Bip Mobile: Switch and Join the Class Action

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Let’s go back to discussing Bip Mobile, the virtual mobile operator that stopped providing services to its customers last December 30, 2013.
Many users are wondering what to do, and currently the most common solution is undoubtedly to port the Bip Mobile number to other providers.
However, it’s reported that many customers are encountering difficulties because the process is proceeding slowly.
This is due to an Agcom resolution that, for virtual operators, generally establishes a maximum of only 500 migrations per day.
An acceptable figure in normal situations, but during this period, with approximately 220,000 customers with silent SIMs, it becomes too restrictive to quickly resolve the problem.
In fact, consumer associations Federconsumatori and Adusbef participated in a meeting with AgCom precisely to request the removal of this maximum limit.
For its part, AgCom has clearly and forcefully urged to guarantee number portability and, above all, to ensure that customers do not lose the residual credit on their Bip Mobile SIMs.
To port your number from Bip Mobile to another provider, simply contact your chosen operator directly and wait, as usual, for the process to be completed.

In the meantime, a class action against BIP Mobile has also been organized, promoted by Siti, the Italian union for the protection of investment and savings. The Calvetti & Partners law firm in Treviso will handle it, in order to try to obtain compensation – as provided by law – for the service disruption caused.
In general, it talks about 10 euros for each day of suspended service and a minimum of 100 euros.
Consumer associations have not yet taken action in this regard, probably only because it is necessary to understand the practical implications of the situation: a class action might make sense if Bip Mobile is acquired by another company, for example. In case of complete closure, the action might not yield the desired results.
The situation is still unclear, therefore; however, the quickest solution for customers with silent SIMs is certainly to request number portability, also hoping to receive credit for the amounts theoretically available on the card.

UPDATE: AgCom has raised the threshold for portability requests from 500 to 15,000 per day. Therefore, it is assumed that transfers to other operators will be much faster and more numerous from now on, to the benefit of BIP Mobile customers.