the next week. 

Thank you for the comments.