Will someone from Verizon please address and detail porting numbers and Google Voice.

I have had Google Voice(GV) for some time now and have very reluctant to just give it out and give up on my cell number. I haveno intention of canceling my cell number, I know I need it. But I would really like all my calls to go through GV before they forward to my cell and house. Googel will allow me to port my cell number(for a fee) and in the process ask me if I will be canceling my cell number. I can do this, but it makes me wonder what Verizon will think, and I have heard that mobile carriers get confused and charge termination fees when they have this happen.

Whats the deal? I would like to not be confused. Also, the GV service leads me to think that my phone plan, separate from my data plan, is useless if there isn't any problem porting my cell number to GV(in other words, if I can make phone calls over an internet or data connection, why do I have a phone plan? GV is to a phone plan what Skype is to a landline). How does Verizon plan to address this issue?

Thanks for the response

Corey

Accepted answers

KellyW_VZW

Hello,

Although Verizon Wireless doesn't support Google Voice, you can check whether or not your number can be ported to Verizon Wireless by entering the phone number at the link below:

Check if you're eligible to port or the status of a port request:

Thank you.

KellyW@VZWSupport

All comments

AZSALUKI

don't know the specifics, but i don't think you can have a data plan on a phone without the calling plan first. not positive, but pretty sure. so you would be stuck keeping the calling plan. i could be wrong since i believe you can have just a data plan for tablets???? but if you can drop the phone plan and keep the data plan, and you are under contract, then yes, there would be an early termination fee for cancelling your phone plan before your contract is up.

nexus8pt3

I think it would be silly to charge a termination fee for canceling a phone plan but not the data plan. Maybe a half termination fee if you're keeping half the plan...?

Wildman

I see this porting ideal causing a number of issues because you have to still deal with 2 numbers and a early cancellation fee because once you port number over to google Verizon will have to cancel your service and then start new service on a new number because you are not just changing numbers you are forcing Verizon to give up one of their numbers to Google, once you port it the number is no longer Verizon's property, I really do not see the reasoning of this, I see more issues than anything.

nexus8pt3 wrote:
I think it would be silly to charge a termination fee for canceling a phone plan but not the data plan. Maybe a half termination fee if you're keeping half the plan...?
Data plans are useless if you do not have phone service to transmit it..

AZSALUKI

nexus8pt3 wrote:
I think it would be silly to charge a termination fee for canceling a phone plan but not the data plan. Maybe a half termination fee if you're keeping half the plan...?

Actually, the contract is the phone plan. The data part is more of an add on to the contract. You can lower your data plan or activate a dumbphone and drop the data all together because its not part of the contract. The calling plan is what's in the contract.

crb79

AZSALUKI wrote:
nexus8pt3 wrote:
I think it would be silly to charge a termination fee for canceling a phone plan but not the data plan. Maybe a half termination fee if you're keeping half the plan...?
Actually, the contract is the phone plan. The data part is more of an add on to the contract. You can lower your data plan or activate a dumbphone and drop the data all together because its not part of the contract. The calling plan is what's in the contract.

Well said. The idea that VZW would allow you to purchase a phone on contract and give you the discounted price, then allow you to cancel your service is ABSURD! Of course they are going to charge you a termination fee, and they will ban your MSID/pESN which will prevent your phone from being used again for calls or data.

The Contract is for Voice Service for the alloted months. Data and other features are merely add-ons.

Ms_Shonta

Provided is a link on information for Google Voice.

http://www.google.com/support/voice/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1065667

Wildman

Ms_Shonta wrote:
Provided is a link on information for Google Voice.
http://www.google.com/support/voice/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1065667

That cant be any clearer...

adambomb

I'm under contract at Verizon, and I successfully ported my number over from Verizon with no significant interruption of service. (less than a day) I'm still under contract with Verizon, with the same phone, I just have a new number associated with my line. It was a lot more seamless than I was expecting. Here's what I did:

Monday morning, I called Verizon and asked to change the phone number associated with my line so that I could port my previous number to a new carrier. I explained that I fully intended to see out my contract, but that I wanted to change the phone number that is associated with my existing line. When you do that, apparently, you still have rights to your old number for some period of time, which apparently is good enough for everything to work just fine when you port the number over through Google.

So after that, I completed the process through Google. By Tuesday morning, I could receive calls at my new Google Voice number (my previous mobile number.)

It's Wednesday afternoon now, and everything seems fine. I still can't receive SMS messages through Google Voice, but they warn you about that ahead of time. Apparently, it can be up to 3 days before SMS functions properly through Google Voice. So I'm not too worried yet. But everything else works like a charm.

Zrock02

I think I see what you're doing. What is exatly the reason for Google voice? I still don't understand it entirely even after reviewing it many times lol

CrimsonGuard

Google voice is not a replacement for phone service. It is a tool to manage your calls and voicemails in a way that is less device or even carrier dependent. People that are trying to game the system for unlimited calling are not going to get as much out of it than people who want to better organize their communication. That being said I think the best application would be for small businesses or extremely busy entrepreneurs. I feel like it is wasted on my needs but I still use it because it fascinates me.

Wildman

That is a sound explanation but most of the ones I have seen has been tring to get around the minutes restrictions and to minimize others from tracking their call history.... But each to its own but I just cant get it, the features are inventive but porting numbers and dealing with early cancellation issues just seem a bit to much for me.

Thanks for explaining the users level of thought...

KentW

Why doesnt Verizon support Google Voice. You sell Androids. You are missing out on a extremely useful tool. Any plans moving forward??

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