Can't port phone number from Sky

[docdef]

OK, so my phone number is working fine now BUT I can't port the number to another provider.

NowTV, Vodafone, Talk Talk and Cuckoo Broadband have again said NO

BT's online form took my order but failed with a 'phone this number' message. When I talked to their customer support they said they could put my number through BUT there was a note saying I would probably lose my number.

Sky customer support now say it's probably because everyone is moving to VOIP and I am now back on the old system with Sky Essentials that they put me on! They also said that this is the 'end of the road' with this complaint as they don't know what the problem is and there is nobody else I can talk to.

I will now have to go to arbitration (minimum 56 days wait) while I put up with 1MB upload/8MB download broadband (my partner and I work from home and this is very bad)  OR move (with very limited choices) and lose my number.

So there you have it...

MOVE TO SKY YOU LOSE YOUR PHONE NUMBER (probably)

[docdef]

That should be

MOVE TO SKY YOU LOSE YOUR PHONE NUMBER WHEN  YOU TRY TO LEAVE (probably)

[Mark39]

@docdef I would think it unlikely that the availability for porting of your number has yet propagated to the system or systems other companies use, if it's only a couple of days since your downgraded service was activated.  I don't know how long that might take, but I believe the database Sky uses updates once per month.

[docdef]

I was told by Sky that when I moved to Essentials (their suggested fix) that I would have a 2 week 'cooling off' period to find a new provider as I have been forced to start an 18 month contract. Waiting a month isn't an option.

BT said  this morning that my phone number is showing as being on the old exchange system (I can't remember the technical term they  gave but it began with M) but that the system also said they should warn the customer that they would probably need a new phone number ☹️ The person I was talking to said this was the reason I can't sign up online.

I could wait a week or so, but I'm not convinced anything will change as nobody has a clue what the problem is 🤔

[immy999123]

Any update on this?  Did you find a solution? 

I am also now knee deep in this situation where no other provider will port me due to the "ceased" line and i would have to pay for a new line and lose my number.

Essentially held hostage by SKY if i want to retain my number.

[docdef]

I moved to BT in the end, but it was a bit of a nightmare as when the BT engineer turned up he was surprised to find the line had already been cut off by Sky, had no dial tone and the phone number was GONE.

I had to ring BT who got the number back from the Openreach pool.

Then today I got a message from Sky saying that not only am I not getting a refund for the £35 credit I have with them, but they want a £341.25 Early Termination Charge  for the new 18 month contract they forced me to take out in order to leave!!!!

DO  NOT TRUST ANYTHING SKY SAY ON THE PHONE - GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING

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We recently wrote to inform you that as you had cancelled your subscription within the minimum term, you needed to reactivate your service. As you've not contacted us to reactivate your service, the following early termination charges have been applied to your account:

Sky Broadband Essential Plus 

Minimum Term 18 months

£341.25 Early Termination Charge

You've agreed to subscribe to your chosen service for the minimum term as shown above. The early termination charge is calculated on the basis of the subscription payments you would have made for our cheapest available option for the remainder of your minimum term - less any costs we save, including the cost of no longer providing you with the service.

Further details of how we calculate these charges are included in the terms and conditions which relate to the relevant service or in letters we've sent to you confirming the terms and conditions of the service you've ordered from us.

These charges will be deducted from any credit balance on your account. The remaining amount will be collected automatically in 10 days' time from any card you have stored on your Sky account. If we are unable to collect automatically this amount will be added to your balance. If you do not wish this charge to be made you should contact us immediately to reactivate your subscription

####################################################################

[caesarome]

@docdef 

There is clearly more to this then you have posted here, so why did they "force" you to take out a new contract to leave ?

[MartinSurrey]

This was the method recommended by the tech support staff to get the number released back to open reach and then "hope" that you get it back so that other suppliers could see the number as an existing line. Otherwise it is invisible to other suppliers as it uses voip. Recommendation was to downgrade to Essential, then cancel once the new supplier set up. Decided against this myself because of the chances of it going pear shaped like for this guy! 

[caesarome]

In that case @docdef put in a complaint giving as much details as possible, like times and dates you called so that Sky can listen to the call and will be able to hear what was said to you:

https://www.sky.com/help/complaints

[docdef]

From earlier in the thread...

###########################################################################

OK, so I finally got a definitive answer from Sky, rather than the previous ' there is no problem at Skys end'.

You can't port your phone number if your broadband came with VOIP phone service.

To port the number I have to:

(1) Take out an 18 month contract for 8MB (!) Sky Essentials. This will take around 7 days. I have been told I will be refunded the £20 charge and £42 for the month's service.

(2) Once this goes live I have a 28 days 'cooling off period' to change provider, or be locked in for 18 months.

Not ideal as I work from home and 8MB is going to be a PITA, but they think this should fix the issue!

Thanks for the replies and I'll update to say how it went, as it may help anyone else trying to change providers.

[docdef]

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@caesarome wrote:

In that case @docdef put in a complaint giving as much details as possible, like times and dates you called so that Sky can listen to the call and will be able to hear what was said to you:

https://www.sky.com/help/complaints

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I did complain and in our last phone call it was agreed that as they said they 'were at the end of the road with the complaint' that it would go to arbitration in 45 days.

Instead I have also received an email telling me tha they are closing the complaint.

I'll be on the phone to them again today to get my money back.

[Mark39]

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@docdef wrote:

I did complain and in our last phone call it was agreed that as they said they 'were at the end of the road with the complaint' that it would go to arbitration in 45 days.

Instead I have also received an email telling me tha they are closing the complaint.

I'll be on the phone to them again today to get my money back.

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I'd guess that closing the complaint would be normal if there's nothing further Sky believe can be done. It shouldn't affect any arbitration process, but you might want to request a 'deadlock' letter.

Applying the early termination charge will have been an automated billing process which wouldn't take account of any previous agreement. Hopefully someone with the appropriate authority will agree to refund it.

[docdef]

OK,  so another 30 minutes on the phone and I finally convinced them that I shouldn't have to pay an early termination charge for the 18 month Essentials contract I didn't ask for, didn't want and was only moved on to (by them) so that I could finally leave Sky after 6 months of failed ports 😐

They've also agreed to refund the £34 credit to my bank account in 3-5 days. I'll update the thread if the saga continutes. Even when you leave Sky won't let you go!

On a more positive note, I moved to BT and I'm getting a solid 300Mbps download and 46Mbps upload on the same copper line (Sky would only offer 67Mbps on my line). Expensive and not my first choice, but they were the only ones who would take me 😊

[TimmyBGood]

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@docdef wrote:

On a more positive note, I moved to BT and I'm getting a solid 300Mbps download and 46Mbps upload on the same copper line (Sky would only offer 67Mbps on my line).

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The only domestic technology that can provide 300Mbs over copper phone line is the higher tier of G.fast which Sky has never offered as a broadband product. 67Mbs would be standard 'Superfast' FTTC.

[docdef]

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@TimmyBGood wrote:

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@docdef wrote:

On a more positive note, I moved to BT and I'm getting a solid 300Mbps download and 46Mbps upload on the same copper line (Sky would only offer 67Mbps on my line).

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The only domestic technology that can provide 300Mbs over copper phone line is the higher tier of G.fast which Sky has never offered as a broadband product. 67Mbs would be standard 'Superfast' FTTC.

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Yep, that's what I went for in the end. After all the hassle moving I thought I'd spend a few quid more and get a real upgrade 🙂