VoIP User "Gold" Numbers

We have reserved a batch of really nice numbers from our new 0844 933 **** range.

For example, we have all the double triple and quadruple numbers:-

0844 933 3333
0844 933 3030
0844 933 3330

etc

What we would like to do is offer them to people for a contribution to the pot (we can only do this by PayPal I'm afraid). Any contribution will also be credited to your account, so in a sense you get "use" of the funds anyway.

It doesn't cost us anything to do this, so 100% of funds received will go into the pot.

Any thoughts? Interesting or a non-runner?

Dean

Reply from clivecarter332 on Mar 08, 2006 - 07:19 PM

Quote:

We have reserved a batch of really nice numbers from our new 0844 933 **** range. For example, we have all the double triple and quadruple numbers:- 0844 933 3333 0844 933 3030 0844 933 3330

Go for it !
I shall be keeping an eye out for your decision.
If you do, I would suggest that you put up the list and allow users to choose which they want.
(More attractive numbers cost more perhaps ?)

Clive

Reply from georg_pickles on Mar 09, 2006 - 01:13 PM

I think it is a good idea. I for one would certainly look for a number that was easier to remember... I'm getting old you see and the old grey matter isn't what it used to be

Reply from Kasauli on Mar 09, 2006 - 09:18 PM

I think this is an excellent idea....The sale of vanity numbers will ultimately go on to help the community.

Kasauli

Reply from aerianetworks on Mar 11, 2006 - 09:58 AM

Charge a higher rate than normal but make the numbers only available to people that have been registered with voipuser for a while maybe only for people registered for 6 months or longer.

This is my 2nd account because the other account got to hard to manage due to the dual passwords issue.

I would love a number like that for the Community Radio station i help out, They have a conference line n stuff.

Would love to get one... So how do we get them heh

Cheers,
Kizmet
Aeria Networks Australia

Reply from dean on Mar 11, 2006 - 10:15 AM

OK, well we need to have a think about pricing. In order to maintain our existing good relationships with other telcos and backbones, I'm not sure that we can massively undercut the market. That would make a few enemies

So we may have a problem in that they'd just be too expensive. Having a look around, I can see something like 0844 933 3333 would actually easily fetch a few hundred pounds on the open market.

I don't think that we can really charge that, or can we?

By the same token, if we start undercutting the market substantially and selling numbers like that for £20 then we'd really upset quite a few people - and some of those people will have peering relationships - i.e. we shoot ourselves in the foot.

So it's a bit tricky. I'm currently talking to a few people about this now.

In any event, we might at least be able to do something whereby people choose their own numbers. So perhaps not a number like 933 1000, but at least something that's memorable to them (like the last 4 digits being the same as their existing landline number)?

That we could perhaps do for a couple of pounds as a donation to the pot.

Further thoughts? I'm especially interested in hearing peoples views on pricing. Let's take three examples. What would you be prepared to pay for something like:-

0844 933 3333

0844 933 9393

0844 933 **** (where **** is not stricly a "vanity" number, but is at least your choice of last 4 digits).

This isn't an auction, I just want to get an idea to see if we actually have a runner without upsetting all the wrong people.

Incidentally, we do comply with the number portability scheme, so if someone wanted an ultra-nice number for business use and wanted to port that number to another provider, we can comply with that and move it, for example, over to BT (it costs £25 to do it, but it's do-able).

Dean

Reply from gray on Mar 11, 2006 - 10:22 AM

I think an agreed minimum plus a voluntary donation could be the way to play it. That way its up to users - many of whom know and appreciate Voipuser service to show some support for the community and register that appreciation.

Either that or a 'sealed bid' system. Make a proposal to you, Dean for a particular number and just make an offer. If you think its enough then it goes through. No one from the outside sees the value involved so there is nothing anyone can be offended about.

Reply from aerianetworks on Mar 11, 2006 - 11:39 AM

What if you reserved the really good numbers like 0000 1111 2222 3333 etc etc etc etc for charitable purposes ?

and the less common numbers like 1234 people pay a few pond for as a contribution ?

Reply from dean on Mar 11, 2006 - 04:32 PM

Quote:

charitable purposes

Like?

Reply from aerianetworks on Mar 12, 2006 - 09:42 AM

I dont know.

Uhm,

Community Radio Stations
Non Profit Organisations
Community Centers (Youth Center etc etc.)


Stuff like that ?

Reply from dean on Mar 12, 2006 - 10:36 AM

Quote:

Stuff like that ?

Doesn't really appeal to be honest - open to abuse and just makes work.

I think we also owe a duty to our members to get full market value for the numbers where possible.

Dean

Reply from aerianetworks on Mar 12, 2006 - 10:42 AM

Really its upto you as you run this joint

Reply from ksong12 on Apr 12, 2006 - 09:43 PM

I think its a great idea!

Reply from smiths on Apr 14, 2006 - 09:20 AM

Hi Dean,

I can see your problem. VoIPUser is a community based project (probably a bit more than a "project" for you!) - but thats my view.

I totally agree that maximum value for the community must be obtained for the vanity numbers, and support the notion of about market rates for the numbers to maximise call minutes for the whole community.

However I also like the idea of bending these rules to support charitable organisations and non-profit organisations that are part of our community.

If it became an either/or then go for the market rates to begin with - if there was not that much uptake then allow the non-profit making orgs to purchase the numbers below market rates if necessary to at least claw back cost + on the purchase of the DDIs (I hate DID so US).

Reply from dean on Apr 14, 2006 - 10:30 AM

Hi Smiths,

Thanks for your thoughts.

The reality is, apart from one member sending me a PM and offering me £20 for a number probably worth a few thousand on the open-market () no-one has really been that interested.

What we could do is put up a page where users can submit interest in particular numbers and let people bid on them in a closed auction format (John Gray's suggestion). That way we always achieve market rate.

We have to have some form of minimum though. There are businesses in the UK who would pay substantial money for a number like:-

0844 933 3333

..... for example.

It would be irresponsible to sell that for a couple of pounds

Anyway, due to the lack of interest other than from a few people in this thread it's not really something that I can dedicate a whole load of time to.

In the meantime, if someone want's to go out and sell some of our numbers, I'm happy to offer a 20% commission on paid sales. I've been told by someone in the industry for example that:-

0844 WEDDING

.... which we have in the 0844 933 **** range is worth between £5k-£10k (we tried Virgin Bride but they weren't interested - not because of the price and they loved the number, but because they only have one store and it really would suit a wedding company wanting to do a national ad campaign).

That would pay for our hosting for the next 2 years and still put a couple of grand in the pot.

We have a couple of 0800 freephone number's like this too, eg:-

08000 MOBILE

Carphone Warehouse maybe?

It's an interesting potential way to add some increased funding into VoIP User that I would like to explore, but I'm (a) not a salesman and (b) don't really have the time to pursue leads on this stuff..

Dean

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