Three Cancellation - Lose number?

Davey Devil

Hi all.

I was onto three on the chat earlier to give my 30 days notice on my 24 month contract which I'm in the 23rd month of.

As expected they tried to shill me other deals which I refused.

The agent then explained that at the end of the contract I'd lose my number which isn't even a three number, it's an 086 I've had for 15 years.

I called him out on his bs and told him I still have the option to port which he reluctantly agree I could but said it would have to be done before the end date of the contract or the number would be gone.

I'm very doubtful this is true but I told him I'd be touch with comreg and see what they had so say. He didn't seem too bothered.

So can anyone set the record straight for me, would the number just simply be deleted at end of contract. I would have thought a period of time would have to elapse before that happened?

Careful_now!

Davey Devil wrote: »

Hi all.

I was onto three on the chat earlier to give my 30 days notice on my 24 month contract which I'm in the 23rd month of.

As expected they tried to shill me other deals which I refused.

The agent then explained that at the end of the contract I'd lose my number which isn't even a three number, it's an 086 I've had for 15 years.

I called him out on his bs and told him I still have the option to port which he reluctantly agree I could but said it would have to be done before the end date of the contract or the number would be gone.

I'm very doubtful this is true but I told him I'd be touch with comreg and see what they had so say. He didn't seem too bothered.

So can anyone set the record straight for me, would the number just simply be deleted at end of contract. I would have thought a period of time would have to elapse before that happened?

Are you cancelling with 3 completely, or are you switching to pay as go?

Explosive_Cornflake

just get a PAYG sim and port it to that.
If you are not moving it anywhere, yes, they could cancel it. there probably is some grace period, but do you want to deal with that?

Davey Devil

Careful_now! wrote: »

Are you cancelling with 3 completely, or are you switching to pay as go?

I haven't actually decided what to do yet like I said to him. I need to shop around for the best option.

DopeTech

Davey Devil wrote: »

Hi all.

I was onto three on the chat earlier to give my 30 days notice on my 24 month contract which I'm in the 23rd month of.

As expected they tried to shill me other deals which I refused.

The agent then explained that at the end of the contract I'd lose my number which isn't even a three number, it's an 086 I've had for 15 years.

I called him out on his bs and told him I still have the option to port which he reluctantly agree I could but said it would have to be done before the end date of the contract or the number would be gone.

I'm very doubtful this is true but I told him I'd be touch with comreg and see what they had so say. He didn't seem too bothered.

So can anyone set the record straight for me, would the number just simply be deleted at end of contract. I would have thought a period of time would have to elapse before that happened?

What you should ask them to do is not cancel the number but move it to 3 pay as you go. Once they have done that then there's no rush on moving the number.

Davey Devil

Explosive_Cornflake wrote: »

just get a PAYG sim and port it to that.
If you are not moving it anywhere, yes, they could cancel it. there probably is some grace period, but do you want to deal with that?

Thanks for the Advice, I'll do that to avoid loss of service.

I'm just more interested in three's customer service techniques to try and scare customers to extend with them by threatening the loss of your number.

Ten Pin

If you did nothing at end of contract term then it rolls over month to month. At that stage you can port whenever you want.

If you tell them you're cancelling then your number is disconnected. Never use the word "cancel" if keeping your number...use "switching" or "porting" when speaking to Three (or any network).

You can port a day or two before end of contract as the bill is to the last day and that's already paid at start of month. Any extra charge due is only for usage over allowances.

I'm just more interested in three's customer service techniques to try and scare customers to extend with them by threatening the loss of your number.

Save any chat transcripts and / or record calls where they give misleading information. However, networks know they can say whatever they like as they have no fear of the "regulator".

AllForIt

If the number is not matched with an active account then it doesn't exist as a number at all. So the CSA was right.

Davey Devil

AllForIt wrote: »

If the number is not matched with an active account then it doesn't exist as a number at all. So the CSA was right.

Thanks for that, I just wanted confirmation.

It seems ridiculous you could just lose your number like that and it can't be re-activated but I'll just have to make sure I port it over before the contract ends.

rainbowtrout

If you cancel the account without porting the number then you lose the number. If you move the number, then you keep it. Numbers can't be kept indefinitely for customers that no longer exist.

Agree with the other posts, port it to PAYG, then you have the time to decide what to do with it next.

By the way Three is 086. O2 was bought out by Three about five years ago. So their numbers are predominantly 083 and 086.

rainbowtrout

Davey Devil wrote: »

Thanks for that, I just wanted confirmation.

It seems ridiculous you could just lose your number like that and it can't be re-activated but I'll just have to make sure I port it over before the contract ends.

It's not 'your' number. It's a number you are given when you are using the service. If you cancel the service permanently then the number is freed up and given to someone else.

I spent three summers working for Digifone many moons ago and sometimes when a customer rang in and you input the number into the system you could see multiple accounts associated with the number, there will only be one active account but the cancelled accounts showed up on the system as well if the number had previous use.

bronkobilly

rainbowtrout wrote: »

If you cancel the account without porting the number then you lose the number. If you move the number, then you keep it. Numbers can't be kept indefinitely for customers that no longer exist.

Agree with the other posts, port it to PAYG, then you have the time to decide what to do with it next.

By the way Three is 086. O2 was bought out by Three about five years ago. So their numbers are predominantly 083 and 086.

if u get a new number from three they are giving u a 083 or 086 wat comes up on the system wen u are buying it

bronkobilly

rainbowtrout wrote: »

It's not 'your' number. It's a number you are given when you are using the service. If you cancel the service permanently then the number is freed up and given to someone else.

I spent three summers working for Digifone many moons ago and sometimes when a customer rang in and you input the number into the system you could see multiple accounts associated with the number, there will only be one active account but the cancelled accounts showed up on the system as well if the number had previous use.

still have a esat digifone 086 sim still on past 18 years never put credit on it still working:)

Davey Devil

I get its not "my number" but its the number I have used for 15 years. If I accidentally forgot to port the number before my cancellation date I would be majorly inconvenienced. Yes granted it would be my fault but nevertheless mistakes are made.

Personally I think the system is flawed to allow this to happen. There should be some grace period where the number can be retrieved without being lost.

Also from what I experienced, I think its threes policy to scare customers into staying by informing off loss of number without pointing out its possible to be ported.

rainbowtrout wrote: »

It's not 'your' number. It's a number you are given when you are using the service. If you cancel the service permanently then the number is freed up and given to someone else.

I spent three summers working for Digifone many moons ago and sometimes when a customer rang in and you input the number into the system you could see multiple accounts associated with the number, there will only be one active account but the cancelled accounts showed up on the system as well if the number had previous use.

DopeTech

bronkobilly wrote: »

if u get a new number from three they are giving u a 083 or 086 wat comes up on the system wen u are buying it

They mainly still issue 083 numbers to customers but do now own the range of existing 086 ranges. All our corporate mobiles are with 3 and they are all 086. We used to be with 02 but even the new numbers issued to us are 086.

KildareP

Davey Devil wrote: »

I get its not "my number" but its the number I have used for 15 years. If I accidentally forgot to port the number before my cancellation date I would be majorly inconvenienced. Yes granted it would be my fault but nevertheless mistakes are made.

Personally I think the system is flawed to allow this to happen. There should be some grace period where the number can be retrieved without being lost.

Also from what I experienced, I think its threes policy to scare customers into staying by informing off loss of number without pointing out its possible to be ported.

You can retrieve it for a period of time after it gets cancelled down but it's a right pain in the backside. Plus, you will have to go back to the network it was last active on in order to do so, you can't go to your new network and get them to do it for you.


Therefore you're better off porting it away just before your contract minimum term is up rather than "cancelling" it.

rainbowtrout

bronkobilly wrote: »

if u get a new number from three they are giving u a 083 or 086 wat comes up on the system wen u are buying it

No idea. Probably whatever numbers are available. I haven't worked there for 20 years.

rainbowtrout

Davey Devil wrote: »

I get its not "my number" but its the number I have used for 15 years. If I accidentally forgot to port the number before my cancellation date I would be majorly inconvenienced. Yes granted it would be my fault but nevertheless mistakes are made.

Personally I think the system is flawed to allow this to happen. There should be some grace period where the number can be retrieved without being lost.

Also from what I experienced, I think its threes policy to scare customers into staying by informing off loss of number without pointing out its possible to be ported.

But you'd also be inconvenienced by not having a mobile phone, so surely porting your number would be a priority. It's not a company's responsibility to make sure you retain a number if you've cancelled the account.

I'd say all companies policies are to scare customers to leave. Most won't say 'That's grand so, enjoy your time with our competitors' When I worked there if someone rang in by mistake and said my number is 087... (It was only Eircell or Esat at that stage and no porting of numbers), we were only allowed say that it wasn't one of our numbers and they must be with a different company. We weren't allowed say Eircell on the phone, because it was advertising a rival.