Expert: DebiN - 8/6/2010

Question
My cell phone service is through Consumer Cellular (CS).  I had ported my number over to them from AT%26T a couple of years ago. CS doesn't offer Smartphones for e-mail, etc., so I am trying to switch my # to a different carrier.  However, I am finding out that when I switched to CS, they claim to now own my cell #. I did not originally get this # from them, and I have had this # for several years prior to coming to Consumer Cellular. Can they do this? If so, how can they do this? I thought you can port your # from carrier to carrier. The CS service came to my attention through AAA. Since I have been a AAA Plus member for years maybe I should see if they can help me too? Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you kindly.

Answer
Believe it or not, your carrier does legally own your number regardless of where you ported it from. When you were with AT&T, they owned your number. You as a consumer do not own your number, though I know that sounds odd, but it is true. Read your contract (the terms and conditions) and you will see that this is 100% accurate. The part that I have trouble with is that all carriers allow porting of numbers provided that the number is in fact portable. I'm not sure how CS could prevent you from porting out and they don't gain anything by keeping your number. I'm thinking that perhaps the person you talked to didn't quite understand your question when you asked it. If you go to another carrier and sign up for service and ask them to port your number and provide all the details of your account and identify yourself properly, I have a pretty good feeling you won't have any issue in porting your number. Remember, that when you port in to a carrier, you work with the new carrier, not the old one. The new carrier does the port request from the old carrier. So you don't even have to talk to CS. As long as you have paid your bill with CS, you shouldn't have an issue. But as I said in the beginning, technically, the carrier does "own" your number which means that they can change your number (if requested by a local or federal organization or if the area code in an area changes or can cancel your number if asked to by law). I hope this helps.