Why can't we keep our phone number?

Question

We recently tried to switch to Vontage from AT&T but it looks like our phone number won't transfer. Why not? We are the same people living at the same address, so why is it so difficult to get the same number back?

Answer 1

yes, I had the same problem with them....it took me 6 month and many phone calls to finally post my number, which they own, by the way!!!

call them again and ask for a supervisor, its the law to have your number ported, but I know that they take there sweet old time!!!

Answer 2

You phone number has little to do with your house address.

Phone numbers are divied-out based on the local exchange through which numbers are leased from.  But, phone numbers are now Portable and can be moved from place to place with little regard to address.

It is now USA law that telephone carriers have to accommodate requests for LNP (local number portability).  LNP is the ability to take you phone number with you when you change telephone carriers.  But, there is always an extra administrative charge to do this, and specific procedures must be followed.

Either Vonage isn't accommodating you or AT&T isn't accomodating Vonage, or you didn't follow accepted procedures.

The catch here is - Did you make the request to change your number from AT&T before you disconnected AT&T service, or did you make the request After you terminated AT&T service?

If Vonage made the request before you terminated AT&T service, then by law AT&T has to accomodate the requrest.

But, if you termianted AT&T Before you switched to Vonage and the request by Vonage to AT&T to "Port" your number was made After you switched to Vonage....... then you are out of luck, unless you put up a big fight and pay extra costs.

*** All requests for LNP have to be made "Before" you terminate your service with you current carrier. *

Once you terminate your carrier service that your old number is with, it is too late to have it "Ported" to your new carrier. ***

However, carriers normally will not re-assign an aborted number until a certain amount of time lapse, e.g. 30 - 90 days.  So, if the number has not been re-assigned to a new customer of AT&T then you may be able to still get it ported - for a Price - but they are not obligated if proper procedure wasn't followed initially.

Answer 3

I honestly don't know your situation or much about Vonage. My parents had it and didn't like the customer service. I had a close friend who introduced me to a similar company with great customer service. You could try giving them a call. They were able to give me my number without any problems. I will post the link in the source location. I can share more info if you would like.

BEST WISHES!

Answer 4

Because At&T bought that number and not Vontage.. I now its sux.. I wanted to keep my phone number Rogers to Bell..

Answer 5

i had vonage when they first started, only reason i left back then was cable offered me a better deal... i have heard alot of bad things about vonage on here lately.. so they may have gone down hill since i was a customer,

i would not recommend you take your ATT number with you to Vonage, because once you do, it will be lost forever..

ATT is required to port your number over, but Vonage is not required to port your number... if you are not satisfied with your vonage service and want to port away from them, VoIP providers are not required by law to port away.. they are not required to port to there service either but will, if it will get your business..