Land Line - Switch To Digital

[#1]

@Townman This the info they give: Paying by bank transfer

I have taken the plunge and ordered a new number and telephone system.

Lets see how this goes.

[#2]

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@Townman wrote:

Interesting!

So no use to those who do not (for very good reasons) do on-line banking.  Does anyone know what's their reasons for not taking card payments?

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When I set up my elderly dads account with them a good while ago, I did the bank transfer from my own account as he doesn't do online banking.  I had emails about them setting up the direct debit with my details, so I contacted them, and changed them to his quickly and easily.

As someone else has said as well, I'm sure there are other ways to pay it, but the bank transfer was the quickest.  In my case, as I was sat with my mum and dad that evening, with the purpose of setting up the VOIP service, I decided to take the quickest way.

[#3]

The pre-configured telephone system from A&A should arrive tomorrow.

Hopefully it will be more on the "plug and play" side of things when it comes to connecting it all up

[#4]

Telephone system turned up at lunch time, all tested and working OK - was indeed a simple plug and play set up as it came pre-configured from A&A

[#5]

May I jump onto this thread to ask my question?

I want to transfer my landline number to A&A - before changing my Plusnet contract to Broadband only.

When I attempted to port the number on the A&A website it offered me the 'Option' of using the "One Touch Switching" process.

(I say an option, but there seem to be no alternatives.)

I did this and it said it would raise the following TWO orders: 

a) An order Transfer the telephone number to A&A  - this is perfectly OK.  BUT it also says

b) An order to cease my broadband connection with Plusnet  NO NO NO!

I also got an automated call on the landline saying Plusnet were terribly sorry I was leaving them - and did I realise there would be a charge for leaving in mid contract?.

I stopped at that point since this is not what I want.

Can anyone tell me how I can transfer the telephone number without killing off my broadband contract with Plusnet?

[#6]

Could it be that there are pre-configured assumptions built into the 'one touch' system?

[#7]

"Could it be that there are pre-configured assumptions built into the 'one touch' system?"

It certainly seems so, but I cannot tell if it is A&A who is messing up, or Plusnet since this process takes two to tango.

As I said, A&A seemed to imply that one touch was an option but there were no alternatives offered.

[#8]

@rhardwick 

I want to transfer my landline number to A&A - before changing my Plusnet contract to Broadband only.

You can't do it that way I'm afraid! At the moment , the primary 'asset' on the Openreach & Plusnet systems is your phone number and landline service. Any attempt to transfer the number to voip will cease that primary asset, remove all the other services i.e broadband and close the account.

What you need to do, is change your Plusnet account to broadband only. This 'detaches' the account from the phone number and the primary asset becomes the broadband. The phone number is ceased and enters quarantine. You then have 30 days to be able to transfer the phone to a voip supplier.

Hope that helps

BTW are you sure that the transfer you started has been cancelled ? the fact that you got a call from Plusnet does tend to indicate that the wheels were put in motion

[#9]

And note that the switch to SoGEA (broadband without phone) will be a new contract.

What is the imperative to do this now, rather than wait until the end of your current contract?

[#10]

Thanks for such a clear explanation of a rather confusing situation.   (Have a thumb's Up)

I have now initiated a contract change to an SOGEA contract (scheduled to happen on Bonfire Night) and will wait until that is fully complete before porting the LL number.

Someone asked why I was doing this now - instead of at the end of my current contract.

a) Because the new Broadband contract should save me £7 per month (subject to later increases on both current and new contracts).

b) As I am discovering, it takes me a while to understand the various hoops I need to jump through - with Plusnet, with A&A, with Voiper (the soft VOIP phone I intend to use).  Better to do it now while time is on my side.

This community is a valuable resource to people like me who do not understand the how and whys.

[#11]

Delighted that you feel fully informed.

£7 cheaper is a bit of a shocker!  Is that before or after also paying for VoIP?

[#12]

That £7 cheaper is just the difference between my current contract cost (assuming no call charges) and the new one which is pretty much identical but without a phone. 

Yes I do have to pay for VOIP from A&A - a £12 set up fee, £1.44 per month for the phone number plus some  low call charges - but I don't really expect to make many/any calls from that LL number, I'm just keeping it because there are always a few people who only have that number as a way of contacting us.

Hence the cost of setting up the VOIP account will be covered by the first 2 month's savings on the Plusnet account.