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Okay, here's the week long issue in a more condensed version:
Sometime last Friday, a call with my friend was disconnected. At the time, I had NO clue of the terror that was about to unfold. The same night, the same friend calls my number back - BUT, her call is answered by a woman who is not me (I'm a MAN). She hangs up, redials, and gets the same result. This continues until my friend finds out, long story short, that my number was ported from Ocala, FL to a stranger from SC. This stranger was visiting her sister in Atlanta, and had just ported her Straight Talk Wireless number to Boost@@@ at a small flea market kiosk, except - in error - my number was taken (not hers). NOW.... I have Verizon. I didn't know this lady prior to this day (still don't), and she did not know me, either. She didn't give a PIN code, and I didn't (at the time) even know my own. How this kiosk was able to port out my number is UNBELIEVABLE. The girl said she wasn't even present, and that she was home. She said she was provided a new phone, and told that within a few hours, that phone would be working. She only provided her number. The only thing that we had in common was that our numbers were nearly identical. Her prefix was just ONE number off, and the rest of the number was the same. So, my number was effectively ported over to another company at 7pm on a Friday evening. It wasn't until Saturday at 7am when we started working to get the ball back rolling in my direction. VZ failed to PROTECT the INTEGRITY of my account, no matter if this was initiated through human error, or not. They didn't have a checkpoint, an account number verification system, and they didn't ask for my PIN to be sure I WANTED TO PORT. They just gave my number to the inquiring company.
I HAVE WASTED AT LEAST 50 HOURS on the phone, and more than $40 in gas (going to and from 2 stores) to get this corrected. Verizon wanted me to contact Boost to get info on an account that wasn't mine, and wouldn't do ANYTHING to help me get my own service BACK. Boost had the other woman as the account holder, and refused to give the info needed, as well. It took convincing the stranger, who wanted her own port completed correctly, to give me the little info I was able to get. THIS IS SO SAD. I have had my number for probably 10 years without incident, and never had an issue. It took the entirety of the weekend to get the port [BACK to VZ] even initiated. Yet, NOW I CANNOT RECEIVE CALLS. IT SAYS MY NUMBER IS A "NON WORKING NUMBER", and that's all. Just about everything else seems to work. It's been well over 72 hours! I still can't get calls, and have since bought a AT&T GoPhone to use while I sort this out, IF I CAN SORT THIS OUT. I can't seem to find one competent rep to assist me. The calls are outsourced to individuals who don't understand me, or my native language, and then I have to continually repeat this same story to each person that answers the line (even during transferring). I've thought about just leaving, but as I have stated.... I have had this line 10 years, just paid the bill, and JUST bought a new phone out of pocket. Not only have I not been compensated for any of this - or for my own losses due to an error on VERIZON'S part for letting a stranger steal my number.... they have not been able to offer ANY solution. Has anyone ever heard of this happening? I've searched every forum, high and low, and have not found one person with this issue! HELP!!!!!! Below are the solutions I have attempted SO FAR:
1. I have TURNED OFF call waiting (*73) - NOT that it was on, but I tried it anyways.
2. I have verified that my phone's information (IMEI) is correct in the system. It was scanned for inaccuracies at the corporate VZ store here.
3. I HAVE TRIED PULLING THE BATTERY, AND TURNING THE PHONE OFF/ON.
4. I HAVE WAITED 72+ HOURS.
5. The number has been released, and DISCONNECTED, in Boost's system. They have tried some reverse port with no luck. Boost is done with me.
6. I have tried manual provisioning/activation. I dialed both #TEC, and *228 (or also known as *22899) THIS IS THE ONLY STEP THAT HAS DONE ANYTHING. After punching *228, it went through a set-up screen that said activation would take up to 15 minutes. 30 minutes later, as I was walking into one of the verizonstores, the phone was THEN able to receive calls from iPhones, but will NOT receive calls from anyone else (which, coincidentally, 98% of the people I know).
There may have been other "quick fixes", but through my exhaustion, I can't recall what they are right this second. I have spoken to the porting with NO LUCK. It's nearly IMPOSSIBLE to convince a rep to send me there. I have to tell the story sixteen times. They think I just started service this week. They try the basic troubleshoot. They give me bad numbers, poor excuses, and we barely understand one another due to language barriers from outsourcing customer service reps. WHAT MORE CAN I DO??? IS THERE A FIX??? What's the use of a number without adequate service???????
Solved! Go to Correct Answer
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Go to www.vzw.com/port, enter your number and select Port Status. If any information is required enter it. If not then call the Port Center 1-877-567-4899.
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I do appreciate the time you have given us so far Theodore. I am glad you decided to come back with us. I do apologize for the experience you have gotten and I know how important it is to receive calls. Let's get this resolved once and for all. I have sent you a private message so we can get started.
AmberF_VZW Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport If my response answered your question please click the "Correct Answer" button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!
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Go to www.vzw.com/port, enter your number and select Port Status. If any information is required enter it. If not then call the Port Center 1-877-567-4899.
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I have already checked the port status. The port status been shown as completed.
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ACTUALLY!! It is saying this now!
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Yet, since I did not actively port my number out, and it was taken without verification by a stranger via a mistake.... I can't contact Boost. I was never their customer. A stranger was able to port my number, and the little info that I got was because she was still actively trying to port her own number into Boost CORRECTLY. Her port was completed last week, and I have been left to deal with this on my own. The account was under her name. It was never MY account. Contacting Boost won't help me as they won't give me info on an account that "I never had".... I feel since Verizon gave my number away, and half brought it back, they should be able find where the port failed in the retun back. I was the victim here, and am still going through it all.
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I honestly don't know what us customers can do for you in this situation. We don't have access to anything personal or account related. Are you prepaid or contract with Verizon? If you are prepaid, just leave it be and use the GoPhone. Later on, if you feel the need, return to Verizon and get a new number, or transfer the GoPhone number if possible. You need a fresh start as I don't think this will get sorted soon. Reps on this forum won't be able to do very much either as this is a complex situation and far beyond what they normally handle over the course of several days and sporadic messages back and forth. I don't get how, even if your numbers were one digit off, that her phone rings with your number. If she started service with a new number I get that, but yeah, this is confusing and seems like something is missing between you her and the carriers.
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When I ported numbers back and forth, they required my account number as well as phone number. I just don't understand how this could happen without Boost making a big mistake.
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Boost does the porting just like any other carrier: You stand there and sign a form, confirm an account number from the previous carrier and then they port as you watch. NOW, if you don't port in, you get a new number. If someone cancelled a line and the number was released then a new customer could grab that number. No way I can think of for someone to port in an active Verizon number with no PIN. Even if you never set one, the last 4 of the SSN or last 4 of the phone # usually suffice. I just think I'm missing something here.
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Just like you are not understanding, neither am I. This is what I've been dealing with the last week. It was an error at Boost's store level, and Verizon gave me my PIN after this occurred. I didn't even know it to begin with... 😕
It's a mess, ALLLLLL the way around, and I'm sitting here with a phone that doesn't receive calls in as a result.
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SAME HERE! I didn't know my number was ported until the friend I was talking to when my number was ported came by Saturday morning. She told me everything she learned from the girl trying to port her number. I confirmed it all then after. My phone was turned off, during a call, on Friday evening. My friend called back to the lady the rest of that evening - starting a few hours later - to decipher the issue. She pieced together the problem. She worked at AT&T for ten years so she is pretty tech savvy with phones. Yet, then came the nightmare of trying to explain all of this to Middle Easterner's who could not even understand my basic English. A week later, and still nothing. I still have a half a number.
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I know it's crazy. I am telling you... I don't know how, or why, this happened. I was on a call when my number was ported. The lady who ported it had a near identical number. Her area code was 252 and mine 352... our numbers are the same. She didn't even know her own account number. She was porting to Boost from Straight Talk. I was, and am still, a Verizon customer.
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I can't even begin to understand. Good luck.
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I know. I wouldn't understand any of it IF it weren't my for my dear friend. She now believes that the Boost account was terminated prematurely before the port was complete. The rest is still a mystery as to how Verizon would just give my number to a stranger in SC.
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I didn't realize that this was a user only forum. I posted here for reps, not for people. A rep emailed me asking for my number, and for my PIN. That's why I am here. That's why I've tagged departments in my post.
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Plus, honestly trying to explain this to you, and listening to your questions, is what I deal with every time I call in. I came here hoping a competent corporate member would see my issue. I was also hoping that when it's solved, should similar situation occur in the future... people would have an idea of what to do - what steps to take. If no one came to these forums, and just gave up due to complexity, we would never see advancement. We'd never see progress. It's not something that happens often, I get that, but I'm also *not giving away my 10 year old number to Verizon via their error in improperly validating my account prior to a port I didn't authorize. Even the Verizon rep at the corporate store said he's only seen this once in over a decade. So, I know it's possible. My issue is the fact that I'm still only left with half an account, and half a number. I came here for all intensive purposes to solve this. I'm not interested in theories that may have caused this. I know you don't understand, but I need assistance. I thought that's what THIS community was for... whether it's advice, actual help, ideas, or a solution.
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I still can't receive calls!!! This is getting sad... I'm sick over this!
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I messaged Amber, too!
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Just trying to comprehend all of this makes my head hurt...
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Let me see if I get this straight.
Your number is 352-123-4567 and this mystery woman's number is 252-123-4567? The port process works weirdly. This is how it goes, at least when you port to VZW. You give them your number and verifying information (account number andPIN). If it doesn't match, the new phone will still make calls and send and receive texts and data and the old phone will receive calls. Until VZW is able to verify all of the information, account number and PIN, the VZW phone won't work properly.
If I am understanding fully, this mystery lady has a phone that makes calls and sends and receives text messages on the Boost network using your phone number but you have the phone that receives calls on the VZW network. Is this correct? Is your VZW phone post paid or pre paid?
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No, she took the WHOLE account. She had no verification. She was with Straight Talk, and porting to Boost. They don't know how she was able to take the account, but she did. My friend came up with the assumption that they disconnected the account before finishing the port. She was right. She's the only person in this whole situation. Verizon and Boost informed that the number was disconnected in the pet process. I'm waiting to see if Boost will manually send it back. 😕
