France Telecom: Is this correct

[Grays]

I have just spoken to France Telecom on their very busy (but handy) english speaking phoneline

0800 364775 for those who may need it.

Anyway, we have sold to more Brits and they want to take over the phone contract and keep the existing number. particularly as they will continue to run the gite/B&B business and the ads/marketing has this contact number.

Well the person i spoke to says this is not possible. That i must end my contract, and they mmust start a new one.

Not a problem, what is a problem is that they say the number will change and it is not possible to keep the existing phone number.

Anyone had a similar problem, or as i hope, have i just been misinformed by an inexperienced operator.

thanks

Gram

[Martin963]

Others will know better than I, but when we bought eight years ago I fully expected to take over the house's existing number.

But it didn't happen and I had to contact people a second time with the new number.

I don't know whether keeping a number is strictement interdit,  but certainly it's unusual...

[Cassis]

Given that you can take your number with you when you move, it seems perverse and unlikely (but not impossible) that they should not the wherewithall to leave the number to the next occupier.  NB They have only offered this since last year.   I would call again and ask why, if I can take the number with me,  the new owners cannot keep the number.

[Cat]

I don't think it's possible to take over an existing phone number, but according to France Telecom's website you should be able to take your private (as opposed to business) number with you if you are not moving far...

"Il est possible de conserver le même numéro de téléphone si votre nouveau domicile dépend du même central téléphonique que votre ancien domicile."

It is possible to keep the same telephone number if your new home uses the same telephone exchange as your old one.

Are you moving far?  That might explain why you were told that it was not possible.

EDIT, sorry missread your question, so this doesn't answer it [:(]

 

 

[Cassis]

They want to leave their old number behind, Cat, not take it with them.  The FT site confirms you can take a number with you but says nothing about leaving one behind.  Just seems odd that they can do one but not the other.

[Miki]

We have always kept the telephone number of the sellers.

Only once did FT ever kick up a fuss (and that was some years ago now and in the Dordogne Martin), so we kicked up an even bigger fuss and explained that the business number was well known and we needed to keep it. We asked for a reason why not and all they could think of, was that the people might want it or the account had not been paid......typical  fonctionaire type reply !

 

[Cat]

Doh!  I realised as soon as I had posted that I was answereing the wrong question, but couldn't delete my mail due to the 10 nanosecond delete rule.

Actually, looking again at their website, they do seem to say that it is possible to transfer the name of the holder.  If the change is due to something like a marriage then all paperwork must be provided for FT.  If not due to a family change then they seem to say that...

The holder of the line will ask for the cancellation of his subscription. At the same time, the transferee will ask for an opening of line according to usual conditions. You then contact France Telecom together on 10 14 from your home number (free call), by specifying that the transferee wishes to preserve the telephone number.

The following supporting documents are necessary:

- a copy of the indentity card or the passport of the transferee - on plain paper, the name, first name, date and birthplace of the transferee (the copy of the paper identity being sometimes of bad quality)

- the copy of the leasing agreement, the lease, the commitment to sell - the exact address of installation of the person that France Telecom can contact for possible further information concerning the request

- the name, first name and telephone number of the predecessor.

Clear as mud, huh?

[Benjamin]

I guess if the telephone is currently registered as a business then there should be no problem in the new owners taking over the existing number since this must happen all the time when businesses are being bought and sold.

If, however, a business is being run without paying France Telecom for a business line.............................

Benjamin

[Will]

[quote user="Cassis"]Given that you can take your number with you when you move, it seems perverse and unlikely (but not impossible) that they should not the wherewithall to leave the number to the next occupier.  NB They have only offered this since last year.   I would call again and ask why, if I can take the number with me,  the new owners cannot keep the number.
[/quote]

We took both of our numbers with us when we moved house in 2002. The two were about 15km apart, but we remained in the same admin area, though on different exchanges, so that might have made a difference.

[Cassis]

So the FT site gives bum info as per - or maybe only since 2005 has the transfer been possible for all departments.

But getting back to transferring a number to a new owner, it looks like from what Cat and Miki say then it should be possible one way or another if you dig your heels in.

[BJSLIV]

For a business its fairly normal to transfer the number with the business.

For a private line, the norm is to give a new number to the incoming person, even if the previous occupier hasn't exercised the option of taking the number with them.

However the website says, as has (almost[:)]) been made clear above, that if both the outgoing and incoming occupiers jointly approach FT it is possible to transfer the existing number.