How long should it take to switch mobile provider and transfer your number?

[SueEllen]

I have never seen such terrible service. Not only do they not have the ability to tell me "this has been escalated please wait 2-3 days" but when I asked for a PAC code they told me they cannot do this until the current problem is resolved.

Then I asked how to make a complaint and they wouldn't tell me (I asked twice). They practically boasted about the fact that lots of other people are having the same problems!

If they refused to tell you how to make a complaint you should have phoned OFCOM's helpline to ask them.

OFCOM won't be very much help but they would have logged there was yet another issue with BT mobile and told you who to complain to.

To be fair I'm more militant with mobile and internet companies since a Three customer service op threatened my credit file a few years ago.

[DallasDad]

Not Mobile but Landline
I switched last December to Plusnet for Phone and Broadband and I settled my final bill with BT in January or so I thought
Three months later a bill for phone rental and other features arrives.

I phone the hell desk in India, said I have an email from you confirming the transfer date and a final bill payment receipt so owed them nothing
Oh yes I do she (Sandra) said and I should call Plusnet to sort it out!

Apparently Plusnet had not told open reach something who had not told BT something else and I was a ghost in their system for ever to be haunted by new quarterly Bills and threatening letters unless I paid up.

After umpteen pointless phone calls and a fair few hours on hold I tried a different route and called cancellations.
Spoke to a real Human in Scotland.
She identified the problem in their BT system and corrected it or so I thought.
Another three months later a new bill plus a late payment charge for the last bill and threats of Debt collectors damage to my Credit rating etc. arrived.
I decided no more trying to reason with the BT drones
I lodged a formal complaint via Email which is hidden away if you work past all the pointless chat window options
The offcom code I think requires them to respond/resolve within 7 days.

Yesterday I was called, told it was all sorted and a cheque for the excess £90 they have charged will be in the post.
Result you may think, I am not so sure!
They don't actually owe me anything so where they get the idea I am owed £90 from worries me.

Perhaps that error will be adjusted on my next quarters bill...

It is automata taken to extremes no one seems to have a clue and no one seems empowered to actually responsibly resolve anything.

[LondonManc]

Home | Ofcom - simples

[d000hg]

I have never seen such terrible service. Not only do they not have the ability to tell me "this has been escalated please wait 2-3 days" but when I asked for a PAC code they told me they cannot do this until the current problem is resolved.

Then I asked how to make a complaint and they wouldn't tell me (I asked twice). They practically boasted about the fact that lots of other people are having the same problems!

[SueEllen]

BT are being dire - I bought a new phone which requires a nano SIM and after nearly 3 weeks and two different SIMs they haven't been able to provide me with one that works. I'm stuck using my old phone which I needed to sell without using. Today, my old SIM stopped working so I have no phone at all, and I can't get through to anyone helpful at all.

I'm thinking I'll just move. I know I can get a new SIM in the post next day or the day after, or visit a store direct, but how long will porting my number take? A couple of days tog et it from BT plus several days to activate, or less than that?

I travel on Monday for a month and so far it looks like I will have to take two phones with me neither of which works!

It really unfortunately depends on BT.

I suggest you phone them up and press the buttons to leave them. Then when you speak to an operator say you are leaving and want your PAC. Then you get put through to the retentions department. They should give you the PAC after trying to sell you stuff, and then its up to the new provider to connect you.

Some like EE will connect you over the weekend. I tend to find it better to deal with them all on the phone rather than in their shops. I've only been to one shop with decent staff and that was one EE branch all the rest are f***wits.

Avoid the Carphonewarehouse as they are charlatans.

[WTFH]

He's switching providers (I'm guessing to BT)

OPM said "heaven is a half pipe". How does that help?

You never ridden switch in a half pipe?

[LondonManc]

d000hg, I take it you're with BT at the moment and simply want a new SIM card issuing?

Can you not simply go instore at a generic mobile phone shop and get one issued?

Yup, what OPM said.

OPM said "heaven is a half pipe". How does that help?

[Hobosapien]

See if any of the phones offer eSim so no physical sim to change, just a phone call to change provider/plan in theory.

Samsung and others (possibly the next iPhone) have started to roll out hardware with eSim capability, but may be too late for this situation.

Personally I use these opportunities to ditch the old number and anyone I don't want having my new number, or demote old number to less important contacts that aren't aware they're in the process of being 'defriended'.

[missinggreenfields]

When I changed from SIM to nano-SIM, T-mobile sent me a new one which never arrived and deactivated the old one. Walked into the shop in town and they sorted it out and had it working with a new SIM in a few minutes.

Swapping from one provider to another took about a day to come through to them originally.

[Kraut]

I have moved my number between providers several times over the last 7 years or so, because it's very easy to remember. From O2, to T-Mobile (now EE), to Three, to giffgaff. Took in all cases between just over 24 hours to five days. You might have a little bit of downtime, but I haven't been unreachable for more than a few hours in any case. You'll know in advance on which date it's going to happen, so you just swap out sims then, reboot the phone, and you're good to go. No big deal at all. Getting that stupid PAC code to initiate the transfer is another matter...

[WTFH]

If you can get to carphone warehouse you can get a new working phone almost straight away

transfering your number should only take a few more days but....

Yup, what OPM said.


The transfer can take a day or two if you are switching provider. If you are just switching sim, the transfer can be done immediately in a shop.
But if you are switching provider and sim, the new sim will not work until the old one is deactivated. (generally you can't have two sims on the same number)

[original PM]

If you can get to carphone warehouse you can get a new working phone almost straight away

transfering your number should only take a few more days but....

[d000hg]

BT are being dire - I bought a new phone which requires a nano SIM and after nearly 3 weeks and two different SIMs they haven't been able to provide me with one that works. I'm stuck using my old phone which I needed to sell without using. Today, my old SIM stopped working so I have no phone at all, and I can't get through to anyone helpful at all.

I'm thinking I'll just move. I know I can get a new SIM in the post next day or the day after, or visit a store direct, but how long will porting my number take? A couple of days tog et it from BT plus several days to activate, or less than that?

I travel on Monday for a month and so far it looks like I will have to take two phones with me neither of which works!