Beware porting copper landline to Basic Wireless

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Beware porting copper landline to Basic Wireless

savillep

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#315236 24-Jun-2024 21:27

My mum's PSTN landline stopped working (again) last week, so I figured it was time for her to get off copper on to Basic Wireless. Spark support told her she could port her old number over to the wireless service. Turns out there is a catch though. She now has a working Basic Wireless setup, but it came with a new phone number, despite the port being requested when the wireless was ordered. To bring her old number she has to give 30 days notice to cancel the copper landline (and pay $65 monthly charges for the notice period), then request a number change to get her old number back. She has had her old number for about 60 years so she really wants to keep it. We now have to decide whether to risk incurring charges to get the copper line repaired for the notice period or just pay for a dead line for a month. Seems like a rip-off either way.

Although she will answer a call on a flip phone (by flipping it!) we have not been able to convince her to make outgoing mobile calls. What is needed is a cell phone that looks and works like an old-style desk phone but with a SIM inside! Anyone ever seen such a machine?

Landline numbers can apparently be ported to 2talk which might be a better long-term solution. If you have done that how did it go?

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#3252828 24-Jun-2024 21:47

I have ported a landline number to Hero (a 2 talk alternative). But you will still need an internet connection for that to work.

I would be tempted to stick with the basic wireless and port the number across as you should be able to plug a normal landline phone into it.

KiwiSurfer

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#3252846 24-Jun-2024 22:37

I would push back to Spark and get them to sort it out on their end. My mother ported from copper to wireless painlessly and did it without any assistance from me -- so I can't see why Spark did not do the same in your mum's case. If another call to Spark doesn't help you may want to look into TDR the resolution service. The fact Spark did say a port was possible only to turn around and say you need 30 days notice (when that shouldn't be neccessary) should be enough for Spark/TDR to sort it out for tour your mum.

I know there are a few Spark employees on here so hopefully they could look into it for you in the mean time.

coffeebaron

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#3252870 25-Jun-2024 08:07

I assume this was Spark to Spark? I've done a number of these for customers and there is no 30 days thing or extra month charges etc. I'd definitely escalate the whole thing.

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nztim

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#3252874 25-Jun-2024 08:11

@cbrpilot

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Eva888

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#3252876 25-Jun-2024 08:12

If mum is a vulnerable person healthwise and needs the service they may deal with it differently.

msukiwi

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#3252878 25-Jun-2024 08:23

savillep:Although she will answer a call on a flip phone (by flipping it!) we have not been able to convince her to make outgoing mobile calls. What is needed is a cell phone that looks and works like an old-style desk phone but with a SIM inside! Anyone ever seen such a machine?

You mean like this: (4G)

From:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002356853067.html

….and it works on 2D…with the old SIM and shows 4G on the display.

Wahooo…..was quick to get here too.

Edited to add: I replaced the supplied charger.

savillep

4 posts

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#3252897 25-Jun-2024 09:55

This one looks like a good option too https://opelmobile.com.au/product/4g-home-phone/. Put it on a $15 Kogan Mobile NZ plan and dump the old landline number. Hmm, tempting.

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savillep

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#3252899 25-Jun-2024 09:57

https://opelmobile.com.au/product/4g-home-phone/

Sorry having some trouble getting the hyperlink to stick

farcus

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#3252993 25-Jun-2024 12:29

coffeebaron: I assume this was Spark to Spark? I've done a number of these for customers and there is no 30 days thing or extra month charges etc. I'd definitely escalate the whole thing.

yep - moved my dad from copper to spark wireless. Ported his number.
Seamless - no 30 day wait / standown. All done within a few hours of activating the wireless modem.

Stu

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#3253026 25-Jun-2024 13:52

Did the same for my parents a couple or three years back (Spark copper to fixed wireless). No stand down or notice period required.

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richms

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#3253037 25-Jun-2024 14:20

People I know who have moved copper to the wireless box have just had it turn up, plugged it in and then the port happened and it was live on the wireless in a day or so after hooking it up.

No manual port needed or anything. I suspect you have hit a moron call centre worker who doesnt know what they are doing and someone else from spark will be able to fix this up for you without messing around with notice periods etc.

Richard rich.ms

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#3254182 28-Jun-2024 16:42

Also another person who moved my MIL from copper to Wireless Broadband without an issue when she moved from her apartment into a retirement village. It was in a different number zone so technically (stupidly as a result of exchange areas) she wouldn't have been able to keep the number on copper but it wasn't an issue on Wireless Broadband.

As an ex-staff employee who helped build the VoIP stack on WBB I know a fair bit about it any there are no technical constraints moving the intact PSTN number on copper to WBB. So I agree with others here saying ring up Spark and speak with a CSR on the provisioning team and complain to them saying it's BS. And if that person doesn't help hang up and try again with a new CSR.

There shouldn't be a 30 day stand down or anything, it should be a simple transfer of service. They may need to re-activate the old copper service first temporarily and migrate it over. But it is very much do-able.

The only issue might be if you wanted to keep the old copper connection intact as it will be a full cut-over from copper to WBB in one hit. If you wanted to keep the copper connection for backup you would need a new number assigned to that connection.

skewt

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#3254294 28-Jun-2024 23:43

msukiwi:
savillep:Although she will answer a call on a flip phone (by flipping it!) we have not been able to convince her to make outgoing mobile calls. What is needed is a cell phone that looks and works like an old-style desk phone but with a SIM inside! Anyone ever seen such a machine?

You mean like this: (4G)

From:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002356853067.html

….and it works on 2D…with the old SIM and shows 4G on the display.

Wahooo…..was quick to get here too.

Edited to add: I replaced the supplied charger.

I had an ad yesterday from an NZ company selling this same phone for $250-$300

Wheelbarrow01

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Chorus

#3254296 29-Jun-2024 00:40

BarTender:

They may need to re-activate the old copper service first temporarily and migrate it over. But it is very much do-able.

This is often not possible now due to Copper Stop-Sell. If the address is in a copper withdrawal zone, the copper line cannot be reactivated unless Chorus grants an exemption (which is rare). Having said that, it should not even be required in this case. Assuming the old number/connection on copper has already been disconnected, all Spark needs to do is a number change on the wireless line - swapping it to the now-available original number.

Either way, it seems pretty clear that someone at Spark made a mistake in processing this change - moving an existing phone number from copper to wireless is an everyday request.

@savillep if it's still not sorted out, please flick me a PM with as much detail as possible (the original phone number, address, account name, contact number), and I will get one of my contacts at Spark onto it on Monday.

The views expressed by me are not necessarily those of my employer Chorus NZ Ltd

nztim

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#3254305 29-Jun-2024 08:35

I would have thought if the old copper service was disconnected just reactivate on customerlink (No physical line required) then port to VOIP

I have used this technique to get abandoned numbers back several times.

Any views expressed on these forums are my own and don't necessarily reflect those of my employer.

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