Porting from Telstra Post-Paid to Boost - What Is Currently The Process?

Make it so on 17/10/2020 - 15:27
Last edited 07/11/2020 - 00:23

Hi all,

I'm looking at porting from Telstra Post-paid to Boost in a few weeks, but I am seeing so much conflicting information about the process, e.g.:

  • Do I need to request a blank SIM from Boost?
  • Do I need to buy a $2 SIM from the supermarket?
  • Do I need to ask Telstra to convert me from post-paid to prepaid first (and what would that cost?)
  • Can I use one of those last $150 starter packs still floating around on eBay? Or do I need to get a new full-price plan online?

There are many recent reports of failure out there, so I wanted to ask the Ozbargain community.

Reason I want to go to Boost is because my usage is low, but I want VoLTE which apparently no other prepaid plan offers.

Has anyone done this successfully recently?

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Comments

  • jimbobaus on 17/10/2020 - 15:34
    +4

    I just did this 2 days ago for 2 numbers
    You can use $2 Boost Sims from Supermarket this is what i did
    Boost CS told me you cant use a starter pack with credit attached ($30, $40 $150 value ones)

    Let me give you some advice… do option 1 below as i did both ways

    1) Sim 1
    Ported to an Optus $2 Sim
    Paid $10 credit on the Optus Sim (was required for activation of the Optus Sim, i am sure there are sims around that do not, Most require recharge at activation)
    Ported from Optus to Boost (needed to use Live Chat to do this as the number i was porting was not being recognised, due to the system still recognising it as a Telstra number)
    But the whole process was quick and painless even though i had to use Live Chat.

    Total time: 10 minutes

    2) Sim 2
    (did this as optus method required live chat so was like.. i may as well do it telstra to boost if i need to talk to Live chat.. boy did i regret it)
    Contacted Boost Customer care to port to boost onto a $2 Sim
    They D/C the Telstra Number
    Activate a temp number on the Boost Sim
    Then transfer the Telatra Number over the top of the Boost number
    We had nothing but issues with this process…. Telstra number was D/C for almost 7 hours and had to get the telstra tech team to fix issues to get the number activated

    Total Time 7.5 hours and much stress

    You do not need to port to Optus, this is what i did.
    You can port to any non Telstra carrier (so not Belong, Aldi etc)
    you only need to be able to RECIEVE a text to port to Boost, you do not need to SEND one

    Even if it had of cost me $20 to activate 2 Optus sims it would of been less stressful than method 2 above

    If you have any questions feel free to ask here or DM me

    • Make it so on 17/10/2020 - 15:39

      Thank you, this is exactly why I thought I'd better ask advice. Option 1 sounds like the safe way.

      • jimbobaus on 17/10/2020 - 15:40
        +1

        Option 2 also means you have to deal with the Telstra Saves Team offering you nothing to stay on Telstra Postpaid

        • Make it so on 17/10/2020 - 17:39

          Well, it would be one of those rare occasions where Telstra would let you speak with a human :)
          Do you know that the only way to get past the "Cody-the-idiot-AI-bot" in the "My Telstra" app is by saying you want a real human? You still only get to chat with them, not speak.

          Anyway, I took your advice. Bought a 40GB/30-day plan from Kogan for $4.90, and a $150 Boost kit from eBay for $157.95 to use after. Really appreciate your comparison and advice. I've been through hell and back with Telstra, so want to most pain-free way out.

          • jimbobaus on 17/10/2020 - 17:46
            +1

            @Make it so: yeah good call and well done :)

            You dont speak with a human btw.. u HAVE to use live chat (if you call they send u to live chat)
            and they bombard you with offers :)

            Make sure you spend all your Rewards Points on Telstra before you port out as u loose access to rewards section of My Telstra once u do

      • EmployeeTim Mc @ Telstra on 18/10/2020 - 18:32

        I convinced some friends to port to Boost for the previously available $150 plan over the past 12 months.

        Option 1a: Telstra post-paid > get a $1 Optus SIM online and get a $150 Boost SIM kit online > contact Optus Live Chat to port number without recharging > port to Boost > yay 40GB bonus (a few hours or less in total)

        Option 1b: Telstra post-paid > get a $2 Vodafone SIM online and $2 Boost SIM online > port to Vodafone online and recharge for 7 days … wait a few days because the porting system between Telstra and Vodafone was broken … > port to Boost, recharge with $150, and ask Live Chat for 40GB bonus > yay 40GB bonus (less than 7 days to sort out and a bit of stress)

        Option 2: Telstra post-paid > call Boost for a special blank SIM > call Telstra when SIM arrives to move to pre-paid > call Boost to port from Telstra pre-paid > recharge with $150, and ask Live Chat for 40GB > rejected… "Sorry, new customers only. You should port to a carrier other than Telstra first if you want the bonus." (half a day to sort out and a bit of stress)

        Option 1 seems less risky. It might be the only way to get special offers available to "new customers".

        • Make it so on 20/10/2020 - 12:59

          Thanks heaps. Do you know if the 40GB bonus is still on?

          • EmployeeTim Mc @ Telstra on 21/10/2020 - 12:58

            @Make it so: I don't think the 40GB bonus is on now. Boost seem to be phasing out the $150 plan too. You can still recharge for $150 but the new plan is $200. I might get some more $150 kits for friends from reputable ebay sellers before they expire in March.

            Lunch break atm. I work for Telstra. No idea what's going on with Boost and Belong phasing out their lowest plans. With the pandemic and recession… I'd like to be able to recommend affordable options for under $13/month.

            • Make it so on 21/10/2020 - 15:12

              @Tim Mc: Thanks for the input. I managed to get a $150 prepaid boost kit for $157 on eBay, which is not too bad.

              Yeah, I think it is important to keep plans affordable, and great to hear you are supportive of that. I reckon the $150 plan was great, especially with VoLTE support (kind of a must on Telstra right now).

              • chanleystan on 07/11/2020 - 22:41

                @Make it so: How did ur change over go?

                Mines due soon on the 11th and was planning to try Tim's first option with $1 optus sim online.

                • Make it so on 08/11/2020 - 17:05

                  @chanleystan: Still a few weeks to go. I wasn't sure at the time is I could leave Telstra a month early, because my early exit fee was less than the remaining cost of my subscription, but I'll have to ride it out do fully I think. Paid for the last month a week ago, and the early exit fee was about 3 quarters of a month worth, for whatever reason. Counting down to early December. Got a 1-month Kogan pack and a 12-month 80GB Boost pack ready to go.

    • JSGauss on 13/11/2020 - 19:09
      +1

      Just wanted to share my long & boring experience with option 1, which sounds the simplest as I didnt want to wait for a blank sim, but theres always ways for telcos to stuff it up.

      Tried to port Telstra Postpaid to Optus prepay.
      Website rejected it and passed me on to live chat. Process took about 20 mins but seemed straighforward. Txt about 2 hours later says process failed and directed me to Optus phone line - none of the options let me pick up my existing order process without starting from scratch, so back to live chat instead.

      After some stuffing around, discovered live chat couldnt help because I didnt have a customer number yet, so they gave me an internal optus number for the porting team. That # didnt work for my active telstra, & my not-yet-active optus sim got through but only got two prerecorded messages. Live chat gave me a second number… which worked, & got through to someone who sorted it within 5 minutes (solution: live chat hadnt bothered to enter some required info even though Id given it), port completed and all.

      So next day,
      Optus sim active and able to take calls, number showing up on Optus app and no longer showing on telstra account, I tried to port Optus to Boost. Website failed and directed me to live chat.

      First person stuffed around for an hour and then said their shift was finishing and I was being passed to someone else. Second person stuffed around for a further THREE hours (mostly re-asking the same questions as the first because apparently person 1 did nothing with the info I gave) and then said it cant be done on my $2 starter & they need to send me a blank sim.

      So tl;dr: Boost took 4 hours to promise me I need a blank SIM to port optus to boost, and one will be delivered within 24-48 hours over the weekend. (I dont believe either part of that promise).

  • HardQuiz on 17/10/2020 - 15:36
    +1

    My advice, buy a cheap Vodafone or Optus starter kit and port to it for a week. After that port to Boost.

    • jimbobaus on 17/10/2020 - 15:37
      -1

      You can port back after 10 mins.

      • HardQuiz on 17/10/2020 - 15:39
        +2

        To avoid any mishaps and trouble, I prefer at least 72 hours.

        Currently you can get an Optus/Vodafone starter kit for $15 that covers a whole month.

        I see no issue in going with them for 3 weeks and then to Boost.

        • sicaboy on 17/10/2020 - 15:42
          -1

          Most of time, Kogan and Catch are good choices

      • papagoose on 09/01/2021 - 12:36

        Just to note that trying to do this all on one day has gone pretty badly for me - the port from Optus to Boost failed because some Telstra records were still present, had to buy another SIM card to repeat, and on the second try, the Boost SIM hasn't activated properly and is still showing as a Telstra account. Definitely wait a few days first.

        All things considered, I think the best way (if not going for a promo offer) is just to order the special blank SIM. It might be a pain to get it shipped out, but it's not as bad as stuffing around for several days without having a proper working service

  • Willco88 on 17/10/2020 - 15:42
    +1

    Plenty of cheap deals on line for SIM with credit I paid $5 for $30 OPTUS SIM port to Optus then to BOOST easy

  • Make it so on 17/10/2020 - 16:22

    So I guess the consensus is, avoid a direct port :)

  • Reiai on 06/11/2020 - 22:43
    +1

    I actually ported directly to Boost from Telstra (albeit I'd previously changed my Telstra postpaid to a prepaid - not sure if this helped with the process). It won't let you submit the request online so you have to call customer support, follow the automated prompts, and they text you a URL that you have to open on the phone with the Boost sim, where you message their online chat person. It took about 2 hours for someone to respond, but once he did it took him about 10 minutes to complete the port. Make sure you have another phone as well with your old sim in it, as they'll send texts to verify that the number is actually yours.

    Hope this is indeed the process going forward (I really did not want to mess with the blank sim stuff) - would be good to know if someone manages to do the same as me directly from Telstra postpaid.

    • [Deactivated] on 10/02/2021 - 21:24

      Very helpful guide!

    • pensionday on 21/11/2022 - 13:23

      Just did the same from post-paid. It wouldn't activate via the webportal, although online chat did the work for me. Took about 5 min of detail trading, and old number is definitely required for verification.

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