Keeping old EE number (contract finished) for new EE contract (not an upgrade)

[grasshopper2]

What's the process for keeping your existing number from an old EE contract (which is now finished, it was a 12 month SIM plan) to use on a new EE contract ? To be clear, this is not an upgrade - the deal I want is thru a third party, EE do not offer the same deal. But the contract will be with EE.   

I understand I will get a new SIM with the new phone but I want to keep my old number. How can I keep my old number in this case?  

[Chris_B · Accepted solution]

@grasshopper2   You will need to request your PAC code and then give that PAC code to a different network provider on pay-as-you-go. Once your  number is ported to the other network you can then request a PAC code from that network to then give that PAC code to EE customer services to port your number back to your new contract.  

you can request the pac code via text just text PAC to 65075

[KT8]

But it’s the same provider EE - EE

[grasshopper2]

It sounds like an overly complicated way of doing it, but if its the only way, then I'll have to do exactly that. Thanks for your help.

[bristolian]

@grasshopper2 

The "simple" method is to buy your chosen new phone as an EE upgrade which you can do through a third party as well as you can from EE direct, although third parties tend not to promote the option because they may not like doing it. An upgrade is the EE process for changing your phone but keeping your existing account & number.

An upgrade will almost certainly be a different price to a new contract with new number - and that's where your personal choice of how to change your phone, comes in.

[grasshopper2]

The upgrade option with the 3rd party doesn't come close to the deal on the new contract. Either the upfront cost is much higher, or the monthly cost is much higher.

Thanks for all the info. I'll be going with the inconvenient but cheaper route 🙂

[spaldo]

I am in the process of going through this convoluted process. After requesting the PAC code from EE, I am now on a PAYG with Tesco Mobile. But Tesco won't give me a PAC code until I have some activity on the number. And to do that I have to pay for £10 of credit (the minimum they offer) with Tesco? 

Surely this is not the case?! Any assistance you can provide here would be appreciated. All I am trying to do is move from one EE contract to another EE contract...and retain the number. Seems strange to pay £10 to an external provider for a process inconvenience that EE have caused.

[Chris_B]

@spaldo   Have you text PAC to 65075.  

 EE have caused this as it’s not possible to do this as it’s a system issue that will not allow it.

[spaldo]

I have texted PAC to 65075, no answer. Their Help team said I have to wait 24hours and they said I also need some activity on the account. Hopefully that latter advice is wrong. I will try again tmw

[David]

@spaldo when did the number move to Tesco ?