Help choosing 0800 number for business

Forums › New Zealand Mobile and Wireless › Help choosing 0800 number for business

webup

547 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 17

#116922 14-May-2013 09:39

Im trying to get a number through WXC and have it go through to my 2degrees mobile.

It seems extremely difficult to get a number thats not already taken.
They have no list where you can choose a free number so you have to think of numbers on the fly and they punch it in and then say 'no its taken' etc.

Any ideas or easier way? I could spend hours trying combinations and most are gone.

ubergeeknz

3344 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1041

Trusted

Vocus

#817217 14-May-2013 10:01

2talk have a dropdown list of pre-allocated 0800 numbers, if that helps.

Basically unless your chosen provider have already bought up a batch of 0800/0508 numbers ready to go, they have no (easy) way of knowing what numbers they can allocate - as it's on a first-in-first-served basis.

webup

547 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 17

#817270 14-May-2013 11:02

Aghhh well i have already half joined up with Wxc yesterday on the phone. Maybe i can cancel because their way of finding a number is bizaare.

graemeh

2080 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 226

#817276 14-May-2013 11:05

ubergeeknz: 2talk have a dropdown list of pre-allocated 0800 numbers, if that helps.

Basically unless your chosen provider have already bought up a batch of 0800/0508 numbers ready to go, they have no (easy) way of knowing what numbers they can allocate - as it's on a first-in-first-served basis.

Who came up with that rubbish system? Any decent registry should be able to tell you what phone numbers are available.

webup

547 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 17

#817284 14-May-2013 11:15

graemeh:
ubergeeknz: 2talk have a dropdown list of pre-allocated 0800 numbers, if that helps.

Basically unless your chosen provider have already bought up a batch of 0800/0508 numbers ready to go, they have no (easy) way of knowing what numbers they can allocate - as it's on a first-in-first-served basis.

Who came up with that rubbish system? Any decent registry should be able to tell you what phone numbers are available.

Yeah you would think.

I spent 10 minutes on the phone to WXC yesterday randomly guessing 0800 numbers and him testing then saying' No thats gone' etc.

I even asked if they had a list of what i CAN have and they said no.

graemeh

2080 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 226

#817369 14-May-2013 13:03

webup:
graemeh:
ubergeeknz: 2talk have a dropdown list of pre-allocated 0800 numbers, if that helps.

Basically unless your chosen provider have already bought up a batch of 0800/0508 numbers ready to go, they have no (easy) way of knowing what numbers they can allocate - as it's on a first-in-first-served basis.

Who came up with that rubbish system? Any decent registry should be able to tell you what phone numbers are available.

Yeah you would think.

I spent 10 minutes on the phone to WXC yesterday randomly guessing 0800 numbers and him testing then saying' No thats gone' etc.

I even asked if they had a list of what i CAN have and they said no.

Sounds like something dreamed up by a committee.

One other thing you may want to think of is when you find an 0800 number do some research into who used to have it. The last thing you want is a bunch of people ringing for the previous owner and costing you time and money.

ubergeeknz

3344 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1041

Trusted

Vocus

#817377 14-May-2013 13:11

You can read more about it here: http://www.tcf.org.nz/content/3e4bffa6-49d0-42da-a20e-98233549c3dd.html

If I understand the history correctly, Telecom and TCL used to release "blocks" of tollfree numbers to carriers, a bit like how local numbers work, but it changed to be a central unowned "pool" that carriers must pick from and there is a fee per number allocated. No carrier owns any block of tollfree numbers "by default" (even Telecom).

New World

Shop on-line at New World now for your groceries (affiliate link).

cr250bromo

222 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 81

#817450 14-May-2013 14:48

The fastest way in my experience is to make a list of possible toll free numbers and call them and see if they ring - if you get number unobtainable tone it's worth applying for the number if you like it, although nothing is guaranteed until it is connected.

/ben

chevrolux

4962 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2638
Inactive user

#817496 14-May-2013 16:09

portunus: The fastest way in my experience is to make a list of possible toll free numbers and call them and see if they ring - if you get number unobtainable tone it's worth applying for the number if you like it, although nothing is guaranteed until it is connected.

/ben

That would be what I would do. If it is a good enough test for Telecom before they allocate a number then I reckon it is fine for us consumers.

mattwnz

20515 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 4795

#817505 14-May-2013 16:28

But doesn't that solution cost the current user of the 0800 number being tested. Surely they have a better method, otherwise the user of that 0800 number should be able to claim back those costs.

Possibly googling the number is better, as most companies that have an 0800 number should be listed on at least a directory or website.

trig42

5889 posts

Uber Geek
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ID Verified

#817525 14-May-2013 16:45

mattwnz: But doesn't that solution cost the current user of the 0800 number being tested. Surely they have a better method, otherwise the user of that 0800 number should be able to claim back those costs.

Possibly googling the number is better, as most companies that have an 0800 number should be listed on at least a directory or website.

It only costs them if it is answered. You could hang up as soon as you hear it ring. (May want to 0197 it so you don't get a call back)

Tangoed

1 post

Wannabe Geek
+1 received by user: 1

Zintel

#848874 3-Jul-2013 17:28

There's a governing body called TNAS which looks after all the numbers now. Zintel (where I'm from, I'll email for a tag) has a Word Search tool which lets you search a number and will suggest alternatives if its not available.

http://www.zintel.co.nz/business-telco-services/toll-free/number_search/index.cfm

As of this morning there are 421688 booked (not necessarily in use, but not available) numbers and 3104526 unbooked numbers, so there are still a few up for grabs.