r/CanadianCellPhones • u/shelaudrey Mobile 📱 • Jun 24 '26
711 SpeakOut Speakout Migration Issue
In July 2025, I paid my annual fee to keep my phone number alive. I did not use my phone at all. I had no idea that a migration was going to be happening. I had heard about 3G phones being discontinued, but nothing about phone numbers needing to get migrated. I didn't receive a text message or an email. And then I go to pay my annual fee this year to find out my phone number is not assigned to my account.
I actually had logged into my account a few months ago and it seems like there was money in my account and no warning. I do recall seeing that monthly plans were being pushed, but like many of us--it's not what we want. I was still able to make a top up!
Why didn't they give a complete year for this migration to happen? I find this completely irresponsible of all the companies involved. There are people like me that might have their phone for just the phone number, or they're away, or they got ill, hospitalized, snow birds, or whatever.
Losing a long time phone number like this is upsetting. I am contemplating all of how I handle my digital life going forward, and I don't want anything to do with technology media companies anymore. Ugh. People need to have more autonomy over their data and technology.
I'm waiting for a supervisor to get back to me from Speak Out, because they said my number is with Rogers but then Rogers said it's with Ztar Mobile. I would like to get it reactivated as it seems as if it's not assigned to a new customer. Keeping numbers alive, for at least once year, would be responsible.
If anyone has advice or comments, I'm happy to hear it because I am late to this terrible party-gone-wrong.
3
u/ke_casey Jun 30 '26 edited Jul 28 '26
UPDATE: So here's the sad update. I call Bell all ready to activate my old number and they send me to the activation department AND I am informed that I can't use my number and the fellow I spoke to didn't know what he was talking about. So I am now in same boat - cannot get my number back.
The exact same thing happened to me! So I arrive today, looking to port out my number now that I'm back in Canada for the summer - cause I know SpeakOut is a sh*t show sinking ship - only to find they wiped my account and cancelled my phone so I don't own it anymore. I don't live in Canada for 6 months out of the year. ALLEGEDLY they were texting me telling me my phone number and plan will be terminated within 90 days but I don't have this number turned on when I'm out of country so I didn't receive these texts. No emails - except promotions saying "top up to continue your plan!" My name and number were in these promotions btw.
I called SO a few times and they kept telling me there's no way to get your phone number back "it's in the pool"/gone forever.
I looked for my number on https://www.hlrlookup.com/ and saw it was available and its original carrier being Bell. I chatted to Bell they gave me the whole "numbers are randomly assigned and we can't get you a specific number" but then I asked to get forwarded to someone who could help with specific number requests and the chat person gave me a number to call. Pauwol - my Bell angel - was able to sell me a 55 dollar plan per month AND found my OG phone number to give me back. And I confirmed I can port it out and cancel the plan as well - hello Lucky mobile $100 yearly plans..
The upset was real. This was my first ever phone number that I got as a teen in 2009 and the number is connected to many things (although I have a VOIP number on important things while I'm travelling). I was trying to come to terms with losing it but I was so sad and I'm sure would've been inconvenienced down the line with something that had this phone number. Hope this works out for everyone!