Handling Toll-Free Rejection

Just because you submit a migration request doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed that the number will be released. Carriers have your best interest in mind when they scrutinize your RespOrg. For example, a company trying to migrate a toll-free number to a new carrier might have written down your toll-free number in error. It’s your carrier’s responsibility to protect your toll-free number from being migrated against your will. Carriers also use the power to reject toll-free migrations to hold your numbers hostage if you have a large unpaid balance.

A rejected toll-free migration forces you to begin the entire process over again from scratch. When you receive a rejection, you must take corrective action to resolve the issue, resubmit all the required documentation, and wait another seven to ten days for the number to be released or rejected again. The following sections list the common reasons for rejection, along with some resolutions.

All-data mismatch

An all-data mismatch occurs when the company name, address, and contact person listed on the RespOrg don’t match what the releasing carrier has
on file for the toll-free number. An all-data mismatch rejection is generally caused by writing down the toll-free number incorrectly; it is much less common for someone to list nothing but incorrect customer information.

To fix the problem, check the toll-free number listed and match the company name and address with what you have on the invoice from your carrier. After you have confirmed all the information, refax the RespOrg LOA to your new long-distance carrier along with an invoice from your current carrier that shows the company billing name (with address) and the toll-free numbers you are migrating (this might require sending two pages of your current invoice).

RespOrg illegible

When a RespOrg is illegible, you can usually blame the quality of the fax, which degrades the more often it’s faxed from place to place (to your new carrier, and again to your current carrier).

You only need to fax your documents to your new carrier. It is the new carrier’s job to negotiate the release of your toll-free numbers from your old carrier. If any of the information on your RespOrg LOA is difficult to read when your new carrier receives it, the form might be completely illegible by the time it arrives at the final destination. If your toll-free numbers are rejected because the RespOrg is illegible, complete the document again and print out all the information. When you have a beautiful copy, fax it, using the highest quality settings on your fax machine.

LOA is expired

If your RespOrg LOA was signed over 30 days before the date it is submitted, you have to fill out a new form with a fresh signature and date. If you submit a RespOrg form that is almost out of date, your current carrier might wait for your LOA to expire before rejecting it. For example, if it arrives with 4 days before it expires, and the carrier has 5 days to respond, the carrier
can let the LOA sit for an additional 24 hours and then kick it back to you. To avoid this problem, always submit a RespOrg LOA that’s fewer than five days old.

Name/number or address mismatch

A name/number or address mismatch indicates that the carrier is rejecting your RespOrg because the name and address don’t match, even though your carrier has confirmed that the toll-free number belongs to your company. How’s that for frustrating?

To correct this problem, check the address and contact person on the invoice for the toll-free number and resubmit the RespOrg with a copy of your invoice to validate what you have listed. You will probably need to send two pages of your invoice to prove the address and contact name listed, as well as the fact that the toll-free number is on that invoice.

 Remember  Forging legal documents is a bad thing and can lead to time in jail. I haven’t heard of anyone doing hard time from forging a name or changing a date on a RespOrg LOA, but just because nobody has been convicted doesn’t mean it can’t happen. Some companies forge the signature of a person who left the company but who is listed as a contact on the carrier invoice. I suppose they think that’s easier than changing the contact name with the current carrier before trying to have the numbers released again. Forging isn’t a good idea, but some people do find it effective as a short-term solution.

Number under contract

If you have signed a term agreement with your carrier, the carrier can reject any attempt to migrate a toll-free number until the term is complete.

Your contract might state that you will have service with the carrier for a specific duration of time, and it may state a revenue commitment, but if nothing in the contract links your toll-free numbers to the contract, call your current carrier to negotiate the release of your toll-free numbers. If, even after the release of the toll-free numbers, your company will still have enough usage on the carrier’s network to fulfill your contract requirements, the carrier probably won’t hold on to your toll-free numbers. After your carrier gives you the green light to migrate your toll-free numbers, you have to resubmit the RespOrg to the new carrier.

Unsatisfactory business relationship

A rejection based on unsatisfactory business relationship (UBR) means only one thing: your carrier thinks you owe money. The only way to work through a UBR rejection is with a few phone calls and a checkbook. If you have withheld payment because of a billing dispute with your carrier, you might be in for a bitter battle over your toll-free numbers.

 Remember  Keep a clear head when you talk to your carrier, because if you tell the rep that you won’t pay your invoice, you might find that the next thing you know your toll-free numbers have been immediately taken down. Diplomacy is crucial to settling a UBR. If all else fails, you may need to resort to diplomacy by other means, as discussed in the following sections that cover NASCing.