The Truth about LNP and Vonage!

Posts: 37 · Vonage Forum Junior Joined: Jul 12, 2006 Posts: 37

EzCo wrote:

I have to ask, what basis do any of you have for saying Vonage takes too long to port a number?

Sorry, I forgot to answer this. For me, my basis is on the 10 to 14 business days that Vonage quoted me on 2 different occassions. 3 months is a lot longer than 3 weeks. Sad

Posts: 23 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jun 25, 2006 Posts: 23

If you are able. How much long term business sense does it make to hire a bunch of non-English speaking script readers to do your tech service calls?

From what I can see here on this board, quite a few people are complaining about not getting their numbers ported in a timely fashion or at all, If you consider that most Vonage CUSTOMERS don't visit this forum and, in fact, the vast majority of Vonage CUSTOMERS know nothing at all about it, the number of these CUSTOMERS who have posted that they are having problems is staggering. You notice that I capatilize customers. I do so because Vonage behaves as though they're doing those who are patronizing them a favor, when in fact quite the opposite is true. WE are PAYING for a service we are NOT RECIEVING, That service INCLUDES the porting of our numbers. Complaints about Vonages failure to port numbers is NOT whining. It's simply an informed consumer expressing outrage over Vonages failure to supply what that consumer has PAID FOR. If we were not paying for Vonages services I would concur...such complaints would fall under the heading of whining...This is not, however the case.

Hell, I can't even get my number ported. No place on the box or in the instructions of the Vonage/Vtech phone that I purchased from Best Buy does it mention that portabillity is availabe only in select areas of the US. In fact, the words that are written on the box state "you can keep your old phone number".

Anyone that lives in the STATE of South Dakota with the exception of Sioux Falls has the same problem I have. I'd put that number at 600,000 people. I'd hazard to guess we are not alone.

I'm not whining, I'm stating some facts and you have yet to contribute anything to the conversation of any weight...just some cheerleading.

RCD.

Posts: 1 · New Forum Member Joined: Jul 27, 2006 Posts: 1

Ok, so I have a question. I recently moved to a new state (well, not-so-recently, but it doesn't matter) and now would like to get a local number for my Cingular cell phone. However, I don't want to lose access to my old/existing Cingular number. Unfortunately, Cingular doesn't have a way of preserving my old number permanently, so I figured I'd convert my old number to a Vonage number, get a new one for cingular, and then I'm good to go.

I started this process this morning.

However, reading this thread (and especially Vonage's completely-understandable finger-pointing at the carriers for delays in the LNP process), it seems like I should contact Cingular and let them know *exactly* what I'm doing. I'm not leaving Cingular, I'm simply migrating to a local number in my new area (something they tell me is an easy process).

Posts: 6 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 15, 2006 Posts: 6

zubov wrote:

Woo! I started on April 4th. I've been "escalated" at least 5 times Razz

First I was Confused

Then I was Evil or Very Mad

Now I laugh Lol

Next month I'll be Rolling Eyes

Next step... cancel

So now I call and they tell me that Cingular is requesting my cingular account # and my SSN. I of course ask why they need this and why this isn't documented in the process as being required information. (They can obviously look up my account from my phone # alone) Vonage has no answer. Vonage tells me they will get a response within 3-5 days. I ask "What happens if Cingular doesn't respond?" Vonage responds, "Cingular is required to respond by FCC law." "Why hasn't Cingular responded in the first few months?" "I don't know sir."

I put a note in my account that I'm cancelling next week if I don't get a response. Am I off base here?

Posts: 37 · Vonage Forum Junior Joined: Jul 12, 2006 Posts: 37

you can cancel, but you will probably get hit with that early termination fee and I would assume they will charge you for your Vonage router until you send it back to them.

Posts: 6 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 15, 2006 Posts: 6

so when Vonage is doing these line number transfers, are they required to complete them? I may have to pay a cancellation fee per their agreements, but aren't they required by law to allow me to transfer my number? Don't they have a time limit?

Posts: 37 · Vonage Forum Junior Joined: Jul 12, 2006 Posts: 37

Here is my understanding of how it all works. Vonage and Cingular don't talk directly. Instead they have to go through a 3rd party company, per FCC regulations. So Vonage sends requests to this 3rd company who then is responsible for sending it to Cingular. I am not quite sure what happens when a ticket is "escalated".. but would assume it's someone physically calling the 3rd party instead of sending them a ticket or email.

You are subject to a early termination fee if you cancel in the 1st 12 months. However, you are screwed in that Vonage doesn't have to guarantee when your phone will be transferred. My phone just transferred after 4 months of pain. The only thing I can recommend is... 1) pay the early termination fee or 2) tell Vonage to credit your account until your phone # transfers

Posts: 1 · New Forum Member Joined: Aug 23, 2006 Posts: 1

We have been trying to port our business line from Verizon for the last 2 months. At one time we had everyone who used 10 digit dialing coming thru the Vonage line, all 7 digit dialers came thru our Verizon line. Very confusing to our phone system. We just call forwarded all of the 10 digit guys to another Vonage line. We have five. An continued with Verizon for everyone else.
At Verizon the number was on their Centranet system and couldn't be "properly" ported until it was removed from Centranet. Verizon said that they couldn't remove it from the Centranet with an outstanding porting request. Therefore we canceled the porting request and service from Vonage. Verizon dropped the number from their Centranet and turned it into a "Normal Phone Line". When I went back to Vonage I was told that the number is not available for porting. Remember, in July Vonage reported the porting complete and we had partial use, 10 digit incoming.
I'm not sure what to do. We need that number. It is our primary business number and is on all of our advertising and in the phone book. Any ideas? Question

Posts: 6 · Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 10:44 am Post subject:

JESUS CHRIST, just be happy you can port you # in the first place.........WAHHHHH......it has taken 5, 6, or even 8 months.....gimme a break

Posts: 3 · Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 10:59 am Post subject: A good porting experience

It appears I may be the only one on this thread to report a good experience with porting a local number, but I thought I would chime in.

BellSouth and Vonage seem to cooperate when it comes to porting a local number. The number was actually ported in 1 week flat. It was my parents home number Here's what I did:

1. Signed up for Vonage on the evening of September 12.
2. Went ahead and filled out the Letter of Authorization on-line through Vonage's website (being VERY VERY careful to fill out the information EXACTLY as it appears on my parents BellSouth phone bill)
3. On September 18, my mother received an e-mail saying the carrier had approved the transfer and that it would happen the next day. They actually hadn't even had their high speed internet hooked up yet. I think their Vonage router may have arrived in the mail either that day or the next day. (Needless to say, I was not expecting it to happen so quickly)
4. I actually called Vonage customer care and asked if the transfer could be delayed by 1 or 2 days. They said no... once the transfer is accepted it has to go through as scheduled.

So I just setup a network unavailability number to go to my mom's cell phone and she used that for the 2 days until they got their high speed hooked up and Vonage router installed.

A friend of mine also signed up his parents and ported their BellSouth number to Vonage with no problems (took about 2 weeks if I remember correctly, but I don't think he filled out the LOA until they received the router).

We're in the Columbia, SC area. Just wanted to a put a bit of hope out there for anyone looking to port their number that might be a BellSouth customer.

Good luck!