Home move phone transfer

[potiche]

Bt openreach have rejected the order from O2 to retain our phone number when we move to our new house at the end of the month. It is round the corner, 7 houses away from our present address. I can't believe this has happened. O2 warned that our phone would probably be cut off on 20th but that happened on 16th so I have lost all faith in O2. Can someone comment & help me understand why I no longer have my number and will not have it in the new house. Has O2 messed up?

[Postdog]

Is there an existing phone connection in the new house? The only possibility I can think of assumes there isn't, as only BT or virgin actually install telephone connections. Virgin is obviously cable, BT the other, and BT only install a line if you access via them for a minimum period. Contracts with other companies only cover the use and payment conditions - actually donkey work whoever you are with is done by BT on their behalf.

[cathfromsaron]

complain and get the number retained until the new line is installed?

[pizza]

Ring bt and ask to speak to a manager and ask why is it not possible for you to retain your phone number

[bednobs]

i don't understand what 02 have to do with it - they are a mobile company, not a landline company aren't they?

[potiche]

There is an existing connection in the new house. Cath, the number has already been taken from us. Pizza, bt openreach do not talk to mere customers on the phone, they only talk to providers eg. O2, yes bedknobs, they provide home phone & broadband.
It is impossible to complain to anyone, I'll try Offcom but I reckon our number will stay with this house.

[paddywak]

I don't know if the policy is still the same but when I moved nearly 30 years ago you could only keep the same number if the new house was served by the same exchange. Daft as it seems houses on the same estate could actually be under different exchanges.

[potiche]

I've managed to check that with BT this morning,they are on the same exchange, I also found that my number hasn't been allocated to our old house so it might still be available .
The Openreach web site is unbelievable, it's impossible to find an address to complain to. They'rs a wholesale company so its designed to keep them distanced from us retail customers. The providers, for me O2, are at the behest of Openreach who do not need to give an explanation for their decision to reject the request to keep my number.