Worldwidephone - Telecommunications for the 21st century
The ATT Toll Free Look Up site is a great place to look up to see what numbers MIGHT BE available. There are NO guarantees, that even if it says its available, that it really is. If you apply for service the same day you see the number available, we have a 85-90% probability of obtaining it for you. RED means not available. The site is NOT up to the minute and can be lagging by a day or so. It is best if you find two numbers and then tell us the order of preference.
DO NOT click "to reserve" the number. That sends the order to ATT.
Also DO NOT assume it is your number until we confirm that it has been obtained and activated.
For a vendor, a Vanity request is ANY request that asks for a SPECIFIC number. Typically people associate a vanity number with something like 1-800-flowers. It is sometimes an effective marketing tool when you are trying to have the person remember your number without looking for your business card or flier. It also has a downside. Most people find it irritating to have to look up the letters on the dial pad while dialing. All they have to do is dial it wrong once and they become frustrated.
Note that FLOWERS is seven letters, which is the exact number of numbers after 800. If you had a vanity number that read 1-800-CallFred, that would be eight letters. If a person were to dial that, the call would begin after the he dialed the "e" or seventh letter. When the "D", or eighth letter, is dialed it would be ignored by the phone system. Therefore vanity names can be any length. But 1-800-calltheworld, might be a little too much. When searching for a vanity number using a seven (or longer) lettered number is A) tough to find available and B) maybe too cumbersome. You might consider something like 1-800-xxx-LOAN. This is simple and stays to point.
VERY IMPORTANT: Make sure you translate your vanity number (1-800-flowers) into numbers to see what it looks like. For example 1-866-nomoran is 1-866-666-6726, which maybe too many sixes for your taste. More importantly too many sixes for the customer to get right when dialing.
All of WorldwidePhone vendors (unless noted) will help obtain a vanity number, some at no cost. When there is a set up fee, it will be noted in the program notes. In all cases an application has to accompany a vanity request. We can not pre-reserve a number. Time to obtain a vanity request varies greatly from vendor to vendor. Again you should review the program notes. The TouchTone program offers the fastest service. The usual time period two business days and at NO COST.
Question: Do I order the vanity number with the sign up form??
Answer: Yes most forms have a space to write in your choice. If you can not find it. Send me an email after you fax the application.
Question: Does getting a vanity number effect my order??
Answer: Getting a specific number does require a little extra effort and does slow down the process by a day or two. If speed is in question, maybe select a vendor who can do it faster.
Question: Are there any toll free numbers that start with 800 available??
Answer: Yes but they are real scarce. They mostly have ones and zero's in them because they don't spell anything.
Question: Why wouldn't I want a number that starts with 800??
Answer: The 800's series have been recycled MANY times. You never know who last had it. You are obligated to pay for wrong calls, so it is possible to get a number owned by one or more people who the caller is looking for. There is no way to know who last had it.
Question: Wrong Numbers??
Answer: You are responsible for wrong numbers call. It is just part of the cost of having a toll free number. Wrong numbers are usually short calls. Thus if we say it was 1/2 minute, then a HUNDRED wrong calls would be 50 minutes. Fifty minutes times say 5 cents is a whopping $2.50. Thats if you get a HUNDRED wrong calls. Wrong calls then are more of an irritant than a major cost. You would know within the first couple of days if this is going to be a problem. If it is we can cancel that number and get another, no problem.
The market, when told that 866 or 877 is a toll free number, believes it to be true. However a 800 or 888 number does have the appearance of being in business longer.
Question: Is it worth the time and trouble to get a Vanity number??
Answer: It depends on what you are trying to do. Vanity numbers help people remember your number without having any paperwork to refer to, like 1-800-flowers. Sounds great but you ever try to dial "flowers". Most people find it irritating to have to look up the letters on the dial pad. This means you will always have to write 1-800-flowers (800-356-9377) on everything. You might settle for a combination of numbers and letters like 1-8xx-xxx-LOAN.
Question: I looked up the number and the site said it was not available. However when I call the number it says "not in service".
Answer: There are several reasons that maybe why you can not have it. The number might be in the period of rest between when it was last canceled and put back in the system. Another reason maybe a company may own lots of numbers they use for marketing purposes, but turn them off for a period of time. OR a toll free broker may have speculated and reserved it, expecting to sell it for a profit. The bad news is that if the site says it is not available, there isn't much I can do.
Question: How do I find out who owns the number??
Answer: Sorry, I do not have a web site that you can go and find this information.
