Cannot take my MSISDN with me in DE

Question

Cannot take my MSISDN with me in DE

Yesterday I had the last iPhone in my local T-Mobile store in my hands...and I had tp leave without bying it 😟 Reason: You may take e.g. your old Vodafone MSISDN with you, but T-Mobile limits this to the time when you sign the contract. I know of no other mobile phone provider doing this.

So all potential customers whose old non-T-Mobile contracts have not ended yet, can either accept a new phone number or have to wait until their old number has been released by the previous provider.

I am really annoyed that Apple did not force T-Mobile to be customer-friendly regarding that point.

If anybody knows a way around this, so that I can get myself the iPhone AND take my old MSISDN with me I would be glad...

Andreas

MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac Mini, Mac OS X (10.5), iPhone fan without iPhone

Posted on Nov 10, 2007 12:17 AM

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Answer 1

Nov 10, 2007 12:57 AM in response to coolstuffberlin

If I'm understanding your situation, you remain under contract with Vodafone but T-Mobile controls the option to port or transfer a number from another provider to a T-Mobile contract for the iPhone or for any phone provided by T-Mobile if you haven't fulfilled your contract with your existing provider?

In the U.S., cellular providers charge an early termination fee if you decide to break your contract for any reason including porting or transferring your existing number to another provider but one has the option if they are willing to pay the fee.

Is this not an option with Vodafone?

Unless things are different in Germany in this regard, I'm not sure there is anything T-Mobile can do if you are required to fulfill your contract with another provider before the number can be ported or transferred to a phone with T-Mobile.

Or have I misunderstood?

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Answer 2

Nov 10, 2007 1:49 AM in response to Allan Sampson

Your summary is mostly correct. Vodafone "owns" my MSISDN and I already asked them if they offer an early termination fee.

However, T-Mobile rejects the MSDISN port if it is not done exactly when you sign the contract. All other providers allow you to port a number later.

I am not sure why T-Mobile tries to avoid accepting ported MSISDNs...

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Answer 3

Nov 10, 2007 2:14 AM in response to coolstuffberlin

That is too bad since it doesn't work this way in the U.S.

When activating the iPhone with AT&T via iTunes, you are prompted for such information as are you an existing AT&T subscriber and if so, do you want to transfer your existing number from another phone to the iPhone or do you want to create/use a new number for the iPhone under the same account.

If you are not an existing subscriber, you are prompted to create/use a new number with the iPhone or you have the option to port/transfer an existing number from another provider. When selecting the latter option, AT&T takes care of the rest. AT&T contacts the existing provider with your request to port/transfer that number from the other provider to AT&T which also cancels your account with the other provider. If breaking an existing contract, the former provider includes the early termination fee with your last bill.

And with AT&T when becoming a new subscriber but not wanting to cancel your account with another provider until the contract expires, you can get a new number for use with the iPhone during that time and when the contract with the other provider expires, you can contact AT&T with the request to port/transfer that number to the iPhone at that time taking the place of the new number acquired when first activating the iPhone which is not an additional charge to do so.

Sounds like this sort of thing is more flexible here.

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