topic Re: Swap over two numbers, keeping one active for 3 months in Archived Posts

Swap over two numbers, keeping one active for 3 months

Curlydog1 — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 21:44:03 GMT

I have a monthly contract on EE and also an old PAYG (which had been on T-mobile).

I would like to take the PAYG number as my new main number and so swap it onto my contract. However, for work purposes I need to keep the old number active for about 3 months in case people need me.
What is the best way to do this, or is it even possible?

thanks

Re: Swap over two numbers, keeping one active for 3 months

Northerner — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 22:42:30 GMT

Hi @Curlydog1

Is your contract number tariff reached its minimum contract term?

If not then at this moment you wouldn't be able to transfer your PAYG number onto your contract without losing the number you want to keep.

You would also need to PAC out your PAYG number to another carrier first before you can transfer it back.

Thanks

Re: Swap over two numbers, keeping one active for 3 months

Curlydog1 — Fri, 21 May 2021 23:25:12 GMT

Apologies, @Northerner I didn’t receive the notification that you had left a reply.
I will be out of contract with the main phone in June. So it’s imminent now.
Do I port out the number from the PAYG first and then swap them over? Or is it not that simple?

thanks

curlydog

Re: Swap over two numbers, keeping one active for 3 months

Christopher_G — Sat, 22 May 2021 07:52:29 GMT

Hi @Curlydog1

Welcome to the community.

Are you looking to keep the T-Mobile number active on pay as you go for 3 months and then change it over to the contract.

So going from two numbers (one on contract and one on pay as you go), to one number on your contract (with the T-Mobile number on the EE contract)?

Sorry, just trying to make sure I fully understand. 🙂

Chris

Re: Swap over two numbers, keeping one active for 3 months

Curlydog1 — Sat, 22 May 2021 13:27:50 GMT

Hi @Christopher_G

haha that sounds so complex in writing doesn’t it?

Let me explain:

I wish to swap over my main number, (call it no.A ), that I’ve had for years and years and is on a contract that expires in June, with my husband's old number (call it no.B), which used to be with TMobile, which has now been subsumed into EE of course. This is currently on a PAYG.

I know that if I just go ahead and take over the number(B) then I would immediately lose my current number (A), which would be really difficult for work and other stuff. So I need a period of transition where I swap over but keep my old number active in some capacity whilst I inform everyone I’ve made the change. This may be for up to 3-6months, just to be sure.
I have heard that I need to port out no.B first, but then I don’t know what I do next.
Hope this is clearer.
thanks

curlydog

Re: Swap over two numbers, keeping one active for 3 months

Christopher_G — Sat, 22 May 2021 13:36:19 GMT

Thanks for explaining more, @Curlydog1 🙂

Can you not just keep (B) on pay as you go until you're ready to transfer it over? Then when you're ready, you can transfer (B) to take over (A).

You can't have them both on the same line/subscription at the same time. You're right in saying when you do transfer the number to take over the subscription, you would lose the original. I'm not sure why you would have to port the number out to another network though.

Chris

Re: Swap over two numbers, keeping one active for 3 months

mikeliuk — Sat, 22 May 2021 13:38:27 GMT

As your monthly contract is near its end anyway, I would recommend to call and request that SIM is converted to a PAYG SIM at, or near, the end of the contract such that no penalties or additional payments are improperly applied.

You can then find a good monthly offer and request the old PAYG SIM be converted to pay monthly on the new contract, otherwise get a good offer online (would need to be different service provider) and use a PAC to keep your old PAYG number.

If you attempt a number swap along the lines as you have so clearly explained, there's a high chance it would be messed up and you get to keep all the pieces and to clean up the mess. 🤓

Re: Swap over two numbers, keeping one active for 3 months

Christopher_G — Sat, 22 May 2021 13:39:48 GMT

That's a fantastic idea, @mikeliuk.

I wish I'd thought of that. 😄

Chris

Re: Swap over two numbers, keeping one active for 3 months

Curlydog1 — Sat, 22 May 2021 15:54:35 GMT

@mikeliuk

That sounds like an interesting plan. I'm trying to think why the EE customer service person didn’t suggest that and all I can think of is that is that I’ve been with EE so long, since they first started out as Orange, that I have a rather good deal.
But I think I will investigate what you are suggesting,

thank you

Re: Swap over two numbers, keeping one active for 3 months

Curlydog1 — Sat, 22 May 2021 16:02:10 GMT

@Christopher_G

No this wouldn’t work, because I would lose A immediately that I swapped B to contract A apparently, and I need to have a buffer period where folks I’ve missed or other establishments that have my number, which I may have neglected, still get picked up.
The EE person I spoke to in March, didn’t have a solution other than to port out the B number and then port it back in when ready to take over my contract.
My existing contract has a big discount due to loyalty.

Re: Swap over two numbers, keeping one active for 3 months

Leanne_T — Sun, 23 May 2021 06:42:20 GMT

Hi @Curlydog1

Thanks for coming back to us.

I would suggest giving us another call if you would like to follow the advice @mikeliuk has provided 🙂

Thanks.

Leanne.

Re: Swap over two numbers, keeping one active for 3 months

Curlydog1 — Mon, 24 May 2021 16:10:36 GMT

@mikeliuk @Christopher_G @Leanne_T

I have spoken to EE and this won't work because I would lose all my customer loyalty discounts 😞

Sadly the only way to do it and keep both active for a "grace period", is to bring the second number into the existing contract at double the price and pay for them both for a full year and then drop the initial one off onto PAYG or just ditch it completely after the year is up.

Some things just aren't possible it would seem.

Re: Swap over two numbers, keeping one active for 3 months

mikeliuk — Mon, 24 May 2021 17:14:17 GMT

It does seem that we are nearing the end of options and we are into splitting hairs territory.

I guess the problematic part was moving your main contract to PAYG and that triggers loss of loyalty discounts.

They will agree to renew both SIMs on your good terms. Have they explicitly said they won't give you the loyalty discounts on the PAYG SIM put onto a fixed term contract with your discounts alone without also renewing your contract SIM?

Would they agree to put your PAYG SIM on a contract with discounts if you renew your main contract SIM at a lower price, perhaps making it a GBP 8.10/mth additional line?

We're really into splitting hairs territory so feel free to ignore all of the above. Good luck! 😀

Re: Swap over two numbers, keeping one active for 3 months

Curlydog1 — Mon, 24 May 2021 18:58:04 GMT

@mikeliuk

It seems that because I have been with ee for more than 25 years then I am at the lowest possible tariff of about £6.25 which I would lose the benefit of, if I transferred this number to a PAYG and then put the 2nd number on a contract at full price.

The best option that ee offered me was to bring the 2nd number as an additional number onto the existing contract for a whole year alongside the existing number. This would double the contract price - so £72 per year extra. Then after a year is up, apparently only then can I let the original number drop off the contract.

Strange but it seems to be the only way they will let me keep the benefits of the loyalty.

You would think that after 25 years loyalty, there must be an easier way to do this, without immediately losing the first number, which lays one open to number theft and fraud.

😞

Perhaps I need to explore options with other providers.

Re: Swap over two numbers, keeping one active for 3 months

mikeliuk — Mon, 24 May 2021 19:28:19 GMT

I think the real problem here is that your current terms are perhaps excessively good/favourable so that what you are offered looks terrible in comparison. 😂

The best I've been offered is £6/mth for 4 GB data and unlimited texts and calls. For many people £72 p.a. would be a small percentage of their main contract so it would look good but not compared to your main contract.

My general philosophy is that if I receive a good price or great terms, I see if I can buy more of it. Whether this applies depends on how much data you have and whether you use it (perhaps you have no requirement for both phones for the full year and have no one you could give the unwanted SIM to).

I don't think it's a negative to test the waters with another provider. Cashback offers can be very favourable although there's a danger of landing on a provider with poor reception.

I guess a key thing in all the juggling is to protect your good discounts on the contract you are keeping. One thing I worry about is that I may lose more money in the time taken thinking about something compared to just buying the more convenient option at a slightly higher price. 😁

If your discounts can be applied to more expensive contracts, you could use one SIM for tethering devices and eventually replace your house internet with 4G mobile broadband. The options are endless. 😂

Re: Swap over two numbers, keeping one active for 3 months

Curlydog1 — Wed, 26 May 2021 08:10:17 GMT

@mikeliuk

Yes, you are absolutely right, my current offer is so favourable that everything else seems expensive.
But it seems like you have achieved an even better deal than me at £6 and 4GB! 🤔🤣

I am attempting to do this for sentimental reasons rather than necessity (keeping the number of my dear departed😢) so to some people it’s a total waste of money. Unless I could put the additional Sim into my iPad and use the data?

Personally I don’t really understand why something this simple needs to be so complicated....why for instance do I have to keep both on the same contract for a full year? I just feel I should be able to switch them over nice and simple....but nothing ever is, is it? After more than 25 years with EE I would have thought there was something that could be done.

Ironically my coverage is lousy where I am, but I like EE customer service and sometimes that is worth staying for.
Thanks for your help and interest. I really appreciate you taking the time to talk about my issue.
stay safe

curlydog