Work phone to Bell to Public

[Pippy22]

Hello, I currently have a phone on the Bell network, paid for and managed by my employer. I am leaving my job at the end of the month and want to keep my device and number. To do so, I first have to transfer the number to a personal Bell account (porting to a different carrier is not approved). Then I would like to transfer to Public. Do you have any tips? Should I be able to get a prepaid Bell account for the time that it will take to arrange the transfer to Public? I realize this is more a question about Bell than Public, but I'm hoping this community can help me with my quest to ultimately end up with Public. Thanks!

[Pippy22]

Thank you - I'll check into it.

[Pippy22]

Thanks!

[Pippy22]

Thanks for your help.

[Pippy22]

Thank you for the information!

[esjliv]

@Pippy22 - I suggest you do find out the full ownership with your employer on the phone number and the device.

If this was a phone number you brought into this company you are working for, then you likely have the right to port it out. But the company assigned you this phone number, they may have the 'ownership' of it, so would have to obtain a  public mobile SIM card and activate with a new number.

As for the phone (and plan), did you bring your own into the company? Same issues/questions apply as above.

[BKNS27]

@Pippy22 

I did the same with my employer. Find out when the prepaid renewal date or if the employer is on a 2 year contract. 
If it is a prepaid plan just port over a few days before the renewal date but purchase a PM SIM ahead of time.

If the employer is on a 2 year contract, you might want to talk to them if they will pay for the penalty fee if your port your number to PM…this was my case and the employer was nice to eat the penalty fee.

[hTideGnow · Accepted solution]

HI @Pippy22   Prepaid Bell or not should not matter

Even with Postpaid Bell, it should be no contract.  

Only thing is that for some postpaid account, if you leave early, you only have to pay for the # days you used for that month and they will refund you back the money for the rest of the money. So, you can come to PM earlier

If you are using prepaid, likely no refund on unused days, then you would like to come to join PM closer to 25 days or so you are with Bell (make sure you give yourself couple days in case there is porting problem)

And , activate in store for free SIM .  Most stores are willing to do that

[dust2dust]

Is it Bell only? Or the Bell family ie. also Virgin and Lucky?

Of course you would need a new sim and to sign up for a new account. Cell number transfers are done in minutes to hours. Not days or weeks. It's possible that you can sign up on a post-paid and then transfer and then you might get a pro-rated refund. But that's all on Bell.