Keeping Old Phone Number Inexpensively

Posts: 51 · Full Forum Member Joined: Oct 26, 2008 Posts: 51

A lot of people still have our old phone number and we would like to keep it for now, but we don't want it to be our primary line. We have a new number with Vonage that we are only giving to certain people, so we don't get calls that we don't want.

We did not cancel our old phone service yet and are thinking about keeping our old number. The problem is, we don't want to keep our old phone company just for the number since they are so expensive. Now I know we can just downgrade to the local calling plan, but that is still expensive. It will even be over Vonage's $24.99 service!

We don't want to pay another $24.99 with Vonage if we are only going to be making a few outgoings calls and receive incoming. We will probably be using less than 100 minutes a month. We are looking for something that is inexpensive, such as $15 a month or less.

Does Vonage have a Pay by the Minute plan that they don't advertise? Again, I'm looking for the most inexpensive solution.

I appreciate any replies.

Posts: 63 · Full Forum Member Joined: Nov 02, 2007 Posts: 63

Vonage has a Residential Basic 500 Minutes Plan for $14.99 a month. Check out their web page for the different plans they offer.

Posts: 72 · Full Forum Member Joined: Apr 27, 2005 Posts: 72

Vonage has an account hold plan at $4.99 per month. Its like pay by minute, every call will be charged 3.9 cents per minute. No free minutes in this plan, incoming calls are free.

Posts: 656 · Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 5:39 am Post subject:

You could have it ported to Vonage on the 14.99 plan for starters and then request to have it converted into a Virtual number once the port completes. This way your only paying 4.99 a month for the Virtual number and if you only need it for incoming calls for those who still have this number, it would solve your issue.

This would only work if you keep the Vonage issued number as your primary number for outbound calling, give it to a few people for incoming, and use the Virtual number for incoming calls from the others who already have it.

Posts: 1326 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Nov 08, 2006 Posts: 1326

Is it still possible to have it as a virtual number now since they already have Vonage?

Posts: 656 · Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 6:01 am Post subject:

Yes. If they chose to keep the line they have as the primary at 14.99 and wanted to only keep the old number for incoming, it could be a Virtual number. They would have to chose the option to add additional line to their device from web account, select keep phone number, select 14.99 plan, and do the ELOA for LNP. Once the port completes they would call into Vonage and request for the number to be made into a Virtual number which would then drop it down to 4.99

Not an option if they want to be able to call from this number.

Posts: 1179 · Member of the Week Joined: Feb 28, 2005 Posts: 1179

I did exactly that. I ported the number and then retained my old number as the virtual number. In pvvoip's case, the number must be ported and the current Vonage number retained as a virtual number and then call CSR and have them reverse it.

then you have a $14.99 for your Vonage # and then $4.99 for your old #.

great deal.

Posts: 51 · Full Forum Member Joined: Oct 26, 2008 Posts: 51

The account hold plan looks like the best option. I port my number to Vonage and put it on the account hold plan. It will be a second line and cost $4.99 a month with unlimited incoming calls and outgoing calls will be charged by the minute. Am I understanding it correctly?

Posts: 1179 · Member of the Week Joined: Feb 28, 2005 Posts: 1179

No, the virtual number plan is best since the outgoing calls all are charged to your main number. the virtual number simply forwards all calls to your main number.

I don't see the need to use the number hold feature.

Posts: 51 · Full Forum Member Joined: Oct 26, 2008 Posts: 51

The thing is, I don't want the calls to be forwarded to our new phone. I want the old number to be separate. If I just wanted them to be forwarded, I would have just ported the number.