Buying an 855 Number
The good, the bad, and the scams
The FCC is going to release toll free numbers using the 855 prefix on October 2, 2010. Current toll free numbers include 800, 888, 877, and 866 prefixes, so this is a natural progression. Toll free numbers are great for establishing image and allowing people to call your company for free, and getting an easy-to-remember number, like one that spells your name (1-855-FOR-RENT) or uses lots of easy digits (1-855-500-5000) is a great idea. With millions of new numbers available in early October, now is the time to get the number you want.
We started looking at ordering some 855 numbers for ourselves and were amazed to find that getting one might cost as much as $2,000! Yow! So we went on a mission to find a better offer. Here's what we found:
855 Number Price Comparison Chart
| COMPANY | Non Refundable Deposit | Additional charges once number is reserved | Total Cost | Other info |
| Tollfreevalet.com | FREE | $25 or $75 | $25.00 or $75.00 | $50 credit if used with service from www.virtualpbx.com |
| 855capture.com | FREE | $99 | $99.00 | They will accept more than 1 request for a number and auction it off if they get it |
| order855.com | $19.99 | $79.99 | $99.98 | Part of 800response.com, an established company |
| 855reserve.com | $50 | $450 | $500.00 | Need to send a check for $500 up front |
| Grasshopper.com | $50 | $600 | $650.00 | Established company, very expensive. |
| Customtollfree.com | $95 | $2000 | $2095.00 | Yow ! Seriously $2,095 ???? |
What the Numbers Mean
Getting an 855 number often appears to have two costs. You pay the “Non Refundable Deposit” just to place your order for an 855 number. This means the company you order from will try to get the number you want when they become available on October 2. If they actually acquire the 855 number you want (not guaranteed as there will probably be a lot of people scrambling for the best numbers), they charge an additional amount for actually buying the number. Add the non-refundable deposit and the additional charge for purchase, and you get the Total Cost.
Buying 855 Numbers
If you want to buy an 855 number from any of these companies, just click on the company link in the comparison chart. They’ll walk you through the process. We’ll add more companies as we get more information.
How to Use Your 855 Number
Most of these sites will reserve the number for you, but expect you to “port” the number to your another carrier to actually receive calls. That’s somewhat standard for the industry. Some will forward your calls to another number for a limited time. Check with each 855 number vendor for their specific policy. You’ll want to contact your long-term carrier to get them to start the port for you. One interesting anomaly was TollFreeValet.com, which apparently is a subsidiary of Virtual PBX. If you port a number you order from Toll Free Valet to Virtual PBX, you’ll get a $50 credit, making the cost just $25.
Selecting the Right 855 Number Vendor
Price isn’t the only thing you should compare when buying 855 numbers. You should also check how long the company has been in business, what other companies they work with or are a part of, whether they have good service or support, etc. One idea for comparing 855 number vendors is to check the web sites. Is there a phone number to contact if you have trouble? Do they include FAQs and more detailed information? Does it look like a real company or just a thin web site? These things can be used to fool you, but be careful of any site for 855 numbers that doesn’t look like there’s a company behind it. While 855 numbers will be around for a while, some of these site may not be.
Other Vendors
We also found some other sites that were selling 855 numbers, but exact pricing was really hard to find. If we couldn’t determine the exact price that you would be charged, we left them out of the comparison chart. If you know of any that should be included, please email us at info@855compare.com.