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View Full Version : Toll Free Numbers in USA, How, Where, When?



ozetel
02-13-2013, 08:31 PM
Hello

I was hoping someone could give me the absolutes on the toll free (800, 1800, 888 etc) number system in the USA please?

If I want to get a number but don't want to choose the actual number itself, it is easy to do - simply sign up and let them choose. (Same here in Australia btw).

But if I want to get a particular number or a series of combinations of digits, how do I do that in the USA please?

Is there an auction system like here?

Is there a register or a list (that is free) that I can search first?

Have any online search ability? I have found 800forall.com and tollfreenumbers.com but these may be a middle man and was hoping to get to the source.

Thank you, keen to get an understanding of the process and how to get an actual number. You guys are 15 to 20 years ahead of our "Phoneword" industry so far more established and I suspect much more difficult therefore to get the number we want.

Appreciate it.

billbenson
02-13-2013, 10:40 PM
I'll just touch on one point. You mentioned 1 800 xxx xxxx. Telephony in the US in years gone by required you to dial a 1 first to tell the telephone switch this was going to be a long distance call. With the improvements in technology, it is rarely necessary to dial a 1 before the 10 digit number. There are probably some telephone service providers around the US that still require it, but it is rare and not part of the telephone number. If you display a phone number in your emails don't do:

1+ xxx-xxx-xxxx

Do this:

xxx-xxx-xxxx i.e. 800 555 1212 or 415 555 1212 or (415) 555 1212 etc.

ozetel
02-13-2013, 10:50 PM
Hi Bill

Thank you very much - very much appreciate it. I was wondering what the difference was and whether or not 1800 actually existed as an alternate prefix and was searched for when buying/activating a number.

It is a little difficult to find all the information on the processes over there but thank you.

billbenson
02-14-2013, 01:11 AM
Glad to help. Others may be able to help on how to get good marketing numbers. One question though. Why do you want a US toll free number. Is it so your customers can call toll free to Australia?

If it's for toll free calls within the US, I don't see a need. Most people and companies have toll free calling on their phones within the US. I don't have a toll free number and I have only had one customer ask for one. Some will argue with this, but I don't think it will improve your perception as an established business here. In fact, most companies are hiding phone numbers so you have to use their website to find information.

Again, I can see the benefit if it's for toll free calls from the US to Australia.

ozetel
02-14-2013, 02:15 AM
Hi Bill

Yes, absolutely, it is for callers inside the US to then be landed back to Australia. We are after a particular number or ability to choose our own/buy our own and want to know how we go about this. The system here is pretty transparent but it seems a bit trickier there, although probably just that I don't understand how things have worked and work now.

Thanks again.

MyITGuy
02-14-2013, 07:21 AM
But if I want to get a particular number or a series of combinations of digits, how do I do that in the USA please?

I've used The Internet’s Toll Free Search Engine for Vanity 1-800 Numbers TollFreeNumbers.com (http://www.tollfreenumbers.com/) in the past without issues, although like you said they are a middleman (Technically a phone company so they can register/assign the number to you, but they prefer short term usage).

Once you find that a number is available, then you should be able to work with any phone company to get it registered and pointed to your system (I.E. voip.ms or vitelity.com are both SIP/VoIP providers that have toll-free capabilities).

ozetel
02-14-2013, 07:38 AM
Thanks MyITGuy

Appreciate it.

And so, are 888 numbers ok to be used as well? 800 are the prime choice yes? I have seen 877 and 866 and now 855. How do they all rank and which would you choose? etc etc.
Sorry alot of questions but hoping to get a fix on the system.

MyITGuy
02-14-2013, 09:14 AM
Thanks MyITGuy

Appreciate it.

And so, are 888 numbers ok to be used as well? 800 are the prime choice yes? I have seen 877 and 866 and now 855. How do they all rank and which would you choose? etc etc.
Sorry alot of questions but hoping to get a fix on the system.

Absolutely.

My preference in rank - 800, 888, 855...I don't see too many 877 or 866 in use.

Harold Mansfield
02-14-2013, 12:17 PM
Hello

I was hoping someone could give me the absolutes on the toll free (800, 1800, 888 etc) number system in the USA please?

If I want to get a number but don't want to choose the actual number itself, it is easy to do - simply sign up and let them choose. (Same here in Australia btw).

But if I want to get a particular number or a series of combinations of digits, how do I do that in the USA please?

Is there an auction system like here?
Just about all of the good, memorable number combinations and vanity numbers have been taken for years. Especially 800 numbers. Some are for sale, some are for lease by the owners. You can transfer control or usage of a toll free number to another user.

I think I remember that one of the florist 800 numbers sold for $3 million a few years back, which is pretty common. Vanity 800 numbers can go for good money.


Is there a register or a list (that is free) that I can search first?

Have any online search ability? I have found 800forall.com and tollfreenumbers.com but these may be a middle man and was hoping to get to the source.
Appreciate it.

You can register to be a broker or provider and you'll have access to the Resporgs to be able to search for what's available. I don't know how it works beyond that but I did find this:


Before 1-800 number portability started in May of 1993, major telecom carriers were each responsible for their own set of 1-800 numbers: 1-800 999 XXXX was always MCI and 1-800 542 XXXX was always AT&T and so on.


Today, 1-800 numbers are owned by end-user customers, not telecom carriers. Due to the popularity of US toll-free numbers (http://www.avoxi.com/us-canada-toll-free-numbers-vanity-numbers/), 1-800 service was expanded to include 1-888 numbers (April 1996), 1-877 numbers (April 1998) and 1-866 numbers (later in 1998).

We can expect to see 1-855 numbers when the current supply of numbers is exhausted.

To address the growing complexity of 1-800 number portability, the old Bellcore (Bell Communications Research) built a 1-800 database, a Number Administration Service Center (NASC) was formed and endorsed by the FCC then transferred to a independent third party called Service Management Systems (SMS). SMS now runs the complex 1-800 number database.


Source: What is RespOrg? | AVOXI (http://www.avoxi.com/what-is-resporg/)

Harold Mansfield
02-14-2013, 12:21 PM
I'll just touch on one point. You mentioned 1 800 xxx xxxx. Telephony in the US in years gone by required you to dial a 1 first to tell the telephone switch this was going to be a long distance call. With the improvements in technology, it is rarely necessary to dial a 1 before the 10 digit number. There are probably some telephone service providers around the US that still require it, but it is rare and not part of the telephone number. If you display a phone number in your emails don't do:

1+ xxx-xxx-xxxx

Do this:

xxx-xxx-xxxx i.e. 800 555 1212 or 415 555 1212 or (415) 555 1212 etc.

You don't need to dial "1" on mobile phones in the U.S. You do on landlines, but I think it is dependent on your service since land line companies still charge separately for "long distance" , and mobile phones and some VOIP services do not. A call is a call.

"1" is not part of the number. It's the prefix to signal a call to a different area or country code. For instance, if you are calling the U.K. "44" would be the prefix (or dialing code) you'd need to dial before the actual number. People inside the U.K. probably don't have to use it, but they do have to dial "1" when calling a U.S. number.

billbenson
02-14-2013, 08:53 PM
You don't need to dial "1" on mobile phones in the U.S. You do on landlines, but I think it is dependent on your service since land line companies still charge separately for "long distance" , and mobile phones and some VOIP services do not. A call is a call.

"1" is not part of the number. It's the prefix to signal a call to a different area or country code. For instance, if you are calling the U.K. "44" would be the prefix (or dialing code) you'd need to dial before the actual number. People inside the U.K. probably don't have to use it, but they do have to dial "1" when calling a U.S. number.

You don't on landlines in most cases anymore. That was even in the process of changing in 99 when I was selling old telecom switches. It doesn't just apply to VoIP.

Harold Mansfield
02-15-2013, 10:54 AM
On a side note, my Grandmother still gives her phone number out with the letters from the old exchange name system, saying "H,O" instead of the numbers.
I remember she once gave me a number to dial that started with "Butterfield 8- ..." (or something like that), and I had no idea what she was talking about and she got irritated with me because I didn't understand. And even angrier that I kept laughing at her because it sounded so funny.

We've come a long way since those days.