Attempting to port out

[stvnlm]

Been trying to port out of Public Mobile to freedom, however, according to freedom mobile, they have attempted to port my number and I must contact PM to 'release' my account.

Has anyone had any similar difficulties porting their # out of PM ?

[Korth]

Number ports are always handled by the new carrier.  The old carrier doesn't even need to be informed that you quit until the new carrier submits the number port request.

Public Mobile, Telus, or any other Canadian carrier can't "block" a number port in any event, "ownership" of the number normally belongs to the mobile subscriber, not the mobile operator - there's a big section in the CRTC Wireless Code all about this.  They can't even block the number port request because a customer owes them money - although of course they can (and will) refer delinquent accounts to collections or to credit reporting agencies.  Certain operators (<cough> Rogers <cough>) could make number ports exceedingly difficult, passively delaying and blocking them to the legal limits ... but things have changed (for the better!) since the cellular Dark Ages (circa 2015).

I suspect the Freedom Mobile rep simply didn't want to admit that he did not know how to do a number port.  Ask a different rep.  You can always walk away (or imply that you will do so) if they cannot connect you with your existing phone number.

[computergeek541 · Accepted solution]

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@stvnlmwrote:

Been trying to port out of Public Mobile to freedom, however, according to freedom mobile, they have attempted to port my number and I must contact PM to 'release' my account.

Has anyone had any similar difficulties porting their # out of PM ?

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That's a complete cop-out by Freedom Mobile customer service.  While is it is true you must make sure you Public Mobile service is stil active when you request that phone number to be ported to another provider, it is your new provider's (Freedom Moble in this case) who should be contacting Public Mobile to release the phone number. 

The very way that number portability has been set up means that you are not even supposed to have to contact your old carrier to port out.  Public Mobile may be able to tell you why the number porting to Freedom failed, but Freedom should have also been able to provide this reason.  It is Freedom's responsibility to get Public to release the phone number, and they shouldn't be putting the onus on you when they should be taking care of it for you.

Assuming that your Public Mobile phone number is still active and you have provided the current Public Mobile account number to Freedom, what needs to happen is that the the porting departments of both companies need to get on the phone with each other and manually process the request.   Again, it is Freedom Mobile who should be arranging this.

[Stormy]

Your PM account currently active?