0845 Numbers - divert to mobile?

gandalftheking

Hello

i have a small business, and would prefer to display an 0845 number on my website. I want to keep my personal landline totally separate from this, but all of the 0845 providers charge per minute to transfer 0845 numbers to mobile. Does anyone know of any free methods like this?

Thanks

Buzby

Not to a mobile, as the cost of delivering the call to a mobile is considerably higher so it will never be 'free' - just the method of charging you, as some firms offer bundled minutes of inbound calls. There is a greater resistance from people in calling an 0845/0870 number, so you might be shooting yourself in the foot. I use a YAC Personal number, which looks like an 07 mobile number, but provides me with the ability to send calls to any mobile I like, forward Voicemail as an email attachment MP3 file and all sorts of clever stuff, and it is all free to me.

gandalftheking

Buzby wrote: »

Not to a mobile, as the cost of delivering the call to a mobile is considerably higher so it will never be 'free' - just the method of charging you, as some firms offer bundled minutes of inbound calls. There is a greater resistance from people in calling an 0845/0870 number, so you might be shooting yourself in the foot. I use a YAC Personal number, which looks like an 07 mobile number, but provides me with the ability to send calls to any mobile I like, forward Voicemail as an email attachment MP3 file and all sorts of clever stuff, and it is all free to me.

thanks will investigate... how about this "free" thing then?! ;-)

NFH

If you want to attract customers, display an 0800 number and not a premium rate prefix (e.g. 0844) or any prefix that used to be premium rate (e.g. 0845 or 0870). You might also want to display your mobile number so that customers calling from mobiles are not surcharged for calling the 0800 number.

victor2

NFH wrote: »

If you want to attract customers, display an 0800 number and not a premium rate prefix (e.g. 0844) or any prefix that used to be premium rate (e.g. 0845 or 0870). You might also want to display your mobile number so that customers calling from mobiles are not surcharged for calling the 0800 number.

I will not call a business advertising only an 0845 number. Like many people, I have 01, 02 and 03 calls included in my line costs, so it costs me nothing extra to call such numbers.
If you don't want to buy a line for the business, look into VOIP - you can get "local" numbers which feed into such a system I believe.

Stuart_W

Flextel will offer you a 01 or 02 geographic number for your local area, which you can divert directly to your mobile and you only pay 4p per minute to receive calls.

You will be displaying a local presence, and callers do not need to know they are really calling a mobile and not a landline.

You can get every area code in the UK, typically for a nominal £1 or £2 one-off fee - and you simply pre-pay some credit which will be used up at 4p per minute when you receive calls. Add further credit as and when you need.

Very easy to re-divert your number if you ever change your mobile, or divert to voicemail, which can be received to your email as a sound file (no charge for divert to voicemail)

If there were ever circumstances when you need to "call from" your flextel 01/02 number you can do this too - call your own flextel number from your mobile to which it is diverted, and you will be prompted to then dial the person you want to reach. Caller display will show your flextel number (you will be charged from your mobile for a standard landline call (if these are not inclusive on your contract) and also from your flextel credit for making a call).

https://www.flextel.com

laurenemwallace

Hello

0845 numbers are called virtual numbers because they sit on and route to an existing landline. If you didn't want calls to come through to the same landline, it will be cheaper to get a second landline installed, as it costs around 9p per minute to route calls from a mobile.

Alteratively, you can route calls from a 0845 number to your existing landline, and have a special notification in place so you know when callers have rung your 0845 number, rather than your landline.

Some customers don't like calling 0845 numbers. 0800 are popular, but at the moment, it costs customers around 20p per minute to call these numbers from a mobile (this is set to change early next year). 03 numbers cost the same as a local call, or are free if customers have free minutes (even from a mobile). These numbers cost just £14.99, so affordable.

There are a number of companies that can sell you virtual business numbers, try Windsor Telecom

VfM4meplse

laurenemwallace wrote: »

Some customers don't like calling 0845 numbers. 0800 are popular, but at the moment, it costs customers around 20p per minute to call these numbers from a mobile (this is set to change early next year).

This explains why VM are now offering historicallly expensive (directory enquiries / 0845) numbers foc now.

derrick

VfM4meplse wrote: »

This explains why VM are now offering historicallly expensive (directory enquiries / 0845) numbers foc now.

VM, like all telcos are offering nothing foc, they are inclusive!

They are not offering inclusive calls to 0845 numbers, see page 5 of this PDF, they cost 10.22ppm with a 11.24p connection fee.

This page shows what are included, and again you will see 0845 cost.


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im-lost

depending on what kind of phone you have you can get a free voip 'local number' from the likes of sipgate
and use a softphone app on your mobile that will allow you to take the calls for free on your mobile via the
app, it just cost some data allowance or if you are connected via wifi it just come out of your usage,

I use sipgate and an android app called Acrobits softphone, it works very well together.

Cash-Strapped.T32

victor2 wrote: »

I will not call a business advertising only an 0845 number. Like many people, I have 01, 02 and 03 calls included in my line costs, so it costs me nothing extra to call such numbers.
If you don't want to buy a line for the business, look into VOIP - you can get "local" numbers which feed into such a system I believe.

Just to add weight to this;
I too won't deal with any company who uses 0845 or 0800, or 08-anything numbers, unless they have alternatives on Say-No-To-0870 or some other similar directory.

I just renewed my insurance a week or so back and by-passed a couple of companies that were cheaper, but were a PITA to find a real number for, so, customer lost.

If it's your own business (that you actually give a damn about) I would steer clear.
To me, 08xx it doesn't say professional, it says money grabbing unfortunately, and from the customer's PoV, if it costs so much to even contact them you'll never be in a position speak to anyone who would be able to disabuse you of that notion.