[Resolved] Port-out broke my number

[Gravufo]

I wanted to port-out to another provider (Ebox) but then cancelled the request on Ebox's side a day later.
However, the port-out seems to have continued on FPL's side and my phone number stopped working for incoming calls.

All I am getting when calling it is "Your call cannot be completed at this time. Please try again later." and it hangs up.

My ATA is well configured and outgoing calls do work and use the proper number.
I have contacted Fongo support and they say they have cancelled the port-out request, but it still doesn't work and no one is responding to subsequent messages.

Is it possible that the port-out was half-done and that my number is no longer routing to the proper servers?

[Liptonbrisk]

When porting takes place, routing updates need to occur. Some carriers take awhile to fully update routes, and random issues, such as what you're experiencing, can occur.

Porting notifications go to NPAC (Number Portability Administration Centre) and once activated, the porting changes get broadcasted to CLECs (Competitive Local Exchange Carrier, such as Fibernetics), or, at least, that's my understanding. The updates are supposed to happen automatically, but for whatever reason, Fibernetics' (the CLEC that Freephoneline uses) interval for updates seems to be a bit slower than with some other companies. I find these types of issues typically resolve within 24 to 48 hrs.

After cancellation occurs in the midst of a port, updates are likely required again.

[Gravufo]

Thank you for the quick reply.
Indeed, it would make sense. Just kinda sad that no one from Fongo is answering my ticket so I am completely blind.
I will attempt to wait another 24 hours to see if it gets fixed, but it's hard to know what else I can do...

[Liptonbrisk]

Fongo doesn't respond to tickets on weekends or Canadian holidays, and, until recently, they used to take up to a week (or more) to respond to Freephoneline tickets, which have typically been answered after Fongo Home Phone tickets (Freephoneline tickets go to the bottom of the pile).
--
(General info)

These are user-to-user support forums. Fongo support staff is not obligated to respond or read posts here. Volunteer moderators do not have access to your account and can't resolve account-related issues since they don't work for Fongo.


Visit https://status.fongo.com/.
If "Support System" indicates "Partial Outage" or "Degraded Performance", ticket response time can take up to a week (or longer).

You can submit a ticket here: https://support.fongo.com/hc/requests/new

You can check your ticket status by logging in at
https://support.fongo.com/hc/requests. That's an account for tickets
(zendesk) only and is completely separate from your Freephoneline account or
any other Fongo account you may have. If you don't have a zendesk account yet, click "Sign Up" after visiting the link.
Use the same email address that you use to submit tickets. Do not use the same password as your Freephoneline or Fongo Mobile
account. Again, these accounts are unrelated.


This is the escalation process: https://support.fongo.com/hc/articles/2 ... -Complaint.



Support staff does not respond to tickets on weekends or Canadian holidays.
Support hours are 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. EST.

Fongo does have https://twitter.com/Fongo_Support. I'm not sure if anyone
there responds to direct messages.

Similarly, they appear to be on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/FongoMobile/. I don't know whether they'll respond to you there.

[Gravufo]

I know they don't respond to tickets on weekends or holidays. What's funny is that the initial response is very fast, but I get the typical "we don't offer technical support" or "everything looks fine on your account" when there clearly is a problem and it's not on my end. Then if I ask to verify what's going on with the number association/port-out and no response.

Welp, now it says my account is suspended if I try to login to freephoneline.ca.
I hope this is just part of the port-out/port-in process. My account is in order, all my bills are paid, so there is no reason to have it suspended.

Crossing my fingers for the number to work again within the next 24h/48h.

[Liptonbrisk]

Welp, now it says my account is suspended if I try to login to freephoneline.ca.

Oh no!
I was so startled upon reading that, I dropped my phone and ran to a PC in order to respond more easily.

https://support.freephoneline.ca/hc/art ... r-Port-out

"PLEASE NOTE: Upon completion of the number transfer, your FreePhoneLine account will be terminated and any remaining calling and SMS credit will be forfeited. Remaining credit from this account will not be transferable to future accounts." As far as I know, that also means you lose your VoIP unlock key. I think that's an automated process on Fongo's end.

Based on what you've written, no number transfer was completed. Also, I was misled by reading "I have contacted Fongo support and they say they have cancelled the port-out request" in your first post. I don't equate cancelling a port-out request with having your account terminated. If support staff had responded with something similar to "too late; so sad" initially instead, then that's another matter.

My concern is that your Freephoneline account may now be terminated and that your FPL number may be in a pool of (unclaimed, hopefully) Fibernetics numbers. If you want me to try to contact someone on your behalf, I'm going to need the ticket number. I can't promise that what I will do will help, but I can try. Private message me your ticket number(s) and the phone number associated with your FPL account if you'd like me to try: ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&u=1229.

Again, this is the escalation process: https://support.fongo.com/hc/articles/2 ... -Complaint.

[Liptonbrisk]

To update, I've been told this (after providing Fongo with your ticket numbers): "The new carrier already took the number. The port cancellation must be done at the requesting carrier side."

So, Ebox's carrier, Bell Canada, in this case, has your number. They appear to have not honoured your cancellation request.

As a result of porting being completed by Ebox's carrier, your Freephoneline account was terminated.

However, Fongo will "cancel the Freephoneline account termination and apply a temporary number on the account so that the customer can attempt to port the number back in.

Yes, it appears that Bell Canada (EBox) didn’t cancel the port in request and actually pulled the number (they are the original owner of the phone number in question)."

Note that each time you're assigned a new Freephoneline number, you must update your ATA to reflect that change. Login at https://www.freephoneline.ca/showSipSettings to find your new SIP Username (possibly SIP Password will be different as well) once your account is restored. Your forum profile indicates you have a SPA-122 ATA. If that's your ATA model, your configuration PDF guide is located at viewtopic.php?p=64088#p64088 (SPA-112 is very similar, and the same guide will work). Afterwards, I recommend checking your settings against what's listed at viewtopic.php?t=20532 as well.


If this situation happened to me, I would contact Ebox (at https://www.ebox.ca/en/quebec/residenti ... esolution/) since they (or Bell Canada, specifically) have your number, and if Ebox is unwilling to assist, contact CCTS: https://www.ccts-cprst.ca/for-consumers ... aint-form/. If Ebox told you that they cancelled the porting request and didn't, I believe the onus to resolve this issue is on them since they took your number.

Given that Ebox (Bell Canada) took your number, I believe you would have to pay $25+tax to port it back into your Freephoneline account: https://support.freephoneline.ca/hc/en- ... ne-Port-in

[Gravufo]

Indeed, I got the same answer.
Thank you very much for your help, I will go see what's going on with Ebox. This a very annoying situation

[Liptonbrisk]

I will go see what's going on with Ebox.

Perhaps this link will help you: https://www.ebox.ca/en/quebec/residenti ... esolution/. I would try to contact their management team.

This a very annoying situation

Yes, I would be pretty agitated, which is why I bolted to a PC last night as soon as I read that your FPL account was suspended.

[Gravufo]

We managed to get the phone number back with Ebox. We decided to stay with them due to the port-in fee to bring it back to FPL and mostly for simplicity (this number is for an elderly and it was becoming annoying to remotely troubleshoot things).

Again, I really want to thank you for going out of your way to help me out. It is highly appreciated.
Take care!

[Liptonbrisk]

We managed to get the phone number back with Ebox.

That’s good.

Again, I really want to thank you for going out of your way to help me out. It is highly appreciated.
Take care!

You’re very welcome!