Number portability experience

Posts: 9 · New Forum Member Joined: May 28, 2004 Posts: 9

You can of course start using Vonage before your number gets transferred. I've already disconnected my SBC lines and have the entire house wired for Vonage. I gave the temporary number to people so the only calls we're missing right now is the groups that are exempt from the "do not call" list.

Posts: 6 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 26, 2004 Posts: 6

Yeah, I could use the virtual number for the time being. Too many people have my original number though. I'm also an admin for an IT dept. for a worldwide company. My home number is a backup many people might use for getting in contact with me. I'd rather not try switching everyone to using my virtual Vonage number and then trying to switch them back when the original number is finally ported.

I guess one of the biggest frustrations I have, is that if our dept. had a process that was as inefficient as the one used to transfer numbers, people would be loosing their jobs. This is the 21st century. This shouldn't be that difficult.

I guess there are just too many people in the process that consider the term "customer service" as an oxymoron instead of the core of their procedures.

Posts: 9 · New Forum Member Joined: May 28, 2004 Posts: 9

My original intent was to keep my SBC line for incoming class and use Vonage for outgoing calls. Even when making calls with my temporary Vonage number, my permanent SBC phone numbers shows up on people's caller ID. But once I rewired the house to make certain I could get the alarm working I couldn't easily get the SBC line working again. I think it was actually that SBC was having problems that day (a couple neighbors said their phone service was out that day) because I'm almost certain I had it so the alarm was using Vonage but the other house jacks would use SBC.

In any case, I decided to just give the 30 or so people that call us on a regular basis the number and most of our other out of town friends would send us an email if they couldn't get a hold of us.

I would encourage you to try your Vonage line to make certain you're happy with it - I get the impression that (not suprisingly) it's highly dependent on the quality and reliability of your internet connection. Our local internet service is pretty reliable so I've been very happy but if your internet connection is flakly you won't be.

Posts: 6 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 26, 2004 Posts: 6

I have temporarily used my Vonage virtual number and am convinced it is as good or a little better than cell phones. That's good enough for me to stick with the process and try and get my number out of SBC.

After a small "scuffle" with Roadrunner last summer, my cable connection has been quite stable. I am also considering getting a battery backup unit to plug all the phone/cable equipment into. If the power goes out, I'll still have a phone. I do know the additional limitations to even that setup, though, so I can consider my cell phone and my wife's cell phone as emergency backups.

I'm real excited about a Vonage service. I'm just appalled at the lack customer service from the three companies involved when dealing with a number transfer request.

It's good to hear your story and advice though.

Posts: 20 · Posted: Mon Jun 28, 2004 10:00 am Post subject:

SBC - Illinois

June 10, 2004 Letter of Authorization (LOA) Received
June 23, 2004 Carrier Approved Transfer
Transfer scheduled for June 24

Number was ported on the morning of June 24th as promised. SBC dialtone disappeared on the night of June 24/25.

Thirteen days from faxing the LOA to Vonage until SBC ported the number. Not bad... Very Happy

Posts: 1 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 29, 2004 Posts: 1

My number has been transferred but it's a strange situation.

This is what my status currently reports on Vonage:

May 30, 2004 Awaiting Letter of Authorization
June 2, 2004 Letter of Authorization (LOA) Received
June 2, 2004 Transfer Sent to Carrier

However, my phone number was switched over 2 weeks ago. I called Vonage to ask them if it was a fluke and the CSR was confused as well. He even called on his personal cell phone to my original home phone # to confirm what I was saying. Bellsouth is still listed as the "owner" of my phone prefix. But, shhhhhh. I'm not complaining.

Has anyone else encountered this?

j*ryu

PS 7 digit dialing works in Raleigh NC now too! whoooo!

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 29, 2004 Posts: 2

18 business days from Qwest to Vonage. Went exactly as planned and is working great.

Posts: 6 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 26, 2004 Posts: 6

Update....

36 business days since my transfer has been requested (51 days total). I have had an "escalated ticket" at Vonage for a week and a half now and heard nothing from them. Calls to CR just get the 'ol "the email we last sent you said we would contact you when we get some information". Yeah, but it also says to contact Vonage if I have any questions. The "this is an escalated ticket... is nothing being done more that a normal ticket?" type questions seems to fall on deaf ears.

SBC is of no help. The CLEC handling the port (XO Communications) refuses to give me any information.

I have issued a complaint with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to see if they can be of any help. I am at a dead end personally. No company involved seems to want to help me resolve this issue.

I'll wait to see if PUCO can be of any help at all.

Posts: 20 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jun 26, 2004 Posts: 20

My 30 calendar day wait so far seems like it's right in line...

I wonder if this is an SBC delay.. I doubt Vonage would delay it since they don't gain anything from it, only SBC since I'm still paying for their phone line....

Posts: 6 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 26, 2004 Posts: 6

In my case, I'm leaning toward thinking this is an XO Communications delay. But, since I have an "escalated" Vonage ticket, someone at Vonage should be putting pressure on XO, but I don't think they are. I've already tried that as the resident, but XO refuses to give me any information. Since Vonage put the transfer order in, I would think XO has the obligation to provide information to them. I consider this a big failing in Vonage right now. They should be putting more CS time into issues like this. I'm not sure they understand the frustration the customer is going through. I have a co-worker that started a number transfer from SBC on May 28. He's in the same boat I am. No information from Vonage other than emails that say "we have issued a status request". We checked his area code and prefix, too. It looks like his transfer is also going through XO.

I'm done trying to get help from SBC, too. I've learned much more about the process of number transfers on my own than a "specialist" I talked to at SBC seems to know... or maybe he's just really bad at trying to explain the process. I would think a "specialist" would know what a CLEC is and which ones he would need to contact to help find out what's holding up my transfer request, too. I have never asked anything of SBC until now. It seems that all of a sudden I not privvy to customer service... or even a good explaination of the process.

Still no response to my Public Utilities Commission complaint.... but it's only been a couple of days since I issued it, and since it's a holiday weekend, I suspect I'll be waiting a while for that as well.