What alternative is there to call sign, I need an additional phone 'number'

blue_monkey_2

I need another number into the house. I've found this on BT:

Get an extra phone line

If someone's always hogging your home phone line, an extra line can make life a lot easier.
You can get an extra line with a new phone number on the same account for only £11.75 a month per extra line2. Any calls from your line will be charged on the same Calling Plan as your main line. Installation is £124.99 and will appear on your next BT phone bill.

Is there another alternative? It is going to be for work because I work from home. BT told me that they no longer have Call Sign which was £1.75 a month and was ideal as it gave a seperate ring so I could tell between the two who was calling and how to answer the phone. I do not want 0870 as customers will not call, the same with an 0845 number I think, people will be reluctant to call.

Anyone have any ideas?

Heinz

Are you sure you didn't just get a lazy or brain-dead advisor when you called? Call Sign is still shown on BT's website and there's no mention of it being discontinued.

utilitybroker

You could get a free second voip line / geographical number from someone like these people.

http://personal.coms.com/

blue_monkey_2

Heinz wrote: »

Are you sure you didn't just get a lazy or brain-dead advisor when you called? Call Sign is still shown on BT's website and there's no mention of it being discontinued.

Hmmm..... off to make a call...... I'll be back when i find out......

blue_monkey_2

utilitybroker wrote: »

You could get a free second voip line / geographical number from someone like these people.

http://personal.coms.com/

OK, I am not up on all of this and I am a tad confused, it seems that the number is free but you have to have a calling plan and get 'Pay as you go' calling credits. So it is not free then.

blue_monkey_2

Heinz wrote: »

Are you sure you didn't just get a lazy or brain-dead advisor when you called? Call Sign is still shown on BT's website and there's no mention of it being discontinued.

OK, they have told me that Call Sign is available to their 'Old Customers' but not to their new ones. I said 'so then I am an old customer?', they said no as my account is new - I moved and they gave me a new account despite me having this at my old address. So they could not offer me this service.

:mad:

blue_monkey_2

I have found this site though:

http://www.citynumbers.co.uk/

So I would pay £5 for buying the number, £1.99 for the number rental and £2.99 for call announcer (when you answer the phone, if it is for your 0845 number then they 'announce it' but the customer does not hear this).

I am starting again business wise so do not have the money to have an 0800 number as I'd have to pay for the calls.

Some thinking to do I guess.

Thank you

billsavings

blue_monkey wrote: »

I have found this site though:

http://www.citynumbers.co.uk/

So I would pay £5 for buying the number, £1.99 for the number rental and £2.99 for call announcer (when you answer the phone, if it is for your 0845 number then they 'announce it' but the customer does not hear this).

I am starting again business wise so do not have the money to have an 0800 number as I'd have to pay for the calls.

Some thinking to do I guess.

Thank you

But you said you didnt want a 0845 Number as people are loath to ring them.

Their is no need to pay a connection charge and monthly line rental to get a 0845 NGN as you can get them for free,EG http://telco.wjc.biz/index.php
but unfortunately you would not have benefit of call announcer.

blue_monkey_2

Thanks. I know. But the only other option is a mobile and that looks like it is a bit dodgy to me, or to pay BT £125 for the additional landline.

I do need the announcer, that is the only thing, because of what I sell I do not want to be answering every call with my business name, and likewise, when I had it as my home phone before people would ring and then say 'ooh, erm, is that , er... xxxxxx' and this is why I got call sign.

Damn you BT!! They were 'supposed' to have my new address phone number as an additional line on the same account and then I would still be an 'old' customer but someone has set me up as a 'new account' and now I can't have call sign.

utilitybroker

blue_monkey wrote: »

OK, I am not up on all of this and I am a tad confused, it seems that the number is free but you have to have a calling plan and get 'Pay as you go' calling credits. So it is not free then.

You dont pay a connection charge for the number, nor do you pay line rental,and you dont pay for any calls unless you make chargeable outgoing calls or divert calls.

You get an voip adaptor plug in a normal landline phone and you have an incoming geographical number which you can answer as you please,and the number is portable. It also comes with Free Voicemail which you can personalise and divert incoming calls to free of charge.

utilitybroker

You might find this thread helpful.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1114885&highlight=cheaper+cable+calls