when transferring a number: anyone know how phone company internals work?

[aforty]

Hey guys and gals.
I'm transferring my number from Sprint to AT&T this Friday morning but I'm wondering. When I transfer, will Sprint know any account details from AT&T's side? I.e. will Sprint know the name of the account on AT&T that requested the phone # or will it simply be a rather anonymous request? (I know I need my account # and pin/pw)

I'm asking because I got out of my Sprint contract in a rather dubious manner.


I did it all for Apple!

 

[ottergal]

The only person to can request a transfer of service is the person who originally signed up... so they are going to know you are leaving and going to AT&T. Who knows if they are going to care.

However, if you have already killed your Sprint service (by getting out of your contract) you've lost your number. Your Sprint service has to be currently active to port.

 

[aforty]

The only person to can request a transfer of service is the person who originally signed up... so they are going to know you are leaving and going to AT&T. Who knows if they are going to care.

However, if you have already killed your Sprint service (by getting out of your contract) you've lost your number. Your Sprint service has to be currently active to port.

Yea I realize I'm gonna be the one transferring the number and they know that as well. I told them that I'd be giving my number to my brother in law so they already know that part. my question was just about the NEW account with AT&T, will they see the account holder on that? That's really my only concern.

Thanks!

 

[MathiasMag]

Cannot transfer to anyone else

Yea I realize I'm gonna be the one transferring the number and they know that as well. I told them that I'd be giving my number to my brother in law so they already know that part. my question was just about the NEW account with AT&T, will they see the account holder on that? That's really my only concern.

Thanks!

I don't think you can transfer someone else's phone number to you, so they will know that the phone number is going to you. In addition, I believe only an account in good standing can be transferred.

If your account is already canceled, then the number cannot be transferred.

I'm not sure as to what details are transferred, but there will some PII to ensure you are really the owner of that account, so there is probably little question that they could know that it is you. However, would they really care with all the customers they have coming and going every week?

The reason that information is tranferred is probably primarily as a guard against wireless slamming (not really a problem, but maybe the rules about transferring phone numbers too the potential into consideration).

 

[aforty]

Here are the things:
I am in good standing and they know the number will be transferred but they think my brother in law will be getting my number instead of me. So of course they'll know that I am transferring the number for him but will they see the actual account holders name on the new AT&T account?

 

[MathiasMag]

Probably

Here are the things:
I am in good standing and they know the number will be transferred but they think my brother in law will be getting my number instead of me. So of course they'll know that I am transferring the number for him but will they see the actual account holders name on the new AT&T account?

I think they will, but if you are in good standing with them then you have every right to transfer it to yourself. If you are n good standing then you have nothing to fear, the reason the assumption has been otherwise is that you said you got out of your contract in a dubious manner. That could be interpreted as not being in good standing and/or that the contract is not active.

 

[aforty]

I think they will, but if you are in good standing with them then you have every right to transfer it to yourself. If you are n good standing then you have nothing to fear, the reason the assumption has been otherwise is that you said you got out of your contract in a dubious manner. That could be interpreted as not being in good standing and/or that the contract is not active.

Well I just told them I needed to cancel my contract because I was moving to Europe. Produced a bill and everything so at this point I believe my contract is null but I told them to keep my service active because I wanted to transfer the number to my imaginary brother-in-law. Haha, yea I'm probably overdoing it.

Not sure if I should go through with the transfer or not. Advice?

 

[ottergal]

So you really led them to believe that you were doing a change of responsibilty to your pretend brother in law and now you want to port your number which will actually cancel your contract?

No idea how they will react to that. The fact is that nobody could possibly transfer your number other than you. If I were your real sister in law, I can't walk into AT&T and port your number to my name.

Let me put a caveat on this. I currently work for a cellular company (not AT&T or Sprint) and when we set up the systems and training to do ports according to the FCC rules, the only person who could port a number was the one that already owned it. Even if your brother in law existed, he couldn't set up service under your number.

When you port you are potentially breaking a contract with your existing carrier. They can't just let anyone do that. So, it's probably a moot point if they get your actual name or not (I can't remember 100% if that was part of the information that gets sent although I think it is), it's probably more a case of who processes the port and if they even care. Or bother to read the notes. Or if the billing system that Sprint uses automatically charges an early term fee if you're still under contract. Or a million other things.


As I said, it's been a few years since I had anything to do with the porting and I don't work for either carrier you're talking about. But it's all pretty standard so I'd be surprised to hear that they were doing something significantly different than the rest of the industry. Do with that as you like.

 

[albeli]

Wow. That is quite a convoluted lie. I'm surprised they bought your story about moving to Europe and let you "give" your number to your imaginary BIL. If I were you, I'd be expecting to pay an ETF soon. Actually, if I were you, I'd have just understood I'd have to pay the ETF and not gone through this BS.

 

[macfearless]

sorry for being somewhat off topic, but does your current wireless bill have to be paid up in order to port? my month-to-month contract just began again, and I was just wondering what the protocol is for that.

 

[ottergal]

sorry for being somewhat off topic, but does your current wireless bill have to be paid up in order to port? my month-to-month contract just began again, and I was just wondering what the protocol is for that.

You should be fine. You're considered "current" by their standards and you'll be getting one more bill anyway for this month, right? In fact, I think the only time you can't port is if you are currently disconnected or suspended for nonpay. Again, YMMV as my experience is with different carriers.

 

[aforty]

So you really led them to believe that you were doing a change of responsibilty to your pretend brother in law and now you want to port your number which will actually cancel your contract?

No idea how they will react to that. The fact is that nobody could possibly transfer your number other than you. If I were your real sister in law, I can't walk into AT&T and port your number to my name.

Let me put a caveat on this. I currently work for a cellular company (not AT&T or Sprint) and when we set up the systems and training to do ports according to the FCC rules, the only person who could port a number was the one that already owned it. Even if your brother in law existed, he couldn't set up service under your number.

When you port you are potentially breaking a contract with your existing carrier. They can't just let anyone do that. So, it's probably a moot point if they get your actual name or not (I can't remember 100% if that was part of the information that gets sent although I think it is), it's probably more a case of who processes the port and if they even care. Or bother to read the notes. Or if the billing system that Sprint uses automatically charges an early term fee if you're still under contract. Or a million other things.


As I said, it's been a few years since I had anything to do with the porting and I don't work for either carrier you're talking about. But it's all pretty standard so I'd be surprised to hear that they were doing something significantly different than the rest of the industry. Do with that as you like.

Appreciate the advice.

No, they think I'm moving to Europe and would simply like my BIL to keep my number for me while I'm away. Because my BIL already has service with another carrier we will transfer it there as opposed to him taking over my account (which is what they suggested). So again, they think I'm moving but I told them that before i left I'd go with my BIL and transfer the number to him. So at this point I'd think I'm already free of my contract or else I wouldn't be able to transfer the number, right? So that's why I'm simply concerned with what info they see when I transfer the number.

No worries, i guess I'll try my luck and if an ETF comes my way I'll pay it and if it doesn't then it was all worth it.

Thanks again.

 

[MathiasMag]

Continuation of the lie

Appreciate the advice.

No, they think I'm moving to Europe and would simply like my BIL to keep my number for me while I'm away. Because my BIL already has service with another carrier we will transfer it there as opposed to him taking over my account (which is what they suggested). So again, they think I'm moving but I told them that before i left I'd go with my BIL and transfer the number to him. So at this point I'd think I'm already free of my contract or else I wouldn't be able to transfer the number, right? So that's why I'm simply concerned with what info they see when I transfer the number.

No worries, i guess I'll try my luck and if an ETF comes my way I'll pay it and if it doesn't then it was all worth it.

Thanks again.

I highly doubt they spend money on having anyone review transfers to see if they can tag a ETF on some of them. That would probably not be cost effective. Still, if they were to ask, couldn't you say that the phone is in you name because you will pay the bills for the phone and your brother in law will just use the phone for emergency needs to get hold of you.

In the end you're probably spending enough time worrying and scheming that it may be better to just pay what is left of the "prorated" ETF. The only problem you may have would probably be if they have marked your account as non transferable.