Failed port, should I try switching to a new number? Don't want old number anymore

[curiouscorvid]

My wife and I have been waiting a week for our numbers to fully port from Fido. We can't receive calls or SMS on our PM SIMs, so have been continuing to use our Fido SIMs in the meantime, as we still have service there.

Howerver, we have moved cities recently and while we had planned to keep, and port, our old Fido phone numbers when we signed up with PM last week, our situation has now changed and we plan to get new phone numbers belonging to the new city we moved to.

Since we don't want the phone numbers we're waiting on the port for anyway, would it mess anything up with our new PM accounts (or the cancellation we're waiting for on our old Fido accounts) if we just went ahead and changed our numbers (we are able to log into our PM self serve accounts)? That would be my preferred option if it won't screw anything up. Otherwise we're just waiting on a number port we don't want anymore.

[philsam]

You're welcome. Glad it worked for you!

[curiouscorvid]

I just changed phone numbers for my wife and I, abandoning our ported numbers, and we now have full service with PM. I called Fido and canceled our account, confirming with them that even if PM tries to port our numbers now, they won't be able to as they've been abandoned. So this might be an option for others who are willing to abandon their old phone numbers.

Thanks @philsam!

[lukevader]

It's the least they can do is change your start date. For those who opened a new account and did not port but just took a pm number and still had invalid sim error when activating don't bother trying to change the phone number. I tried it and my phones still as useful as a brick.

[philsam]

No. I did not bother asking mods to change my plan start date. But I read in this forums that some who asked had theirs changed. Good luck.

[curiouscorvid]

@philsam - Thanks for the info! I never thought about canceling with Fido, after doing a change phone number with PM, which would prevent PM from trying to port my number again. Also, it would make sure that I don't pay for two accounts at once, since I can cancel with Fido immediately, instead of waiting for PM to port. Did PM change your account start date to the day that you changed your number and had full service?

I think I'll try changing my number today and canceling with Fido. Thanks again!

[philsam · Accepted solution]

@curiouscorvid - My original port also did not complete. I private messaged mods 3 times, and also logged an issue thorugh Contact Us, providing them with all the information required for porting. I got tire of waiting, so tried a Change Phone number. Everything worked after that. After a day, mods private messaged me separately, asking for my PM phone number for them to work on fixing the port. I replied that everything is already sorted out. I had the same concern, that they might try to port again without asking me, since I previously sent them all the details. Luckily, they messaged me first.

By the way, you can call or go to Fido store to have your fido accounts closed. Then even if PM tries to port your fido number, it will fail because it will no longer be in service.

[curiouscorvid]

Yeah, I've also tried the "contact us" option, as well as Facebook, Twitter, and PMing the mods on here. I don't think it's a Fido issue, as it seems people from different carriers are all having the same port issue.

I'm wanting to just change to a new number and abandon the old number that failed to port, but I'm worried my Fido account won't properly close and/or they'll replace the new number I chose with my old port number, once the port eventually comes through. Then I'll be stuck waiting again, but this time to change back to the new number I selected 

[curiouscorvid]

Yeah, I'm in the same situation as your friend. My credit card has been charged and the Fido account I tried to port from is still active. It seems like a lot of people are having this same problem.

As far as I know, the consensus on here is that a mod is needed to fully complete the port. So, after messaging PM reps, it's just a waiting game. I've read that PM is changing the start date of people's PM plans to the date when the port is fully completed, rather than the date the port was attempted. So that helps.

[Swirlled]

I have been waiting only 4-5 days so far, still using my Chatr SIM because my PM SIM cannot make or receive calls or texts 😕 I'd say change your number though 🙂

[Chimychangas]

I'm not sure if you tried this but i sent them a message through their "Contact us" option and they sent me a ticket with a reference number.....This was last Thursday and they said they'd get back to me within 48 hours which they never did....

Do you know if its a hold up on Fido's end? 

[VICTORIOUS]

A WEEK?
This is not good, my friend has waited 3 days still no port, he is coming from Rogers.
Is there a solution? He's checked his bank account statement and PM has already taken the $120 but no port number. Rogers account is also still active and thats what he's using.