# How to move a mobile phone number?



## andyviola (Aug 11, 2018)

Can anyone explain how to move a mobile phone number? I have never done it before not even in UK!
My intended new provider Lobster claim its easy and they can handle...but what to do about my existing provider Orange? Do I cancel with them and ask for the number not to be reallocated to someone so that I can ask Lobster to port the number across? Both old and new are 30 day contract prepayment.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

andyviola said:


> Can anyone explain how to move a mobile phone number? I have never done it before not even in UK!
> My intended new provider Lobster claim its easy and they can handle...but what to do about my existing provider Orange? Do I cancel with them and ask for the number not to be reallocated to someone so that I can ask Lobster to port the number across? Both old and new are 30 day contract prepayment.


I've always let the new provider deal with it.


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## andyviola (Aug 11, 2018)

xabiaxica said:


> andyviola said:
> 
> 
> > Can anyone explain how to move a mobile phone number? I have never done it before not even in UK!
> ...


Thanks but does new provider cancel your old account? Didn't know that they had authority to do that.


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## Alf Tupper (Jun 23, 2018)

You have to give the new provider the details on the original sim card so they can contact the original provider to port the number over to them.


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## andyviola (Aug 11, 2018)

Alf Tupper said:


> You have to give the new provider the details on the original sim card so they can contact the original provider to port the number over to them.


Thanks. Does this process automaically close (or give notice to close) the original account or do I have to request closure?


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## ccm47 (Oct 15, 2013)

The English language Lobster site is fairly clear. You give them your number and authorise them to deal with your current supplier and they handle the rest of it. You do not need to contact your old company once you have completed Lobster's application forms.

Having changed supplier several times whilst keeping my "own" number you will get texts and email messages from both the old company and Lobster telling you when your new sim can be activated, when the old sim will die and roughly what time everything will be completed. You will probably only be out of contact for about 2 hours.


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## andyviola (Aug 11, 2018)

ccm47 said:


> The English language Lobster site is fairly clear. You give them your number and authorise them to deal with your current supplier and they handle the rest of it.
> Having changed supplier several times whilst keeping my "own" number you will get texts and email messages from both the old company and Lobster telling you when your new sim can be activated, when the old sim will die and roughly what time everything will be completed. You will probably only be out of contact for about 2 hours.


Wow that's great and very reassuring! Thanks so much.


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

I recently spoke to Jazztel about possibly changing to them, and they offered to do everything, including paying the permanency penalty (if any) with my current supplier.


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## andyviola (Aug 11, 2018)

Overandout said:


> I recently spoke to Jazztel about possibly changing to them, and they offered to do everything, including paying the permanency penalty (if any) with my current supplier.


Cool a second voice of confidence. Seems no ambiguity in who does what..i do nowt! (Besides clicking a few buttons and telling new guys my tel number?)


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## andyviola (Aug 11, 2018)

Well i am trying it and after one working day of online request lobster and orange are rather quiet on the emails they promised asking for xyz for transfer.. anyways will give another day and then call.


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## Juan C (Sep 4, 2017)

I have moved both my fixed line and mobile numbers several times. The new supplier has always done everything apart from advising me to notify the existing suppliers that wanted to cancel my contract with them


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

andyviola said:


> Well i am trying it and after one working day of online request lobster and orange are rather quiet on the emails they promised asking for xyz for transfer.. anyways will give another day and then call.


I've also changed my mobile phone supplier several times, and each time I got an email from the new supplier almost immediately, acknowledging my request to change over to them. Haven't you received anything like that? Otherwise there will probably be no news until they actually send off the SIM card, which may take several days. 

I've never done absolutely anything about cancelling with my old supplier. That's always been taken care of by the new supplier. Believe me if you're currently with Orange, you'll know as soon as they're notified about your intent to leave them, because they'll start absolutely bombarding you with calls offering you special deals if you stay.


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## andyviola (Aug 11, 2018)

No Kalohi. i got no email.. perhaps they adopted local custom of no work on a Friday....

The lobster website just has new number and a button activate sim...i have no sim yet.

I seem to have had a summer of bad luck with techie Comms and was hoping things would improve.


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## Alf Tupper (Jun 23, 2018)

They don't port over numbers at the weekend.Monday to Friday workers!


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## andyviola (Aug 11, 2018)

Yes hahaha.i will call at 11am tomorrow as apart from anything its nice to speak to someone in my mother tongue...


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

andyviola said:


> Well i am trying it and after one working day of online request lobster and orange are rather quiet on the emails they promised asking for xyz for transfer.. anyways will give another day and then call.


You do realise today is not a working day? It's a deferred holiday from yesterday (Immaculate Conception).


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## andyviola (Aug 11, 2018)

Thanks I didn't know everyone busy celebrating that conception


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## 95995 (May 16, 2010)

andyviola said:


> Thanks I didn't know everyone busy celebrating that conception


You are in a catholic country, a very catholic country


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## andyviola (Aug 11, 2018)

Yes very strictly religious people 🙂


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

andyviola said:


> Yes very strictly religious people 🙂


Not really. They just like their public holidays. After all, most Brits have no idea what Whitsun is all about...


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## andyviola (Aug 11, 2018)

Whit who?


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## 95995 (May 16, 2010)

Alcalaina said:


> Not really. They just like their public holidays. After all, most Brits have no idea what Whitsun is all about...


Spain has officially been a secular country since 1978. However, most citizens (IIRC around 68%, including non-practising catholics, which is a large proportion and even non-practising Catholics are often attached to their religion). Then you have the issue of tradition and the many traditions in Spain that are tied to the Catholic religion. One can only imagine the unrest that would occur should the government seek to abandon (actually more) of these official public holidays that are linked to Roman Catholicism, even more so for those that are linked to major traditional religious festivals. IMHO though the comparison with the UK is not a very good one. But of course, people are attached to their public holidays, in Spain and elsewhere.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Alcalaina said:


> You do realise today is not a working day? It's a deferred holiday from yesterday (Immaculate Conception).


Because the Bible was written by a bunch of ignorant male cardinals and bishops who didn't know that the normal human gestation was 9 months and not 17 days.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Alcalaina said:


> You do realise today is not a working day? It's a deferred holiday from yesterday (Immaculate Conception).


Yet everywhere I went when walking thedogs, shops (including the shoe shops, etc.) were open and people (albaniles) were working.


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

I attended a C of E cathedral school in England during the 1980s and the Religion class was exactly that, a class about religion, it covered buddhism, sikhism, islam, christianity etc.

My kids go to school in Spain, now, and "religion" is exclusively Catholic... Spain may claim to have become secular, but it has a long way to go to put that into practice.


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## andyviola (Aug 11, 2018)

Well said Baldilock.

Well I have an email from Lobster saying my SIm is in the post. And i can activate it online. And its my existing Orange number.
But apart from "put your feet up" auto email this is the FIRST I have heard from Lobster. And I haven't heard anything at all from Orange!! Should I go ahead and activate the SIM? Will this notify orange somehow?


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## 95995 (May 16, 2010)

Overandout said:


> I attended a C of E cathedral school in England during the 1980s and the Religion class was exactly that, a class about religion, it covered buddhism, sikhism, islam, christianity etc.
> 
> My kids go to school in Spain, now, and "religion" is exclusively Catholic... Spain may claim to have become secular, but it has a long way to go to put that into practice.


I second that. One of my Spanish friends (who lives in Spain) is a recently retired and highly awarded and respected teacher. She is a devout Catholic, is still involved with the teaching profession, and from what she says Catholicism is very pervasive in the education system and curriculum.

After all, 1978 is not really that long ago in the scheme of things. Will it change, perhaps, but IMHO very slowly.


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## ccm47 (Oct 15, 2013)

I waited once I'd got my latest SIM and a couple of days later got a text and email to tell me I could login to the website, once I'd done that further texts and emails from both companies telling me when my old SIM would cease to be live and when the new one would be activated fully.
The whole process took about 10 days,(no Bank Holidays) so a little patience is required.


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## andyviola (Aug 11, 2018)

ccm47 said:


> I waited once I'd got my latest SIM and a couple of days later got a text and email to tell me I could login to the website, once I'd done that further texts and emails from both companies telling me when my old SIM would cease to be live and when the new one would be activated fully.
> The whole process took about 10 days,(no Bank Holidays) so a little patience is required.


Ah brilliant thanks. This is precisely the knowledge gap i had.. having never done this before!


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## andyviola (Aug 11, 2018)

My new sim.just came and i called to be sure. In fact lobster don't start the transfer until i activate the SIM as they want to be sure not lost in post.
I have already given them the number i want transferred and told them its the almighty Orange..
Fingers crossed.


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## andyviola (Aug 11, 2018)

Haha Orange called 10 minutes after i activated. She didn't expect my response "no hablo español" lol...
They offered 3 euros more than Lobster.. I declined mainly to avoid having to call Lobster and listen to "please wait" music for 10 minutes again...


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## andyviola (Aug 11, 2018)

*all ended in tears with Lobster.*

I guess I'm unlucky but the signal for movistar is bad in my home and the data speed terrible.

So I'm moving again  to republic de movil as someone here kindly mentionewd it uses Orange which I KNOW has a strong signal here, as Orange was what I used in the days nobody would give me a SUIM without a green card..


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## andyviola (Aug 11, 2018)

Good news Republica de Móvil super signal in my home with 35 Mbps down ans 20 Mbps up! Will keep slow Lobster for wife as good to have one with free calls to UK.


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