Ported my Skype #, but Skype is sending me bills?

[shmerls]

BTW, where's tech support these days? I've emailed twice and called twice, can't get a reply or through by phone

WHen I joined, Ooma ported my skype phone # successfully. Working right now.

But Skype is sending me email that my # is about to expire and I have to pay for another year.
Do I? WHen I joined Ooma, tech support said once I ported, I would own the # forever, no more
bills to Skype.

Where Ooma support wrong?

Thx,
Steven

[ntoy]

Hello Steven,

Yes, your number ported over successfully to Ooma on 9/3/2009. If you are receiving bills from Skype after this date, you may want to contact them to have them credit you. If they are just sending you an email, it maybe their way of trying to win you back.

[shmerls]

Great. I assume your post means I now "own" my number and don't have to pay anyone again for it. Ever.

[just4fn]

You never "own your number" It's call porting and if you cancel your phone company without porting 1st you will lose your number most likely.

[shmerls]

Yes, that makes sense pre-internet. But in this case I didn't get the # via a traditional phone co. I got it from Skype and since I got an email from them re: the expiration of the 1 year I paid for, for the phone #, they obviously are not aware or informed that the number has been ported.

My concern comes from that I have no idea how or from who company's like Skype or Ooma get phone #'s in the first place and if I don't "own" my number as you say, since Skype "sold" it or licensed or whatever is the correct way to call it, if they "own" it or the source from where Skype got it, like local telco, "owns" it, then the concern is, might someone own or control my # such that, that entity has the power to delete or deactivate or render it un-usable.

Think about it. I got the # under the understanding that I was to pay Skype $30 a year to use it. So I clearly didn't buy it. At best I was renting or licensing it and now I've run off with it. So to speak.

What happens if Skype had to buy it from some company and now I've run off with it to another company. Couldn't one argue that I stole it (regardless of whether they made a profit already)?

I'm sure I'm over thinking this, but some entity created that number and I just want to be sure that that entity doesn't "own" it in a way that gives them ultimate control over it.

Where do phone #s come from any way? Any one know?

[jazzyone]

Just go to http://www.area-codes.com/ and key in the area code and exchange. This will tell you who "owns" the numbers.

The numbering plan is administered by the NANP

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Am ... ected=true

You really can't steal a phone number from a carrier. The FCC has mandated number portability.

[shmerls]

Thanks Jazzyone. I was googling in between my post and your reply and learning about NANP. Per area-codes.com, my # is associated with Nextel Corp. Very interesting that there is no fee to port from the entity that one gets their # from. I mean not only did Skype lose the $30 for years following the one year I paid for, but they've lost me as a buyer of any of their pay services as I'm with Ooma now. I'm not here to argue for Skype or another law that makes me pay both sides, Skype to "let me go" so to speak and Ooma to do the work to port, but it does seem very un-capitalistic from Skype's position. At least if I worked at Skype, that's how I'd feel. Thanks again.

[jazzyone]

In accordance with fcc guidlines,

Fees and Charges

•Companies may assess fees to recover the costs that they incur in providing number portability. Fees may vary between companies, and some companies may not charge any fees.

•Companies may not refuse to port a number because a consumer has not paid for porting.

•When considering a switch, consumers should ask the new company whether it charges any number portability fees and whether those fees can be waived.

http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/numbport.html


I remember when Local Number Portability (LNP) started back in early 2000, only applied to wireless to wireless transfers. At that time some carriers were charging recovery fees, allowed by the FCC, for meeting compliance requirements of LNP and others (E911 for example).

For Landline and VOIP, I'm not sure what recovery method, if any, are being used for LNP.

Bottom line....it's a Federal Mandate so they have no choice.

If it were the carrier's option, LNP will not be possible since a number which is not transfereable help to retain the customer on their network. The coster for business cards, letter heads, phone number association with you business was a big reason why people had to keep their phone numbers.

Carriers do have options to help recover the cost for implementing LNP and continuous operation of LNP. Once your Ported number is in the routing table "database", that's is it.

The costs are already being charged to you and me through fees and taxes. You are not getting porting for free. They are not losing anything, but a customer. It's also a two way street> Port In and Port Out.

The drivers on whether a Carrier keeps a customer are the Cost and Quality.