Hi

I got my PAC code from my current phone operator (Virgin) hoping to transfer to my new supplier.

Unfortunately due to be caught up in lots of personal stuff, I totally forgot to do it!

My PAC code expires on 3rd Dec, but my new suppliers SIM Card has not arrived (TalkTalk)

Can I transfer it to a different operator (eg Orange/3 etc) if I buy a cheap PAYG sim, and when my new contract Sim arrives, get a new PAC Code to transfer across?

Or will I lose my number for good? HELP!!!

Just request your PAC again from Virgin on December 4th.
Your old PAC will expire on December 3rd and your contract will just continue with Virgin. When you request your PAC again on the 4th that will restart the 30 days notice period. Your contract with Virgin will cancel only when you use the PAC. If you don't use the PAC then it expires and the contract just continues on like i said above.

Thanks

But could I transfer it to a cheap PAYG SIm, and then request a PAC Code from them (to save paying for an extra months line rental)?

Yes.There is no reason why not.

Yup, you can do that as well. But then make sure you get a PAYG tariff/credit that will allow you to use the phone as you usually do. Otherwise just let it expire and request the code again.

Which talk talk deal did you go with? The £12pm one?

Just let it expire and then request the code again. You won't lose your number.

No, the £7.50 p/m deal reduced to £6 p/m with £20 quidco, making it £4.33 p/m

Last I recall most PAYG providers will not let you transfer out for a minimum of 3-6 months.

Good deal for the price. But tbh i haven't heard great things about TT as a mobile network. A lot of people have had problems with them. Good deal nonetheless.


When did this happen?

From what I remember that was the norm about 5-6 years ago.

Are you sure? I know people who ported out from T-Mo to say O2 for example and then back to T-Mo as a new customer to take advantage of a cashback deal within a week.

The only reasons why a provider can refuse to give a PAC are:
[LIST][*]the number does not belong to the customer of the losing mobile provider
[*]the account for that number has been terminated
[*]the account holder has died
[*]a PAC has already been issued and is still valid
[*]the customer has not adequately proved that he or she is the legitimate account holder.[/LIST]

Never tried it myself, just what I read on forums.

Like here, where they say there's still a 1 month minimum:

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/sho...82&postcount=2

Have you even read the thread you've picked that post from?

Firstly it's not a first hand experience you've picked out, it's just someone stating what they think they know.

Secondly, 4 posts down from the one you've linked to is a post from someone with first hand experience of porting out to PAYG and back again on the same day.

Yes I've read it - and it concludes that things may have changed over the years just like we've both said.

You are sort of right. The key is Roush' s last point above. The Ofcom regulations don't say how a PAYG customer should prove they are the legitimate account holder.

So it's ok for a provider to ask that a PAYG Sim be registered and to show some activity, which can then be used to verify the identity of the person calling ("please confirm your name ,address and a number you have called recently" etc) Naturally, registering and establishing a pattern of use may take a short while.

Of course it's up to the service provider how they establish they are talking to the account holder and I doubt many bother too much.

Apologies if you have read it, but the way you ignored the first hand experience and picked out the speculation instead indicated you hadn't read it.

Perhaps you should read it properly yourself before criticizing.

In that thread the only example given is porting from T-Mobile to 3 and back, which is the opposite of what the OP of that thread was asking for - vs. 3 other users claiming the contrary based on experience of other networks.

As you can quite clearly gather (if you had read either thread properly) different networks have different rules and in that thread it's indicated at least one network allows it and at least one network doesn't. Which suggests, as I stated, that some networks may still have restrictions and definitely have in the past