LNP Transfer taking well over 20 days!!!

Posts: 40 · Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2005 10:46 am Post subject:

Another week gone, another week without a transfer. I sent an email to the email address someone listed in this thread. I got a reply back that its being taken care of by the executive response team, or something like that. But I haven't heard anything since. There was a name and number in the email response so I'm going to be giving them a call after the weekend. Its been 42 business days and counting.

Whats even worse is that a friend of mine is thinking of moving to Vonage and doing the number transfer thing but now is hesitant because its taking so long for mine. He would just get a new number but there aren't any available in our area code anymore. There is absolutely no reason for something like this to take this long. They have either contracted out with extremely stupid people or the people they contracted out are in bed with the major phone companies and its beneficial for them to go as slow as possible.

Posts: 23 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jan 12, 2005 Posts: 23

I have two little points on this whole thing.

1. Have any of you people even tried calling up Company X (Your current carrier) and saying, "Listen..I'm trying to get out of your service. I've signed up with Vonage, and I'm trying to keep my phone number. What's the deal? I've been a member for xx years, and I think I should get treated just a little better than this. Thanks!"

2. What's the deal with keeping your number anyway? Okay, so I didn't even attempt LNP, or whatever..mainly because, technically, I only have a cell phone. But the only way I can see this as being extremely important, is if you've had the same number for 20+ years and you think there's a chance someone from your childhood still remembers it and tries to call to see if it still works. Ooooor, you're a big fancy-pants CEO that needs to have the same number for all your "contacts" or "clients" or "secretaries" who need to be able to contact you quickly, without having to call the office to find out your new number. To me, if you're just a soccer mom, teenager, or just any plain local peon, keeping your number shouldn't really be all that big of an issue. When I switched from Verizon to Cingular, I didn't bother with the number portability thing, because anyone who needs to contact me, I have their number in my address book on my phone, so to heck with anyone else.

(On a side note, does anyone know if a Vonage phone number appears in local phone books?)

Posts: 13 · Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2005 11:02 am Post subject:

The number that I was assinged by Vonage is an extended local number for my friends and family in the area. My neighbor would be charged if they called the # Vonage gave me.. My cell number is local, so that's why I choose to do LNP.

I have already talked to Nextel and they are no issues with releasing the # on their end.. I think the issue is with the middle man, Telcove.

Posts: 40 · Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2005 11:03 am Post subject:

Quote:

1. Have any of you people even tried calling up Company X

I thought about that but I don't have time to be calling from SBC to Vonage to SBC back and forth for something that I'm already paying for (those little service charges on my SBC bill that I've been paying for the past year or so). The FCC says that number transfer have to be allowed within a reasonable time frame. The infrustructure is in place already, there is no reason it should take longer than 2 weeks. Its not like they have to put the paperwork on a horse and gallop to the SBC building for delivery.

Quote:

2. What's the deal with keeping your number anyway?

Well one main reason, there aren't any numbers in my area code available anymore. Secondly, its a pain in the butt to remember every service that has my phone number in their system and to call all of them to change it.

Posts: 70 · Full Forum Member Joined: Jan 11, 2005 Posts: 70

Answer to number 2....

It's easier to keep the number so that you don't have to make sure all of your friends and family get the new one. No big deal, just easier!

Posts: 18 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jan 14, 2005 Posts: 18

I sent a brief email politely explaining my situation to Mr. Citron, and in about an hour had a response from the Executive Response Team.

Impressive.

Other email requests took well over a day to be replied to, if they were replied to at all.

Signed up / faxed information beginning of Dec. We'll see how things go now...

Posts: 3198 · Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2005 1:05 pm Post subject:

Cynicize wrote:

(On a side note, does anyone know if a Vonage phone number appears in local phone books?)

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,12229728~mode=flat

Posts: 448 · Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2005 1:53 pm Post subject:

Cynicize wrote:

What's the deal with keeping your number anyway?

About 13 years ago we moved from one neighborhood to the next and were unable to keep the previous number, which we'd only had for 3-1/2 years. What a royal PITA. Friends, family, coworkers, banks, our insurance agent, every place that has emergency contact numbers (got kids in school?), any companies that use a phone number to look up your account.... the list goes on, ad infinitum.... everyone had to be notified. Two years later, we were still running across those who hadn't been able to get in touch with us because they never got our new number. Never again. This time our number is for keeps, so we're willing to wait half an eternity for the LNP to go through.

Cynicize wrote:

(On a side note, does anyone know if a Vonage phone number appears in local phone books?)

To my knowledge, if you were listed on the phone book at the time of your LNP, and if you check the box on the LOA to keep the listing, then yes you will continue to be listed in the phone book. If you get a newly assigned number from Vonage, or are unlisted at the time of the LNP and later change your mind, then no, you will not.

Posts: 1 · New Forum Member Joined: Jan 14, 2005 Posts: 1

Like many others I've been waiting. In my case since Nov 30, 2004.

I just sent an email to dslreports@vonage.com so we'll see if that shakes things loose.

From the number of posts on this topic here and elsewhere on the web (check out just about every wireless carriers site) this appears to be a common problem. I suspect this tactic is highly profitable for the POTS companies. Perhaps a good class action lawsuit would help adjust their priorities. I'd love to see a judgement that requires them to refund all money they collected for service for the period starting say two weeks after they received the request. If they made no money for services provided after two weeks I guarantee that all of the transfers would take less than two weeks.

Posts: 13 · Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2005 9:04 am Post subject:

it's finally done after 10 weeks

November 1, 2004 Awaiting Letter of Authorization
November 2, 2004 Letter of Authorization (LOA) Received
November 2, 2004 Transfer Sent to Carrier
January 17, 2005 Carrier Approved Transfer
January 18, 2005 Completed LNP Transfer