Porting from Virgin to T-Mobile - Please help

RastaManBob

RastaManBob

RastaManBob

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30 Dec 2003
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2,254
Hi,

I've never had to move a contract before, only a Pay As You Go phone to contract. I am cautious not to make any mistakes in moving contract so I'd appreciate any advice or step-by-step instructions how I should proceed. I know there is a wealth of information on the net but not much is very specific.

I am currently on Virgin Mobile with a Pay Monthly SIM with no fixed term. I would like to move to T-Mobile 18 month contract - I would prefer to take this out online. I would like to bring my Virgin number with me; I'd also like to make the most of any outstanding credit on Virgin if possible (E.g., not change mid-month) but do not mind if this isn't possible as the greatest I stand to lose is £10.00. Nor do I mind this is if it enables me to get the phone faster and even better, have a renewal on the first of each month (See below).

I am familiar with the basics but would prefer some specific knowledge on what order I should do things? Order, and then ring Virgin? If so, when? When I have ordered the contract or when the phone arrives? Also, I hear if you cancel a contract before porting (Or is it simply requesting the PAC?) the number will be unavailable to transfer?

Also, is it possible to have a contract "renew" each month on the first of the month? My allowance resetting on the first of each month would be ideal... If it's not possible that's fine.

Another issue is that the Virgin Mobile contract is in my fathers name whilst I'd like the T-Mobile contract in my name. Will porting the number cause any problems in this respect? I'd rather he has no associations to the new contract.

How long will I be without my number? And what number (And which network) will I use in the meanwhile?

If somebody could give me all the details to this it would really help make any transition as smooth as possible?

Thanks a bunch :)

Cheers.
 
Don't take any of this as gospel since I've only ever ported a number from pay monthly to another pay monthly. As far as I know, as soon as you use your PAC code, the current contract is terminated, though you'll be liable to pay until the end of the agreed term. Not a problem on PAYG I'm sure.

What would happen is, you'd request your new phone on T-Mobile's web site. It would arrive the following day with a new phone number that you'd need to use with this phone for a few days. You'd call Virgin and ask for a PAC code. They might try and fob you off with a few days wait in the hope that their retentions team can tempt you to stay (don't know how this works with PAYG). Eventually your PAC code will be provided to you. You will then contact T Mobile and tell them the PAC code. After a few days (and possibly a few hours of your phone being unusable), your Virgin number will work with your T Mobile contract. I think you'll lose any unused credit on your PAYG phone once you put the process into motion. Certainly the Virgin phone won't have a number assigned to it to use.

You'd effectively have 2 numbers for a short time until your number is ported over.
 
My Virgin phone is a "Pay Monthly" SIM-Only contract... Sorry if my rambling in the first post didn't make that very clear.

Everything you've said seems very easy; Do I need to contact Virgin directly at any point and request my contract be cancelled (Eg, after a sucessful port?) or will they action this automatically when they give me the PAC? Also, does the Virgin phone work after request the PAC but before the number has ported?

Also, is there any way I can ensure that my renewal is the first of the month? Is the only way to do this by having the contract "begin" on the first? If so; Can I order my T-Mobile contract tomorrow (Wont have the chance today) for it to arrive on Monday (01/12/08) and register the SIM (Is this neccessary?) as soon as it arrives will my renewal date (Of the inclusive mins and texts) always be the 1st of the month?

Cheers! :)
 
Asking for a PAC code is taken as the 28 days notice you need to give to end your contract.
Sometimes, networks will ask you to write in to request your PAC or they will send it out to you in the post.

It's usually a good idea to request your PAC first because of this, but be aware you only have 28 days in which you can use it.

Order your phone and get it all set up. Once your line is active, give your new network a ring and tell them you want to port a number over, giving them the PAC Code.

Once a PAC request has been put through it usually takes 2-3 days for it to be processed. During this time, it's a good idea to carry both phones with you.
After the request has finished processing, your old phone will be cut off and you will receive your final bill from your old provider. Bear in mind, your new contract starts from the day you order it, not the day the number ports over
 
Cheers, thanks for the help.

Using that time scale, what date is it that the phone renews its inclusive mins and texts each month? Is it the day the phone arrives in the post? So say it arrives on Monday (01/12/08) I will then get my minutes and text allowance updated on the first of each month?

Or is worked out differently to this?

Cheers.
 
The dates are worked on a Pro Rata system
This means that when you order your phone, you will not have all of your minutes and texts.
You will receive a letter in the post from your new provider, telling you when your billing date will be. The amount of minutes you receive will be for the date you get the phone, until your billing date. Your first bill will be for your line rental + this proportion of minutes/texts
 
Its really easy to port. Just take the following steps
1) Ask Virgin for your PAC code. Its 3 letters and 6 digits (I think)
2) Pick a T-Mobile Tarrif/phone combo and sign up to a contract. They will give you a new number. At this point you have 2 accounts, you payg Virgin one and your T-Mobile one.
3) Give T-Mobile the PAC code (its valid for 28 days only). T-Mobile will give you a "port date". On this date your number transfer will happen, and your Virgin number will disconnect and so will your new T-Mobile number. A few hours later your T-Mobile phone will spring into life with your old number. Thats it really. Its painless.

Some things to bare in mind:
1) You will loose any credit on your Virgin account on the day of the port, so use it up before port day!
2) Sometimes SMS's don't get forwarded properly until a day or so after the port.
3) Bank on your phone being down (both of them) in the day of the port.

As for billing date, its automatically set by the network. They have a fixed day your bill wil be generated. O2 allow you to change your billing date, not sure if T-Mobile do, I don't think so. As a friend who has a contract if CS will allow them to change the billing date to fine out for sure.

As EirePlan pointed out, your 1st month will be prorata. That means you'll only get xx mins of calls/texts, not your full amount, so don't go over. In addition you'll get a large 1st bill as its the prorata line rental + 1 full months line rental (its paid in advance) so you may (if your unlucky) have to pay for 2 months on your 1st bil. Be prepared for it.
 
Thanks, I think I understand all of this.

So if my phone was to arrive on Monday and I begin using it that day (01/12/08) what is the date of each month when the minutes (After the 1st month pro rata) will "renew" in full? Is there anyway to calculate that?

Cheers.

EDIT: You say pro rata... I was looking at purchasing a plan where you get 700 mins -or- 1400 texts... This equates to £140. Does this mean I will be given an allowance of £140 / ~30 = ~£4.67 of credit per day? If I go over, I pay for it?

EDIT2: And if this is the case, is this for the first month only? From then on I get the £140 at the start of each month?
 
Quick question: If I get my PAC code and do *not* use it, does it still cancel my contract? I am thinking of requesting the code *incase* I wish to change networks sometime soon but if I decide against it I do not want to lose my contract and/or phone number.

Cheers.
 
not done it myself yet(but looking to move from orange to either t-mobil or o2) but from what I understand you have 30working days from the day you recieve it(or is it the day after, not 100% there), if you haven't used it by then the pac code expires and your contrant is untouched so you don't loose anything from asking for it(apart from having to ask for the pac code again if you do decide you do want to move).
 
Thanks for the reply - Quick question:

Current (Virgin) contract is in my dads name. New contract (T-Mobile; If I go for it) will be in my name. Will this be a problem in terms of transferring number? I do not want any relation to the account in my dads name transferring to the new contract.

Cheers.
 
shouldn't have any problems, it's just a port of the number not of the details, as long as you present the PAC and the number to your new provider, you should be fine :)
 
If I could just tack a small question to the end of your thread...

Does anyone know if a PAC can be issued before the end of a contract? My contract with Orange expires on 27th Dec but I'd like to get a new phone from another network before then. Would I just be able to pay off this month as usual?
Cheers
 
Flammy said:
If I could just tack a small question to the end of your thread...

Does anyone know if a PAC can be issued before the end of a contract? My contract with Orange expires on 27th Dec but I'd like to get a new phone from another network before then. Would I just be able to pay off this month as usual?
Cheers
Click to expand...

you can get your PAC code whenever you want. You can use it whenever you want too. However your network will charge you the remaining line rental until your commitment period. Since you have to give 30 days notice any way, the best time to leave is 1 month before your contract ends.
 
requesting a PAC is considered as giving your months notice to cancel.
because you are in your last month anyway, you will probably be charged for your last month, plus however many days into next month to cover the full 30 days
 
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