Migrate phone number

[3ThreeDee]

I am switching from Virgin to Fido...with reluctance (I worked for a company that had a service relationship with Roger's/Fido a few years ago and it was so obvious how much the management disrespected its customers...)

I put in the new SIM card, and had already been sent a bill days prior, invoicing me for a service I hadn't even started yet. As part of the migration they text you...but I had already inserted the new sim. No one told me to use the old sim, I never got a text because Fido assigned a new temporary number. I called them to ensure that the number had been migrated and was on hold for 35 minutes waiting to ask. When I finally got to a live person, I was never told that I had to have kept the old SIM card in the phone. I called Virgin this morning to make sure everything had migrated and they told me it had not, although I had gone through several processes acknowledging the process, confirming etc. 

Then, weirdly I got a call that woke me up from Roger's telling me my number would stop working in 2 hours, and to press '1' if I wanted to correct this. I did. It was a spam Chinese call. Either it was a very strange coincidence or the spammers have some kind of luck/inside track.

I think I'll switch back to Bell.

[Cawtau · Accepted solution]

Hello 3ThreeDee,

  Welcome to the community!

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@3ThreeDee wrote:

 ... No one told me to use the old sim, I never got a text because Fido assigned a new temporary number....

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   Sorry to hear you might not be familiar with the number porting process. I understand you feel you were not told to keep your Virgin SIM in your device. However, the requirement for a verification text from your old provider has been standard operating procedure for a number of years now (see here). The implementation of the port verification text message was to prevent number porting fraud or SIM Swapping (see here).

  I understand you intended on porting your number. However, you should note when purchasing a new plan, the line will be provided a phone number (temporary, if you intend on porting one in). You will only be able to get your current phone number once the porting process completes (see here). A new line cannot be created without a phone number and your phone number cannot port-over without an active line. There was no malintent in your line having a new number. It is a necessary part of the process.

  It is unfortunate Virgin hadn't confirmed you received the port-out request verification text when you spoke with them. I understand you may have verbally acknowledged the request with them. However, that does not prevent any fraudsters from calling in to Virgin customer service pretending to be you. Responding to the verification text message implies you are in possession of your SIM card (and presumably the owner of the line).

  If you do choose to return to Bell, you would need to keep your old SIM in your phone in order to receive the port request verification text message from them.

Hope this helps 😀

Cheers