Web Hosting Talk : Web Hosting Main Forums : Reseller Hosting : 1-800 Numbers

[Speedie]

I'm looking into getting one of these new fangled 1-800 things for the hosting business I'm working on. Does anybody have any recommendations for phone companies offering particularly good pricing? I'm new to the U.S remember, so be gentle with me. I'm used to the UK phone system which, as you probably know, is practically a monopoly. Having choices confuses my fragile little mind.



Best wishes,
Speedie.

1-800-More-Tea-Vicar

[Chicken]

Well for $5-$0/mo you can have it mapped a number you choose. I am with Sprint, which I have found better for biz (cost for the 1-800 is $3/mo usually, but they were running some promotion and I don't think they are charging me for it).

[Speedie]

Excellent, thanks for the info Chicken. I think our long distance is with Sprint so I'll look into it.

Speedie.

[Dave]

Try these guys http://erbia.com/ they are only 6.7 cents a min, and if no one calls, there is no bill. They are with Qwest, and you can point your toll free number at any other number, like you can with DNS.

http://jrc-hosting.com
1-877-429-8867

[Chicken]

That looks pretty good Dave, you use 'em? My plan costs a penny more a minute, but heck I am always interested in killing off those monthly fees which add up. If I could only replace my PacHell, which no matter how little I use the phone, seems to charge me at least $20/mo.

Think of it, everyone in America paying $20/mo. We are in the wrong biz.

Ohhh, and they don't mention much about the toll free. I wonder what the charge is for more than 1 number, if they can do different rings, and if they can do the Canada thing. Gonna call them tomorrow if I remember it. Head cold, makes me forget just about everything I have to do.

One thing I can tell you, is that it is MUCH more of a pain to switch carriers once you get that toll free. Have to fax a form and wait. Not always the quickest process.

[Dave]

I have been using them for about 6 months and now have all my business phone lines running through them, and I am not sure about the Canada issue. But the toll free number is billed to the second or 3 seconds I can not remember, and you right there is not much on there page about it. Some one told me about it and I called them and signed up that day, what I like is you can point the number to any phone and it only takes about a hour to update.

You might want to try ATN. That is who I use for 800 service and it is similar to the Quest offer. The ATN number is 6.9/min billed in 6 second increments with no monthly fees and can be pointed to ring and any local phone that you wish. They will bill you and you can pay be check if you prefer.

Marty

[Chicken]

I have seen all these sites (or ones like it before), but it helps to know that someone is actually using the services they are reselling. Funny, when AT&T calls begging you to switch, just mention that your current toll-free inbound rate is 7 cents/minute (which mine is). They don't have a plan to match/beat it.

I will now ask them to beat 6.2 cents billed by the second, MUH-HAHAHAHAHAHA.

[alchiba]

Good one, Chicken! Let's keep chipping away at them! ;-)

Marty, I looked at ATN's site and it looks good. My only question while I searched for the fine print: Does this mean you have to switch long distance carriers? Or is completely separate, like a kind of call forwarding service?

[Speedie]

That's what I love about this forum - so much experience to draw from. Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to reply, I genuinely appreciate it.

Speedie.

[Chicken]

Alchiba- yep, you'd have to switch long distance carriers.

[webfors]

I'm with Sprint (In Canada) and I pay no monthly fee and 10 cents / minute on incoming calls (Which is around 6.5 cents in US dollars). I also have it set up with "Identaring". The 800 number rings differently than my regular line so I know what type of call is coming in.

[Bogdan]

If someone would leave a message through my toll free number, will I get billed for it?

I'm just curious.

Thanks.

[Chicken]

Yup.

[Bogdan]

Thanks