Switching from Virgin Media SIM to O2 SIM

[Elkay62]

I have been issued an O2 SIM to replace my VM SIM as part of my package upgrade. I asked the salesperson about transferring my number, and he said he would handle it - I received a PAC code which he told me to ignore.

I received a text on my old SIM "....To activate your SIM text SWAP to 20220"

Mmm...if the new SIM is not active, how would I send a text? And when I did, I received a message back saying the SIM is already active (after asking me to enter a security code which I was sent, and then the SSN of the new SIM).

All straightforward...except no mention of my number transferring. I suspect the security code and SSN were required for the number transfer.

- Is my number transferring?

- When will it happen?

I would say I am experienced at changing networks and transferring numbers, but I am in the dark. To help the typical customer, it would make sense if more information was provided....

e.g. 

- your old number start to transfer to this SIM within xx hours/days

- you will receive a message when the process is starting, and be kept up to date.

At the minute, the new SIM is in my tablet, as I need to be contactable on my phone. If I go out without the tablet, the process may start and I will be uncontactable. So a little more information would be useful.

I appreciate O2 don't have control of the "old" operator starting the process...except maybe in the case of VM.

Any ideas on my questions?

Thanks

Elkay62

[Enlli]

O2 still have no control over starting the process at this stage.

Personally I would not trust Virgin to do what they say. 

You may be better off contacting O2 either by phone or social media. If they have not had anything from Virgin then I would give them that PAC code

[madasaf1sh]

@Elkay62 

The agent has got it wrong you need the PAC to transfer from Virgin Mobile to o2 as they are completely seperate networks VM is Voda for a start. 

You need to follow this details in this guide to port in to o2 Guide: Migration & porting into O2  

You would get a text with a date on, and on my last port I got on the morning to say it was happening.. 

[Elkay62]

I think you have both misunderstood. The reason I received the PAC code was because the agent had requested it, and he was taking action with it. I expect the transfer of the number to go through based on his actions. Why else would he have ordered the code and told me not to do anything with it?

There must be thousands of customers moving from VM mobile contracts to O2 mobile contracts, so they should know what to do. But they need to improve their communications so that we know what is happening.

Elkay62

PS: Note he was acting as an agent for both VM and O2 - setting up 2 contracts, one fro broadband, the other for mobile.

[Elkay62]

Update - I received a message from O2 to my VM SIM letting me know that I'll be set up on the network tomorrow, and that I should keep my phone off tomorrow until 6pm. I then received a duplicate message this evening. 

I don't think it is reasonable to keep my phone off until 6pm, I'll need to be contactable. As I normally do, I will keep the old SIM on in my phone until it stops working, then restart the phone with the new SIM. I know from experience that a few restarts may be necessary before all services are active on the O2 SIM.

Keeping this thread going

- to help anyone else going through the process know what to expect

- to highlight to VM/O2 that it would help if they let people know what to expect

Elkay62

[teebee]

my sim was activated by 02 but it didn't show a number so I rang my house phone and I could then see it. I then rang my mobile with the 02 sim and it rang. I now have both sims in my phone working and hopefully I can sort it with 02 or Virgin or both now

[Elkay62]

At c. 1pm today, my VM SIM stopped working. Popped in the O2 SIM, restarted my phone, and all was ok.

So the process went very well, just a little more information up front would have helped.

Elkay62

[BonBun]

Several months later I was searching for the same information, very vague over the phone and this explained more to me than almost an hour talking to VM did.

Thank you kind stranger.

[TonyP1954]

Thanks for the very clear explanation of the process!! I was totally confused about what would happen even after speaking to both VM and O2, it didn't help both customer service reps had heavily accented English accents.