AT&T won't port my Straight Talk number

How long ago did you switch away from at&t?

5-10 years ago, hard to say exactly. For some reason, because I ported the number out of AT&T originally, it cannot be ported back in to AT&T. I am wondering why this is the case and if there is any way around it. I am hoping to somehow get in contact with some kind of porting specialist, but this does not seem likely to happen.

The fact that it was originally an AT&T number doesn't make sense.  There is an FCC form for number porting complaints.  You might want to avail yourself of that avenue.

Maybe the number is currently on the ATT network at Straight Talk.  So ATT sees it on their network already. 

If this is a case, maybe going into an ATT corporate store will work.

Or, port it to a different network first, such as a Verizon or T-Mobile network MVNO.

Or maybe there is an issue due to moving and ATT don't support that area code in the new billing zip code.

It does run on the AT&T towers (GSM sim card). The reason I am switching off of straight talk is because they were bought by Verizon, and I suspect they will discontinue service for GSM sim cards at some point. They keep sending me messages offering me a free sim card with a free month of service. Also my cell service is worse lately, mostly my internet speeds. I still don't see why it cannot be done.

I thought about porting it to a different network that doesn't require a contract, but the only phones that work in my area are AT&T. So if it doesn't work then I am stuck with a phone that doesn't work.

I just talked to a guy from my local AT&T store and he says when you port a number, basically the company is selling that number to another service. So because my number originated from AT&T, they have some policy where they will not buy back a number. I asked why and he did not have an answer. He also said because of that, it would not work to port to another carrier first and then try to port back to AT&T.

I really want to keep my number. Are there any AT&T employees that can help me on this forum? What is the reason for this policy?

I just talked to a guy from my local AT&T store and he says when you port a number, basically the company is selling that number to another service. So because my number originated from AT&T, they have some policy where they will not buy back a number.

That’s a load of baloney. Customers port their ATT numbers to MVNOs like Straight Talk and back all the time. There has to be some other reason. Are you trying to port online or at a store? If you are in a different market than where your number originally came from, that could be the reason. 

Correct.   My number was originally a Cingular One number that became an ATT number through company acquisitions.  It has since been on all 3 main carriers without issues.  But I've remained in the same market.

It is easier to sell a new customer a new line/number than also possibly do a migration.  Especially if the store is an Authorized Retailer, so that could explain his explanation.

I've tried porting at the store and online. You literally type in your number and it tells you in a few seconds if it is eligible to port or not. We already had straight talk release the number, and the number itself is available to port, just not to AT&T for some reason.