I got one for my business because it lets customers easily contact me. It also makes me look larger than I am (because most people associate a tollfree number with large busineses). This company seems to be one of the best prices for everything.

I opted for a vanity number (one that spells something) and it is the same as my internet coffee website domain name. It makes it very easy to remember and looks neat.

The number is actually an "877" number and If you decide to get a tollfree number I suggest AGAINST an 800 number. The 800 numbers look neat and are the most recognizable, but a particular number may have been used for decades by a number of companies and you may receive tons of calls for businesses that are out of business, but whose number was well published.

Common area codes are 800, 888, 877 and 866. Soon they may offer 855.

I choose a number and signed up. If I wanted a random number assigned the signup cost is $2. Otherwise for me to choose a vanity number would cost $15 to set up. Then, if you get no calls, the charge is a reasonable $2 a month. Thus, with a random number and no calls, the cost would be $14 a year! If I do get calls, they are 4 and 1/2 cents a minute. There is a "gotcha" involving calls forwarded to Hawaii, but I have a work-around. calls to Hawaii are 15 cents a minute. Hawaii has always been a special case because we are out in the middle of nowhere. Still, if I did get calls directly on the tollfree number, I would just call them back from my cell phone.

So once I had the number, I just logged into their website and told the system where to forward my calls. When someone calls my tollfree, the system just routes the call to whatever number I have chosen. It could be my cell phone or home phone or just some voicemail system somewhere in the US. You can log in and change that ringto number in realtime. You can download your call history, etc.

So for most people on the mainland, the cheap version is $14 a year and 4.5 cents a minute.

Although the system lets you have voicemail, I have free voicemail elsewhere. There are also other options I don't use, but I feel it is a very good deal and it has worked for me for many, many years.

I have neglected to tell you the company name for a reason; a very good reason :-) If I refer you, I get $5 and in these times, $5 is $5. Besides, I have done all the research and testing for you :-)

You are welcome to email me and I'll send you the link to sign up.

Their website allows you to enter text like "ATL-ANTA" to see if there is a number that spells Atlanta. There is not, by the way, but there are many with the letters "POOL" at the end, etc. It is fun to look up all sorts of words and unlike other sites, this lookup for tollfree vanity numbers is free. I checked and there are no numbers that spell MICHAEL or JACKSON available, but use your imagination. I also see 1-87-SEXY-ONE-2 available for those you want an easy to remember number :-)

Drop me an email by clicking on TMAIL in the left columnof this page and I'll send you the link to get a tollfree number.

Mark