I am trying to port my number away from Skype. I say 'trying', because it is taking months.

I received an e-mail from Skype advising that in order to port my (020) 7871 ###8 number from SkypeIn to a different telecom provider (Voipfone), I should contact Voipfone to initiate the porting. After some delay I have received the following reply from Voipfone:

'We have now heard back again from the people that supply our inbound telephone numbers (Gamma Telecom). They have just confirmed that your number (020) 7871 ###8 is owned by a customer of theirs - a mystery third party, ***not Skype***.
This means that if you get permission from the third party, the number can be routed to us. The Catch 22 is that our provider is under NDA not to reveal who their customer is.
***So you need to get Skype to contact them for it to happen***. You will need to get Skype Support to ask their provider to release the number to Gamma Telecom (our provider) and give you the relevant reference numbers so we can pick this up.'

Skype Support is APPALLING. I have waited weeks for replies. Therefore if anyone here can help me out by advising who Voipfone should contact - i.e. who owns the (020) numbers - that would be a big help.

Hi, is there really nobody who knows the answer to this -- even Skype themselves?

Christian,

I pointed to Skype Staff.

Ike

Thanks for doing that, however I am completely ASTONISHED at how appalling Skype support is :shock:

No reply in this thread, no private message, and I have e-mailed 'Ewa C.' who dealt with my original port request on 3/5/06. I e-mailed him on 15/6/06 and got a receipt saying I would receive a reply within 72 hours normally. 8 days later... nothing. Resent my e-mail. 5 days later... nothing.

Can someone who is able to influence Skype please firstly explain to them the impression this gives (as if BT would ignore all customer contact from people wanting to move away - they don't, I've tried it - Skype should act like the big Telecom provider it is). Secondly, please have them simply reply with the info I need. The support thread ID was <<#10304-158458#>>

A reply would be nice :lol:

Porting should be dealed with according to law in UK.
Porting request can come to us only through our provider.
And this should be initiated by you to the provider that you want to port this number to. They don't even need to tell you who the owner is. Just write them your Skype username, telephone number and email, they should forward it to their provider and so on until we will receive it. After that we can start the porting.

Hi tanelvakker

Thanks so much for replying. It is a shame my e-mails have all been ignored so far.

Perhaps I didn't make the problem clear enough. My apologies.

You have stated I should go through my new provider, and they should give their provider my Skype details.

However, their provider is Gamma Telecom in the UK and they have stated they due to a Non-Disclosure Agreement with *YOUR* provider, Gamma are not allowed to tell my new provider who your provider is.

This means my provider cannot initiate the transfer. Don't ask me why they can't give my Skype details to Gamma Telecom, they just cannot and say Gamma refuse to do so.

Gamma insist that *Skype* simply:
1. Contact their provider
2. Ask their provider to initiate the transfer to Gamma Telecom
3. Contact me with the reference number so I can inform my new provider to pick it up

We could go back and forth forever, so I would really appreciate you looking into doing this small request for a 2 year-long customer who is very frustrated by now.

I don't know the law in UK, here in Denmark the only way to port a number from one provider to a new one, is through the new provider.
This can only be done by a Formal under written document from the customer which authorise the new provider to have the number moved to him. It is then his job to get it done on your behalf.
I think this is what tanelvakker is trying to explain as the only legal way to do it.

Not sure either way, but the point is that Skype's provider have confidentiality agreement with my new provider's provider (!) which prevents their identity being revealed, and this is the problem. It is for Skype to resolve this as it is their provider causing the issue and wishing to remain anonymous.

Once we have their name, then my provider can follow any correct legal procedures, but not until then.

In my humble opinion:
You send a authorised request to >
Voipfone forwards your authorised request to >
Gamma Telecom forwards your authorised request (no NDA compromised, their identy don't need to be revealed) to >
Mystery 3rd party forwards your authorised request to >
Skype.

You don't state if you already sent a authorised request to Voipfone.
If you did you should complain. If not send a request to them.

Dear tanelvakker

I have now received this final response from Voipfone:

"We have tried every method possible to get your number ported to our service but unfortunately all attempts have been rejected the only way that it would be possible to port your number from Skype is to ask Skype to contact they Telco direct and they Telco must provide gamma telecom with a letter of authority stating that they are happy for the number to be moved to Voipfone."

Can you or someone from Skype please assist me with this as required by the Telecoms regulations.

Would somebody from Skype please have the courtesy of showing some sort of joined up response to this issue.

I have in writing from before I originally took out the SkypeIn number, Skype's confirmation that they would allow me to port the number away.

They are now, I believe, actively trying to prevent me from doing this. I say this because this thread is being ignored, and my FIVE e-mails to the relevant department have been ignored for over 40 DAYS, despite promising a response in 72 hours.

My next step will be to issue Skype with a County Court order demanding that they contact their provider to commence the number port.

This is entirely Skype's choice.

Regards,

<bump>

I am really sorry on behalf of Skype team. Let me get in contact with the telco providing that number series and investigate if there is a misunderstanding. I will let you know shortly how can we solve the situation and inform you about the reasons behind this mess. My apologies.

Lauri

Hi, does someone at Skype know if Lauri Paal has left the company? I have tried to email Lauri but no reply 2 weeks later.

Thanks.