Hi everyone who is reading this please PLEASE PLEASE do NOT follow with what I did when activating the boost starter kit bought a few days ago from here.
For context I currently have my girlfriend and me on the boost service on the old $150 boost plan and the porting process back then was simple and straightforward. You bought your sim starter kit, go to boost.com.au/activate, enter the sim serial number and make sure you tick that you wish to bring over your number and fill out the form. Made sure you input the correct details for smooth porting and if you're lucky success within 30 mins from memory. WOOOOO
This is where my nightmare begins.
I convinced my father to join the boost family recently with the boost starter kit above as he was with Optus paying $60 dollars a month for a plan not suited for him. I went through the process with the boost activate for the starter kit filled out the form for bringing over your number, had my father sit down next to me to confirm that the information supplied was correct.
Got a confirmation text from Optus to say if I approved this porting process and I accepted.
Half an hour later I got a text from Boost to the Optus number saying Congratulations on joining boost this is your new service number number "Y".
Alarm bells start ringing in my head and I checked my father's email from boost that says your pre-paid service number is underway and it quoted the old number "X"
Very odd I start panicking. In my head that I'm thinking some minor problem with their system.
Tried to call the Boost 1800 number but it is set up in a way that regardless which options you choose it will end the phone call with advising you to go to the website for further help. OKAY boost good one. I go to live chat (turn off your ad blocker!!!) and this is where things start to get interesting.
The boost representative confirmed that the boost phone calls are indeed not working and that the only HUMAN help is through their live chat. Ok cool maybe they can help me here.
I explained to them that I activated the $300 starter kit and filled out the form to bring my number "X" from Optus are you able to confirm if I entered the details correctly for porting purposes and that I will indeed be keeping the number "X" and not the number "Y" quoted from the text message. The boost representative could only confirm that the number "Y" is currently in a pending status and no such number "X" exist. Oh snap what is going on!!!!
I looked down at my father's phone thanking the lucky stars that the service number is still active with Optus and that the porting has not completely gone through.
I asked the representative that I filled out the form to bring the number "X" over correctly why did it activate for number "Y".
They told me you could only bring over your number if you were given a Blank Boost sim card. Very odd as I thought that was reserved for Telstra or Boost numbers and that any other provider could use the starter kits or a Boost $2 sim card to port over.
I asked them to cancel the porting process but the representative kept telling me that the number "X" porting does not exist and that "Y" is pending. To which I said NO stop it either number "X" or "Y" reverse pause stop it all I don't care. To which the response is that because you already submitted there is nothing we can do. FFS!!
I go to Optus live chat and told them to reverse the porting process and they told me yes they can do it by requesting and putting a note to Boost no need to worry. THANK YOU Optus.
Back to the Boost representative and told them that the porting process was asked by me to be stopped how can I successfully port over the Optus number to Boost and get the $300 credit. Simple answer BLANK BOOST SIM CARD. It will arrive in 1-2 days. Please send me your address. I do that.
This is where I should had said thank you and left the chat and come back once I received the blank sim card but no I was annoyed and my father sitting next to me was annoyed at my incompetence adding fuel to the fire.
I kept digging to understand why filling out the "bring my number over" form when activating the sim starter kit would result in a new number associated with the sim starter kit and that your old number is lost. Boost representative kept going around in circle that you couldn't get your number ported unless your had a blank boost sim card that only they could provide and what I did was completely incorrect and that is all my fault for not asking beforehand.
Did I let this go? Nope I kept digging.
Why have the option to bring your number over when activating online when you're going to lose your number and be given a new number regardless. To which the response was bad luck this is the only way to do it. Blank sim card then ask for help.
I had the representative confirm. REGARDLESS of your original service provider. Optus, Kogan, Lebara, Aldi, Telstra, Boost etc etc. If you want to port over your old number you need to request a blank sim from Boost then they can transfer your number over and then you may be credit with whatever sim starter kit you bought. ABSOLUTELY horse manure!! ARGHH..
I told the representative I had a $2 boost sim card in my hand. (I actually did)
Why is that when I go to activate the serial sim number here again I have two options. A) Activate a new number or B) Transfer your old number
Could I choose option B and be credit the $300 without having to wait for the blank sim card.
Answer was NO it would not work. You cannot use a $2 boost sim card to transfer your number even when the options IS literally right there in your face to be clicked on.
THE ONLY WAY TO TRANSFER YOUR NUMBER FROM ANY SERVICE PROVIDER IS TO RECEIVE A BLANK BOOST SIM CARD BY BOOST.
At which point I was left sitting there defeated staring at the screen wanting to smash it.
I'm sitting here with a $300 starter sim card pending activation to a service number that I did not want.
A $2 boost sim card that is not activated but when attempted to has 2 options activate new number or transfer your old one to which the latter is a complete lie.
Disgruntled father when told to wait for a blank boost sim card to arrive.
The porting process for boost services is a joke. I'm just happy that the porting process was unsuccessful and the request from Optus live chat was able to put in a note for a reversal while I wait for the blank sim card.
TLDR
If you're wanting to transfer your old number even if you're from a service provider that is not a Telstra variant please request a blank sim card from Boost live chat before even attempting to activate online. If you don't you may lose your phone number and be given the number associated with the boost starter kit.
Filling out the form "to bring over your number" is false and the system will think that you will be given a new number regardless
Boost 1800 is dead so don't bother trying. You are at the mercy of the Boost Live Chat for human help.
If you attempt to use a $2 boost sim card to try and circumvent to transfer your number it was quoted to me that it would not work and that any errors problems will be entirely your fault.
I have screenshots and the conversation saved. Ozbargain beware
UPDATE 23/09/2020
Blank boost sim card arrived 2 business days later they sent out two of them.
Went over to Live chat and the customer representative ended porting the number using the sim card that came with the original $300 Boost Starter Kit
In the end the blank boost sim card was not needed. >_>
Bonus they even credit my account for a bonus $40
You got this on paperback?