Is this possible? (Porting to T-Mobile)

[dasbeav]

Ok, I know porting a number to T-Mobile is possible...haha. And maybe I should be asking this in the Sprint area...

I currently have the Tour on Sprint on a family share plan. I want to port the number on my tour over to T-Mo with a 9700 when it comes out. However, I don't want to cancel the line on Sprint that has the Tour. I want to replace that line with a number that is now local to where I live so I can have a local phone number, but still keep my old number as well.

Do I make sense in what I want? Is this possible?

[mandony]

You can move your present number from Sprint to TM. Under US Federal law most numbers can be moved from carrier to carrier for no charge, even land line to TM

[dasbeav]

Originally Posted by mandony

You can move your present number from Sprint to TM. Under US Federal law most numbers can be moved from carrier to carrier for no charge, even land line to TM

I know that...I've ported numbers many times before. What I'm asking is if I can port the number, but keep the line active with a new number so I don't have to pay the ETF.

[BlkBear]

Originally Posted by niubeav

I know that...I've ported numbers many times before. What I'm asking is if I can port the number, but keep the line active with a new number so I don't have to pay the ETF.

Your best bet would be to call Sprint ahead of time and ask how you should port the number over without canceling the line.

Because I have a feeling that if you just walk into a T-Mobile store and port the number over to T-Mobile without letting Sprint know what you are doing, that it will go through as a cancellation of service, and the Sprint account will be dinged with the ETF, if still under contract.

[mofoahh]

wow..this is tough situation. ok you want to bring your number over to tmobile? yes this can be done.

2. you want sprint to replace the number you ported out to tmobile so you dont face an early termination charge. This might be a problem. Unless the sprint cs can some how reactivate your account with a new number. but the porting process takes 4-48 hours supposedly. so you might have to do after the number is completed.

[NorrisCell]

The process itself is not possible directly, so it would be up to Sprint. Here's the thing, when a number is ported out, the line is cancelled. That same line cannot be reactivated unless the same number is ported back in. To do what you're asking, Sprint would need to activate a new (Separate) line and phone number, but override the ETF that would generate from porting the other out. It's partially a matter of whether the billing system will allow it (Getting contract dates to transfer to the new line, etc). And also whether the rep can do it.

As far as T-Mobile goes, I was able to get it done for a customer as far as getting the ETF fixed. However, the new line had to sign a full one year contract, because the billing system wouldn't allow a direct transfer of the seven months remaining on the other contract. The customer was fine with it though. You may have to do something similar.