porting using 1 PAC covering multiple mobile numbers

[DavidCh_1800369]

Hi, I'm thinking about joining Smarty, but my situation is a bit complicated because I'm currently with Sky Mobile, and I'm out of contract, but my current Sky Mobile plan is a family plan which means 1 account with 2 mobile sims (father and son, father being the account holder and bill payer), so I asked Sky Mobile for PAC yesterday, but they only gave me 1 single PAC code, Sky said 1 PAC code covers both my mobile numbers.

I actually spent some time doing the livechat with an agent on the Smarty website, and he seems to confirm that Smarty cannot handle 1 PAC for multiple mobile numbers, and says Smarty requires 1 PAC for each mobile number? I said I'll try calling Sky Mobile again and see if they are willing or able to issue separate PACs.

There is this ofcom article https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/switching-provider/switching-mobile  which seems to say providers should be able to handle and accept 1 PAC covering multiple mobile numbers?

So just want to ask in this forum has anybody else had recent experience of porting multiple mobile numbers using 1 PAC (because their previous provider is only issuing 1 PAC covering multiple numbers)? or is Smarty really require unique PAC code for each mobile number?

[DavidLe_3449918]

As a final overview for group sims and porting: if you have multiple sim numbers under a group plan the existing supplier MUST and can provide a pac code for each sim number if requested as this allows each number to port onto whichever new supplier the user of the number chooses.  Yes, the could provide a single pac code for all but that’s only if the account owner wants to transfer all sims to the same supplier.  In my case, with five sims, one of the users in their home location gets very low network coverage by Three, so instead they will be signing up to an alternative provider- hence why group plans must provide a pac code per number to allow the consumer the ability to choose the best supplier for each sim in the location it resides.

[DavidLe_3449918]

Solved!  I had 5 SIMs with Sky on a family plan and am now moving them to Smarty.  Sky CAN provide a pac code for each individual sim but on the phone you need to explicitly request this to the rep and it takes ages because they have to provide a validation SMS for each number.  However, if you go on into the Sky app, and go into the ‘manage my SIM’ section by selecting each number then scroll to the bottom and select ‘switching to and from Sky’.  In this section you can can select to get your pac code code for that specific SIM and number.   Hope this helps!

[MSF]

@DavidCh_1800369 I freely admit that I have no experience of this but.....

Could it be that you will be able to use the same PAC when you make the request for each number?

If Sky are confident, then can they confirm how they would handle such a port in to their network?

[DavidCh_1800369]

In my case, because I have 2 mobile numbers under 1 account at Sky, I need to call them to ask for the PAC, (so can't do the usual text message method for the PAC), and when talking over the phone, they were confident 1 PAC works for 2 numbers, and also in the "Sorry you're leaving" email, it says "When you give this PAC to your next provider, be sure to also give them all Sky mobile numbers you'd like to transfer." So from Sky's end 1 PAC covering 2 numbers is fine by them.

But when googling online, search results from various forums from various providers over the years, there are different responses and reports, it seems in general the smaller providers (like Smarty) does have more trouble handling 1 PAC for multiple numbers (the bigger providers often offer family plans or business plans which commonly have multiple numbers under 1 account/bill payer).

And when using livechat the Smarty agent told me they require 1 PAC for each mobile number (I even asked can the same PAC code be used twice, he seems to suggest not), even though I linked him to the ofcom page, which seems to say by regulation, providers should be able to handle switching/porting of 1 PAC covering multiple numbers. (so the smaller providers seems to be going against ofcom rules?)

So that's why I was hoping someone with recent experience of switching/porting can confirm this, whether Smarty really require 1 PAC for each number. 

[MSF]

@DavidCh_1800369 I think that you have done all the right things (for what my opinion is worth). I feel that you will need to escalate this as a Complaint to get Smarty staff involved who have a greater level of experience and can perhaps help.