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Number porting to GV - my experience

Started by chaiwan2000, June 16, 2011, 11:20:56 PM

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leck

I started the porting process from Verizon landline to TMobile on Sat night at 10:30PM. This morning at 8:15AM I got a text on my TMobile saying "Congratulations your phone number has been transferred. Your new number is xxx-xxx-xxxx."

I made three test calls:
(1) Called into Verizon number -- only cell phone rings   ;D
(2) Called out from cellphone -- new number displays  ;D
(3) Called out from Verizon landline -- line is still live, call goes out and Verizon number still shows  ???

So there is overlap at the moment as I can now use either landline or cell phone to call out from the Verizon number. Do I need to wait for the landline to go dead before I start the port from TMobile to Google Voice?

Rick


leck

Quote from: Rick on April 23, 2013, 08:05:26 AM
No you do not need to wait.
Thanks Rick. I went ahead and initiated the port from TMobile to GV.

There is now a $9 balance on the TMobile SIM which I know will disappear once the number is ported. Is there a way to transfer this to another TMobile number or donate it? I know I will still need a couple of mins for the GV confirmation call.

carl

The GV confirmation call will cost you only one minute.You can call TMO customer service and ask them whether they would be willing to issue you a new number for the balance ( probably not), call will not cost you anything. You certainly cannot donate the money. TMO has been quite abused with those ports ( by people like me),getting a special on prepaid SIM card for $ 2 and just using it for port ( I am at least a TMO postpaid customer, so they make money on me  :))

Rick

Quote from: leck on April 23, 2013, 08:45:21 AM
Quote from: Rick on April 23, 2013, 08:05:26 AM
No you do not need to wait.
Thanks Rick. I went ahead and initiated the port from TMobile to GV.

There is now a $9 balance on the TMobile SIM which I know will disappear once the number is ported. Is there a way to transfer this to another TMobile number or donate it? I know I will still need a couple of mins for the GV confirmation call.

Nope.  Many of the T-Mobile cards come with a 10 min balance, so you don't need to buy any minutes.  Once you port, the account goes dead.

leck

#225
Quote from: Rick on April 23, 2013, 09:01:08 AM
Quote from: leck on April 23, 2013, 08:45:21 AM
Quote from: Rick on April 23, 2013, 08:05:26 AM
No you do not need to wait.
Thanks Rick. I went ahead and initiated the port from TMobile to GV.

There is now a $9 balance on the TMobile SIM which I know will disappear once the number is ported. Is there a way to transfer this to another TMobile number or donate it? I know I will still need a couple of mins for the GV confirmation call.

Nope.  Many of the T-Mobile cards come with a 10 min balance, so you don't need to buy any minutes.  Once you port, the account goes dead.
I bought a SIM on Amazon for $3.45. I thought it would come with 10 mins credit as they have in the past, but this one had a zero balance. So I had to buy a $10 refill in order to use it for porting.

As for donating unused balance, I do see some options for donating $10, such as American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org/support/donating-fundraising/donations/text-messaging/, but in my case it would need to be $5 -- not much. And I guess of that very little would go directly to the charity.

kallsop

Another success story. Ported AT&T U-Verse voice number to T-Mobile prepaid to GV. I don't think it is important, but note that the number was originally with SNET before porting to Sunrocket (RIP) to Packet8 (now 8X8) to U-Verse. I have had this number for >20 years.

First, use the T-Mobile web based prepaid SIM activation, which allows entry of a porting request.  No need to call anyone, it is all done online. Note that the AT&T account number is available in the U-Verse online statement, it is NOT the phone number or anything like it. That port took about 1 day. Then logged into GV and initiated the port from T-Mobile. Use 1+ phone number for the account number, and the PIN you used online when activating the T-Mobile SIM. That port took about 1 day. I started on Monday morning, and on Wednesday morning, my number has ported from AT&T to T-Mobile to GV. Awesome.

Now to call Comcast and establish internet service, then call AT&T U-Verse and cancel the whole bundle (internet, tv, phone). With Netflix and Hulu Plus and local channels on antenna, all I need is high speed internet. Voice and TV services are overpriced and obsolescent.

parkab0y

I'm starting this process. According to the tutorial for porting your number to Google Voice, you need to do the process with an unlocked phone. I'm curious if anyone has done it with a LOCKED T-Mobile phone?

It looks like I'm going to have to buy a phone off eBay to get this done, so knowing if I can work with a locked phone will probably save me some money.

dircom

Quote from: parkab0y on May 13, 2013, 06:27:02 AM
I'm starting this process. According to the tutorial for porting your number to Google Voice, you need to do the process with an unlocked phone. I'm curious if anyone has done it with a LOCKED T-Mobile phone?

It does not have to be with an unlocked phone, all an unlocked phone does, it let you use a TMO sim in a ATT phn or vice versa.  If you have a locked TMO phn, use a TMO sim card

parkab0y


jjk99

do you need an actual tmobile phone to do this port trick? or can you do it solely with the sim card?

Thanks

Rick

Quote from: jjk99 on May 24, 2013, 09:43:10 AM
do you need an actual tmobile phone to do this port trick? or can you do it solely with the sim card?

Thanks

As soon as you figure out how to get the Google confirmation call to be answered by a SIM card, let the rest of us know...   ;)

chucknmonica71

While I had hoped for the easy porting experience some other users have enjoyed, alas mine was not to be.  I was able to port my Comcast home phone number to my T-mobile pre-paid sim just fine, but when trying to port to GV, I get the dreaded "Ooops! This number appears to be from an area we don't currently support" message.

Here's the odd part - when I checked with GV here: https://www.google.com/voice/b/0/porting
before porting my number away from Comcast, I could have sworn that the reply said that my number was portable.  How can THAT be??  Additionally, Callcentric says that my number IS still currently portable?????? 

Frustrated!

CoalMinerRetired

That's one small roll of the dice you take when you try this. I have to say it is worth trying in order to convert your landline to a zero cost service.

Back on page six of this thread there's a discussion of what your options are if as in your case GV does not support the area (the POTS CO) where your number was 'born.'

1) Port to some other low cost VoIP providers (CallCentric, voip.ms, Anveo, Skype, etc., etc).
2) Port back to your landline provider.  Considering the overall downward trend in landlines, I'm sure they'd not be offended that you left and then came back.
3) Port to some other landline provider.

In general the only providers that charge you for porting are GV and the VoIP providers. They are also the lowest cost providers.

Cellular providers and landline providers do not charge to port in or out, they can if they choose to do so, and there are probably some rare exceptions that do charge. These guys are also the highest cost providers.

jjk99

Quote from: Rick on May 24, 2013, 09:51:26 AM
Quote from: jjk99 on May 24, 2013, 09:43:10 AM
do you need an actual tmobile phone to do this port trick? or can you do it solely with the sim card?

Thanks

As soon as you figure out how to get the Google confirmation call to be answered by a SIM card, let the rest of us know...   ;)

ha ha.   :)  I bought a tmobile "burner" phone off of craigslist for 10.00.  It made me feel like Walter White.  I was in a hurry so I took it to a tmobile store.  The only cheapest card they had was 10.00.  They also charged me a 15.00 "activation fee".  I didn't question it but nobody has mentioned that before and I am not sure why I was charged it.  The port from Verizon FIOS to Tmobile took about 14 hours or so, and then from Tmobile to google took about 20 hours.  Interestingly, the guy at Tmobile told me it would take up 7 days.

CoalMinerRetired

That T-Mobile charge is not unheard of.  The brick and mortar T-Mob stores can and do charge prices different from the T-Mob website for SIM cards only.  I learned this after going in to a few different ones and asking about it.

I see the SIM Cards are now listed for $10.00 on T-Mo's website, that is a jump from $0.99 a few months ago.   

One interesting tip (this is last year) is they say they will give you a SIM card at no cost if you are an existing customer. If you do this I believe you will be asked for your existing phone number and they associate your existing number to the new SIM card.

chucknmonica71

Quote from: CoalMinerRetired on May 27, 2013, 07:48:50 PM
That's one small roll of the dice you take when you try this. I have to say it is worth trying in order to convert your landline to a zero cost service.

Back on page six of this thread there's a discussion of what your options are if as in your case GV does not support the area (the POTS CO) where your number was 'born.'

1) Port to some other low cost VoIP providers (CallCentric, voip.ms, Anveo, Skype, etc., etc).
2) Port back to your landline provider.  Considering the overall downward trend in landlines, I'm sure they'd not be offended that you left and then came back.
3) Port to some other landline provider.

In general the only providers that charge you for porting are GV and the VoIP providers. They are also the lowest cost providers.

Cellular providers and landline providers do not charge to port in or out, they can if they choose to do so, and there are probably some rare exceptions that do charge. These guys are also the highest cost providers.

Yeah, I'm not overly concerned about it.  While I'd certainly like to port my old home phone number, if it doesn't work after awhile I'm not opposed to handing out my new GV number instead.  It's an additional PITA for multiple parties including me, but hey, I'm a cheapskate, so if it saves me a buck......lol!!!!   

mmorse757

Question:  Why did you have to port the number to T-Mobile first as opposed to porting the number directly from AT&T?

Michael

dircom

GV will only port a # from a cell phone.  If your # is already a cell phn #, Then Pass GO, pay $20 and port

CoalMinerRetired

Quote from: mmorse757 on June 17, 2013, 04:28:55 PM
Question:  Why did you have to port the number to T-Mobile first as opposed to porting the number directly from AT&T?

Michael
AT&T U-Verse is an internet service that includes an internet phone number as part of a package deal and is not the same as AT&T Wireless.