HELP!! A week later, and I still can't receive calls after porting my number back to Verizon!!!!
TheodoreHouston
Enthusiast - Level 2

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???????

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