My Telkom port attempt (and fail)

naeem

naeem

Expert Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2004
Messages
1,066
Reaction score
108
Location
South Africa.
My Telkom port attempt (and fail) *now fixed*

Thought i'd share this experience. Speaking to a few others, seems they too have had endless issues porting to Telkom

I'm on Vodacom prepaid.


Visited Telkom store at Mall of the South to port to telkoms new packages. 20minutes later, their port request sms message never arrives. They said "Port requests too busy, having issues"

Visited another Telkom store at The Glenn Shopping center a week later (Sunday), same result, this time they say port requests cant be done over weekends.

Visit ANOTHER Telkom store at Southgate on a monday afternoon, yet again no port request sms arrives. They give me a telkom simcard and told to sms PORTME#IDnumber#ICCID to 0811607678 from your old sim card.

Try that, nothing. Even though my SMS shows as delivered, no reply and obviously no successful port.
Continue to try this it about 4 more times over the space of a week and each time the same result.

Eventually Telkom call center concludes that the simcard given to me was never RICA'd (and they made copies of my ID/utility at the store!)

Visit the telkom store today, told that the simcard is indeed RICA'd (and the call center says otherwise)... So we try again to port and no surprised. No sms request. They hand me a new simcard and say a 'case has been opened, will be resolved in 72hours'





i.give.up.
 
Last edited:
Telkom isn't responsible for the port, Vodacom is. When they get a "port requests too busy" error, it's Vodacom's server rejecting it, you can go to 50 different branches, port requests are centralized and not specific to a branch. All Telkom can do is request the port, Vodacom needs to acknowledge and send you an SMS asking if you're ok with it or not.
 
When I ported to Cell C, they RICA'd me then and there on the new sim (which needed to happen before you could even connect on the network). I just followed the prepaid starter pack instructions for porting and was done with 24 hours. No need to get someone to do it for me. Telkom also have these instructions, you just need to make sure the SIM is rica'd.

Are you moving from prepaid to postpaid telkom? Because I suggest going prepaid to prepaid and then applying for a contract afterwards
 
prepaid to prepaid


I also thought Vodacom is having an issue sending me the port sms - I called Vodacom in-store and they confirmed everything is working 100% (granted thats what they said)


The kicker is, the sim card that Telkom gave me. Their call center says its not rica'd. The physical store says it is rica'd. - either way i'm unable to port. It really is a circus of a circle which i honestly want no part of anymore.



I too ported to Cell C a few years ago and then ported from Cell C back to Vodacom - both times it was seamless and worked as it should. Just like you said - they give you a simcard, follow the sms instruction and done and dusted in less then 24hours (8 hours if i recall)
 
A few weeks ago my girlfriend ported from Vodacom prepaid to TM without any issues. A day later she was on TM network.
 
I have just gone through this, try to port from MTN to TM. Endless calls MTN and Telkom, visiting the direct store. I eventually got hold of the number for the MTN porting department and made the Telkom staffer at the direct shop call them. This all took better part of a week.
 
I'm also having MAJOR issues. I tried porting 2 numbers with the SMS to port method. The 1st number got ported easy but the Vodacom simcard is still active and the routing is messed up on that one. Can't get calls from Vodacom people on that number now.

Second one I have been requesting a port for 5 times and Vodacom declined and only approved this morning so will see if the change over happens tonight......

Vodacom is causing issues here I think. There are complaints mostly from Vodacom prepaid to Telkom prepaid.
 
Routing between TM and Vodacom seems to be a ongoing issue for years now with ported numbers
 
Okay port on second number went fine. All the routing is fine too. :D
 
So many people complaining about Vodacom --> TM ports - I wonder if Vodacom is intentionally making life difficult in the hope that some users will just give up and stay on their network.

I hope my port goes through fine at the end of this month. Maybe I must do it the painful way and go to the store and let them port my prepaid sim across
 
FlashSA said:
So many people complaining about Vodacom --> TM ports - I wonder if Vodacom is intentionally making life difficult in the hope that some users will just give up and stay on their network.

I hope my port goes through fine at the end of this month. Maybe I must do it the painful way and go to the store and let them port my prepaid sim across
Click to expand...

My advice would be to go to a shop, with the contact details for the vodacom porting dept. Get TM to port as soon as you get your sms call vodacom porting. Get TM and vodacom humans talking to each other. Also try do it on a Monday so you have the rest of the working week to fight (if you have to) GOOD LUCK!!
 
So earlier this morning i magically receive a Port request notification and an hour later a Port confirmation.

Around 8pm this evening (as they advised) my vodacom sim went offline, switched off, swopped sim and now a TM customer.

So far so good. Recharged R100, and got another R100 bonus talktime with a 1 week validity. Activated a 1gig FreeMe bundle, and after next week will activate an all network bundle for voice calls. Tried converting the bonus airtime to a bundle but no such luck. Can only be used for calls i think


Reception seems good, received calls from Vodacom & Telkom landline without hassle.

3g topped out at about 15meg, with LTE enabled it peaked at about 25meg - chewed through nearly 100megs of data in those two tests :D
 
naeem said:
So earlier this morning i magically receive a Port request notification and an hour later a Port confirmation.

Around 8pm this evening (as they advised) my vodacom sim went offline, switched off, swopped sim and now a TM customer.

So far so good. Recharged R100, and got another R100 bonus talktime with a 1 week validity. Activated a 1gig FreeMe bundle, and after next week will activate an all network bundle for voice calls. Tried converting the bonus airtime to a bundle but no such luck. Can only be used for calls i think


Reception seems good, received calls from Vodacom & Telkom landline without hassle.

3g topped out at about 15meg, with LTE enabled it peaked at about 25meg - chewed through nearly 100megs of data in those two tests :D
Click to expand...

Nice also remember to enable data roaming so when there is no Telkom coverage you will switch to MTN 3G and still have data. The freeme data and benefits all work while roaming too so no extra charges.
 
Sorry to necro an older thread, but this seems applicable to what I am trying to do right now.

In an attempt to port my dad from VC to TM, after purchasing a TM SIM and getting it RICA'd from the local Ackermans I sent an SMS with PORTME#IDnumber#ICCID to 0811607678 on the 24th of this month. By yesterday afternoon I had heard nothing, so I queried it by dialling 081 180. The lady said they have not received a port request, and suggested I send another SMS. I sent another SMS with the same details, and phoned the helpline again. They still had not received the port request, and suggested we go to the nearest Telkom store - which is 150km away - which I cannot do.

They said if that does not work, I should try and re-RICA the SIM at the store I purchased it from which we did this morning and then send another SMS with the PORTME request. I did that about 15 minutes ago, but haven't received any confirmation from neither VC nor TM via SMS.

How long should I wait before I can expect any form of notification? I want this sorted out soon as I leave back to Port Elizabeth tomorrow and I don't want to leave here if I know that there has been no progress on this issue
 
cavedog said:
Nice also remember to enable data roaming so when there is no Telkom coverage you will switch to MTN 3G and still have data. The freeme data and benefits all work while roaming too so no extra charges.
Click to expand...

The social/whatsapp data one supposedly doesn't.
 
PhireSide said:
Sorry to necro an older thread, but this seems applicable to what I am trying to do right now.

In an attempt to port my dad from VC to TM, after purchasing a TM SIM and getting it RICA'd from the local Ackermans I sent an SMS with PORTME#IDnumber#ICCID to 0811607678 on the 24th of this month. By yesterday afternoon I had heard nothing, so I queried it by dialling 081 180. The lady said they have not received a port request, and suggested I send another SMS. I sent another SMS with the same details, and phoned the helpline again. They still had not received the port request, and suggested we go to the nearest Telkom store - which is 150km away - which I cannot do.

They said if that does not work, I should try and re-RICA the SIM at the store I purchased it from which we did this morning and then send another SMS with the PORTME request. I did that about 15 minutes ago, but haven't received any confirmation from neither VC nor TM via SMS.

How long should I wait before I can expect any form of notification? I want this sorted out soon as I leave back to Port Elizabeth tomorrow and I don't want to leave here if I know that there has been no progress on this issue
Click to expand...

I have noticed Telkom sms to port has some delays. I sent a sms to port to Telkom from MTN. Took about an hour then received a call from MTN warning me of a port out request and if it was not me I should press 1 to cancel.

You will know if your request is going through when you receive messages from Vodacom informing you a port is being auctioned.

Btw when you sms make sure you use the id number you used when you ricad the new telkom simcard in the port sms or it will not pass.
 
I tried with the ID number used for the new SIM again but it didn't go through, so for now I activated one SIM and put it in my dad's Redmi Note 4 to use as a secondary SIM for data only. He will continue to use his current VC SIM for calls until we can port.

I told him when he comes to PE again he must bring his ID and proof of residence and we can go to a Telkom store to sort it out once and for all. We have up until now still not received any port request SMS or phone call from Vodacom, which is where I am guessing the hold up is.
 
PhireSide said:
I tried with the ID number used for the new SIM again but it didn't go through, so for now I activated one SIM and put it in my dad's Redmi Note 4 to use as a secondary SIM for data only. He will continue to use his current VC SIM for calls until we can port.

I told him when he comes to PE again he must bring his ID and proof of residence and we can go to a Telkom store to sort it out once and for all. We have up until now still not received any port request SMS or phone call from Vodacom, which is where I am guessing the hold up is.
Click to expand...

With Telkom you can still port to a Telkom simcard if it's already active so don't throw it away you can always still port to it. I suggest keep on trying the sms or if you get a chance go to the store.
 
Cool, thanks. Good info to have.

I was doing some digging and came across this part of the Telkom website:

Capture.PNG

I entered the details (phone number, ID number that is linked to the new SIM and selected 'prepaid') and the website sent an OTP to my dad's phone. I gave him a call and retrieved the OTP from him. About 15 minutes later he received an SMS on his Vodacom SIM informing him of the port (this was around 18:30) and around 21:00 he received another SMS saying the number has been ported.

Verifiying it on CRDB shows it is still in service with Vodacom, but I suspect it will change towards the end of the night, during NST.

I'll keep this thread updated!
 
PhireSide said:
Cool, thanks. Good info to have.

I was doing some digging and came across this part of the Telkom website:

View attachment 487968

I entered the details (phone number, ID number that is linked to the new SIM and selected 'prepaid') and the website sent an OTP to my dad's phone. I gave him a call and retrieved the OTP from him. About 15 minutes later he received an SMS on his Vodacom SIM informing him of the port (this was around 18:30) and around 21:00 he received another SMS saying the number has been ported.

Verifiying it on CRDB shows it is still in service with Vodacom, but I suspect it will change towards the end of the night, during NST.

I'll keep this thread updated!
Click to expand...
Tom Morning it should be done,if you put the telkom sim in now it will work(but please take note of no features working and could mess up your port)I have noticed that features do take longer to load on telkom
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X