Yes you can point a UK 0800 number to a country outside the UK.
Your customers won't be charged for calling the 0800 Free Phone number but you would pay to receive the call on your telephone number outside the UK.
Expect to pay set up and monthly rental.
Bear in mind that the charges to receive calls will be variable according to the country the call terminates in. The USA and Canada are relatively cheap but some countries are expensive such as Nigeria and India where it is perceived by carriers that the credit risk may be potentially higher.
Wednesday 19 September 2007
Sunday 19 August 2007
Is there such a thing as a "free" 0800 number
The answer in short is no.
Many companies offer "free 0800 numbers" but when you dig deep and pore through the fine print you will probably find that free means that the connection fee is waived.
I have also seen that some advertisers claim that there are no call charges - if this is the case then there is often a hefty monthly fee to make up for this.
If you are in the market for an 0800 number then expect to pay a modest set up fee of a few pounds plus a monthly rental.
There's no such thing as a free lunch!
Many companies offer "free 0800 numbers" but when you dig deep and pore through the fine print you will probably find that free means that the connection fee is waived.
I have also seen that some advertisers claim that there are no call charges - if this is the case then there is often a hefty monthly fee to make up for this.
If you are in the market for an 0800 number then expect to pay a modest set up fee of a few pounds plus a monthly rental.
There's no such thing as a free lunch!
Monday 30 July 2007
Can I "point" an 0800 number at my mobile?
Yes you can. There are a couple of ways to do this.
First method:
A lot of people use a landline for business and divert it to their mobile when they are out and about. You can set up an 0800 number at a site such as:
http://www.the0800numbercompany.co.uk/
and point it at your landline. The 0800 number will follow any divert you set up on your landline. You need to check what the transfer costs will be from your landline to mobile - the charges can be hefty.
Second method:
Set up an 0800 number and point it to your mobile permanently. Set up fees, rentals and call charges are normally higher as the risk for the carrier is greater.
First method:
A lot of people use a landline for business and divert it to their mobile when they are out and about. You can set up an 0800 number at a site such as:
http://www.the0800numbercompany.co.uk/
and point it at your landline. The 0800 number will follow any divert you set up on your landline. You need to check what the transfer costs will be from your landline to mobile - the charges can be hefty.
Second method:
Set up an 0800 number and point it to your mobile permanently. Set up fees, rentals and call charges are normally higher as the risk for the carrier is greater.
Tuesday 17 July 2007
How much should I expect to pay for an 0800 freephone number?
There are major variations in the marketplace - in fact it can be a minefield.
As with most things if a deal seems to good to be true then it probably is.
Beware of companies that offer zero set up fees and a zero monthly rental. Think about it logically - it costs any company money to invoice its customers. The only way that 0800 companies can recoup their costs if they offer no set up and no rental is by high call costs. Remember that with 0800 you pay the cost of the call.
Another thing to watch out for is companies that offer "free minutes". Obviously no-one can afford to give away free minutes. What these companies do is sell bundles of minutes to you for a fixed price in much the same way as you would buy a text bundle for your mobile. The odds are you won't use exactly the amount of minutes you paid for. If there is a shortfall the 0800 company wins which is what they gamble on. If you go over your minutes you pay anyway.
Make sure you choose a company that offers per second billing where your calls are NOT rounded up to the nearest minute.
Bottom line - expect to pay a modest set up fee, a monthly rental of around £2 + VAT per number and call charges around 4p per minute. Any more and you are paying over the odds.
If in doubt contact www.ofcom.org.uk/
As with most things if a deal seems to good to be true then it probably is.
Beware of companies that offer zero set up fees and a zero monthly rental. Think about it logically - it costs any company money to invoice its customers. The only way that 0800 companies can recoup their costs if they offer no set up and no rental is by high call costs. Remember that with 0800 you pay the cost of the call.
Another thing to watch out for is companies that offer "free minutes". Obviously no-one can afford to give away free minutes. What these companies do is sell bundles of minutes to you for a fixed price in much the same way as you would buy a text bundle for your mobile. The odds are you won't use exactly the amount of minutes you paid for. If there is a shortfall the 0800 company wins which is what they gamble on. If you go over your minutes you pay anyway.
Make sure you choose a company that offers per second billing where your calls are NOT rounded up to the nearest minute.
Bottom line - expect to pay a modest set up fee, a monthly rental of around £2 + VAT per number and call charges around 4p per minute. Any more and you are paying over the odds.
If in doubt contact www.ofcom.org.uk/
Monday 16 July 2007
Will 0800 free phone numbers increase the number of enquiries I receive?
The simple answer to this question is yes.
The Henley Business School found that 80% of customers are more likely to call an 0800 freephone number.
It's not hard to fathom out why this is the case. If you had the choice of spending something or nothing what would it be?
This makes 0800 numbers an invaluable marketing tool. In a competitive market place an 0800 number could give your business that extra and vital "edge" over your competition.
At the time of publication the leading 0800 number company online (number one on Google) is:
http://www.dbs-uk.co.uk/telecoms/0800-free-phone-number-provider.html
The Henley Business School found that 80% of customers are more likely to call an 0800 freephone number.
It's not hard to fathom out why this is the case. If you had the choice of spending something or nothing what would it be?
This makes 0800 numbers an invaluable marketing tool. In a competitive market place an 0800 number could give your business that extra and vital "edge" over your competition.
At the time of publication the leading 0800 number company online (number one on Google) is:
http://www.dbs-uk.co.uk/telecoms/0800-free-phone-number-provider.html
Thursday 12 July 2007
How do 0800 freephone numbers work?
An 0800 number is "pointed" at your landline, mobile or an international number. An 0800 phone number will follow any divert that you have in place. If you divert your landline to your mobile out of hours then anyone who dials your 0800 number out of hours will get you on your mobile.
You don't need an extra line or any equipment whatsoever to have an 0800 number.
Expect to pay more in set up fees, rentals and call charges if you want an 0800 number pointed at your mobile. 0800 to mobile represents a larger risk to telecoms resellers.
Make sure you can change where the 0800 number is pointed at no charge as many times as you want.
Also ensure that you are charged by the second and that your calls aren't rounded up to the nearest penny.
You don't need an extra line or any equipment whatsoever to have an 0800 number.
Expect to pay more in set up fees, rentals and call charges if you want an 0800 number pointed at your mobile. 0800 to mobile represents a larger risk to telecoms resellers.
Make sure you can change where the 0800 number is pointed at no charge as many times as you want.
Also ensure that you are charged by the second and that your calls aren't rounded up to the nearest penny.
Wednesday 11 July 2007
How long does it take an 0800 number to be connected?
This varies greatly from company to company and boils down to the robustness of their systems and their attitude to customer care.
Look for telecoms resellers who can assign you an 0800 number immediately over the phone.
Some companies like http://www.memorable0800numbers.co.uk/ let you choose an 0800 number online.
Make sure you know who the company is that you are dealing with if you decide to buy online.
Some telecoms resellers do their best to cover up their identity on their websites. Make sure you can see a physical address and that you have a contact phone number. Better still choose a company who actually provide a contact name.
Most 0800 number resellers should be able to connect your number within 24 hours.
One final word of warning - don't give the number to anyone (especially a publisher) until you have confirmation that the number is connected.
Look for telecoms resellers who can assign you an 0800 number immediately over the phone.
Some companies like http://www.memorable0800numbers.co.uk/ let you choose an 0800 number online.
Make sure you know who the company is that you are dealing with if you decide to buy online.
Some telecoms resellers do their best to cover up their identity on their websites. Make sure you can see a physical address and that you have a contact phone number. Better still choose a company who actually provide a contact name.
Most 0800 number resellers should be able to connect your number within 24 hours.
One final word of warning - don't give the number to anyone (especially a publisher) until you have confirmation that the number is connected.
Monday 9 July 2007
Are memorable "Golden" 0800 numbers worth the money?
The 0800 Guru can save you some time here.
Many resellers offer Gold 0800 numbers for extortionate rates that aren't memorable at all.
Check this example out:
0800 804 8886 is yours for £300 + VAT.
Is it just me or is that:
The truth is that truly memorable numbers are long gone.
Carriers issue 0800 numbers to resellers. Resellers then sell on to you. By the time 0800 numbers are handed over to the resellers they have been picked through. Any juicy numbers are long gone.
Unless your 0800 number is intended for a radio or TV campaign then memorability isn't really an issue. If your 0800 number is intended for print then seeing the "0800" part is all people are bothered about as they know the call will be free.
Many resellers offer Gold 0800 numbers for extortionate rates that aren't memorable at all.
Check this example out:
0800 804 8886 is yours for £300 + VAT.
Is it just me or is that:
- not memorable
- ridiculously expensive
The truth is that truly memorable numbers are long gone.
Carriers issue 0800 numbers to resellers. Resellers then sell on to you. By the time 0800 numbers are handed over to the resellers they have been picked through. Any juicy numbers are long gone.
Unless your 0800 number is intended for a radio or TV campaign then memorability isn't really an issue. If your 0800 number is intended for print then seeing the "0800" part is all people are bothered about as they know the call will be free.
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