Forum Discussion

GeeWhiz's avatar
GeeWhiz
Network Novice
Hace 7 meses

Another Porting Nightmare

Where to begin? From the beginning is too long. Situación:

I have been a T-MO customer (faithful) for many years; some post-pay, others prepaid. Everything was going along swimmingly until I moved to another residence; same town, not rural, plenty of towers. I had absolutely no reception. I could even beg for a bar. Long story short, even TMO agreed, I should find a service that worked.

Mistake 1 - port out to Visible by Verizon. The process from TMO went as it should. However, I couldn't eSIM so I waited for my physical SIM to arrive… and waited, and waited, and waited. No word or SIM from Visible. Never arrived, so I asked them to just cancel it. Mistake 2. They ported my number out of TMO and activated a nonexistent SIM. I had no mobile service. (FCC helped with this one)

Mistake 2  New number with TMO. Found out my phone was the actual issue with reception (no one even suggested that). Anyway, Paid for new service, activation, and a brand new account, new phone. The new account came with a phantom phone number that is set as the primary number on my account. No clue how that number got there or who it belongs to, but they are the recognized primary.

Mistake 3: Prepaid does not have customer service. Prepaid will not remove the number. Prepaid has created at least 4 tickets for the same situation without resolution.

Mistake 4: Taking the suggestion of applying port security just in case that other number has full access to my account. I "should be able to turn features off and on". Well… apparently not. Currently stuck trying to port out of hell, but port protection can't be disabled by me.

I refuse to buy yet another number and spend weeks updating financial, medical, and other legal information. Any other ideas? If it isn't resolved with this ticket, I am going to ask them to GIVE me another SIM so I can create another account without the appendage. Maybe port to post-pay will inspire resolution. BTW, this is the shortened version.

  • gramps28's avatar
    gramps28
    Router Royalty

    Under mistake 2, when you port your number a temporary aka phantom  number will be assigned to your account and your calls from your old phone number will forward to that number till the port is complete. Once the port is complete, the phantom number will drop off the account.

  • GeeWhiz's avatar
    GeeWhiz
    Network Novice

    Thanks gramps. That is what's supposed to happen, but didn't. Remember, this was the shortened version. lol The PHANTOM number is a live number - I finally called and left a message and probably spooked the owner. Still no resolve from TMO, but I may have figured my own way out of this box. I'll know in a couple of days.