What is the average price?

“What is the average price to ‘buy’ a toll free number from an existing customer?” That sounds like simple enough question. Unfortunately it’s not like your house. There is no book value or market rate that you can look up like you can a house or a car. The value of a toll free number is much more subjective, meaning it depends on how it’s used by the current owner as well as how it could be used by the purchaser or other potential purchasers.

When a number is only really important to one buyer it becomes even more depedent on what they want or think about it. That is especially true for company names that don’t mean very much to anyone else. Generic terms can be measured more against other transactions than fanciful names.

The best advice I can give to someone trying to pursue this is to take your time, because if you’re in a hurry and try to go to fast it make you look more desperate and gives the other party the upper hand in the negotiations. And you also have to go into it with the realization that your goal is to make a friend as much as anything else. Picture if a friend of yours from school found out that you had a number and he wanted to start a business around it. You’d almost certainly sell it to him for a fraction of what you’d try to get from a large company. So don’t come into this with a big company attitude, just try to make a friend and take your time. Unfortunately we don’t always have time, but at least knowing that may help a little.

The other thing that makes that a very hard question to answer is that you really have to do all of the work to complete the deal just to be sure what it will ultimately cost you and if they’ll ultimately go through with it and be willing to sell it to you. That fact, plus the fact that there’s no centralized list of transactions the way there is in real estate or cars for instance makes it very hard to answer that question.

I also like to tell people that when you only need one successful deal, the odds really don’t matter very much. If you needed to close 10 deals then the closing rate would be relevant, but if you only want one number and therefore need to close just one deal the odds don’t matter. It’s like asking a girl out or to marry you. You only need to get one good one so t doesn’t matter how many said no in the end or if the first one says yes. You just keep looking until you find the right one. You don’t need to find 10 right partners, just one. Hopefully at least one at a time, anyway.

    1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (2 votes, average: 3 out of 5)
    Loading ... Loading ...

    4 Comments »

    Jerich Shellington says:
    January 27, 2008 at 8:08 pm

    What are the typical monthly costs for a service like this to maintain it? I know you probably can’t give me specifics, but a general area just for my reference would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

    Jerich S.

      Bill Quimby (197 comments.) says:
      January 28, 2008 at 1:12 am

      We’re working on a directory that will give you some prices plus a lot more information about most companies. But the simple answer is that the cheapest ones go down to about 3 cents per minute and about $2 a month. We don’t provide the ongoing service, but will give you some good option that are usually quicker, better and cheaper than any other carrier you’ll usually find yourself. The big carriers are usually about twice that.

      .Bill Quimby.

        Fred says:
        April 14, 2008 at 12:27 am

        Bill if you sell 800 numbers I have

        1800MarryMe along with the website 1800Marryme.com for sale.

        If you find any truly interesting offers and you wish to broker for 10% I am open to offers.

        fred

          Bill Quimby (197 comments.) says:
          April 14, 2008 at 10:22 am

          Hi Fred,

          Unfortunately I really can’t act as a broker like that. It’s much harder than the owners of toll free numbers ever think. Anyone that does that type of thing also has more good numbers than they are able to market because marketing them is really harder than getting decent numbers. The FCC also has regulations against Hoarding and Brokering. Here’s an article that goes more into the legal issues around buying and selling 800 numbers. Having a domain name can help plus any other material you’ve developed too.

          You can list 800 numbers on Ebay. There are a couple people that do that, but they don’t honestly sell that well there, but it’s worth a try. You could also put a small ad in some wedding industry publications or go to a tradeshow and hand out a few business cards.

          Bill

            RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URL

            Leave a comment

            Random Testimonials

            Testimonial 396 out of 1701

            I just received my toll-free number using Bill Quimby's service and it works great! I spent literally hours on his vanity search program looking at all the various combinations before I reached a decision. I really like the fact that I "own" this number. In fact, the whole process was so easy, inexpensive, and quick that I am going to get a second toll free line to use for my fax machine.

            Sherry Reed, President
            healthcarecpe.com


            Testimonial 908 out of 1701

            Thanks for providing such an excellent service. I was able to secure (and test) 1 888 XPTLINX in less than 10 minutes. I am happy with the quality of your service and look forward to doing more business with your company as XpertLinx grows.

            Anselm Kia
            XpertLinx


            Testimonial 733 out of 1701

            Thanks for your service. I just registered an 877 number through your online service and I must say that your website has the most practically useful automation I have every seen in your industry.You obviously have some serious software talent somewhere in your company.

            serious software talent
            sherlockwatson


            Testimonial 1143 out of 1701

            I was given your website address from customer service of a large telephone company with the instructions to use your site as a way to search for toll free numbers that are available. When I found a number I liked I was told to contact this large telephone company and they could register and activate the number. I had a quick question so I called TollFreeNumbers.com and talked directly with Bill. I was completely caught off guard with a live person answering within the first few rings, not the typical telephone company! Bill answered all my questions, gave great advice on using his website and hints of what I should be looking for with regards to my business. Being a small company and trying to save money, later in the day I called the large telephone company to get clarification on their pricing. I was informed it would take several days and also not previously mentioned there was a $20 activation fee.

            Bottom line is TollFreeNumbers.com had my toll free number setup for $49.95 and was completed and working in less than 8 hours. (The majority of that time was looking for a number I liked. Order, activation and tested working in less than 2 hours)

            Large Telephone company would have taken a minimum of 2-3 days, $20 setup fee, $23 per month, and .05 cents per minute usage. Second large phone company has not returned a call to let me know if they can forward the toll free # to a cell phone.

            This testimonial was written a week after activation by TollFreeNumbers.com.
            I have my toll free number already printed and in use and would still be waiting for a call back from the "big guys." I can not think of anything you could have done better. Keep up the good work!

            Wayne Pehrson
            Sandia Peak Realty


            Testimonial 1078 out of 1701

            I really think you guys are the best...your interface is quick and easy to use and has allowed me to nail 4 fantastic vanity numbers...

            Thanks so much,
            Brian Lapointe
            Great Original Designs


            Testimonial 723 out of 1701

            Bill is a true small business champion. He has taken years of personal experience and fused it with technology to create a business model that stands alone in the market. And, thanks to his creative vision, he has been able to do this at a price that any small business can afford - a price that doesn't break the bank.
            The innovation alone would be something to be proud of...
            But, TollFreeNumbers.com is more than just a better mousetrap, Bill's integrity, caring, and personal service are evident throughout every step of the process - from the initial expert advice and consultation all the way to the delivery of the Birth Certificate when your new Toll-Free Number arrives
            - you know you are in the hands of a caring professional.

            All of us at equalox.com
            1 (877) EQUALOX


            Testimonial 545 out of 1701

            We buy many toll free numbers and offer them free of charge to our clients.
            TollFreeNumbers.com is god sent solution to our problem of finding and activating our numbers. As soon as we make a sale, we visit TollFreeNumbers.com and find a vanity number. No sooner than we have finished filling out the online form, the phone is working and rings properly into the intended number. It is an amazing technology and it is the only way to buy toll free numbers.

            David Sheehan
            FDPINC


            Testimonial 1041 out of 1701

            Wow. Thanks. I wish I ran my business half as well!

            Neil D, Presdient
            EtherSpeak


            Testimonial 1289 out of 1701

            Great service. The ability to instantly plug in my possible vanity numbers and get immediate results and suggestions for alternative names was great. Also, it's nice not getting sales pressure from a live rep. Finally, your service is affordable and easy to use. Thanks for a great experience!

            Matt DuPre, Owner
            HouseProblemGone.com


            Testimonial 1534 out of 1701

            Thanks for helping us find the perfect numbers, 877-Pest Advice and 888-Pest Advice. What perfect numbers for a Do-it-Yourself Pest control site that offers free professional advice! We have been very happy with the results. And thanks for keeping us updated with new possible vanity numbers. I read through the list every time I get it.800 numbers for Do-it-Yourself Pest Control Products

            Thanks so much!

            Thomas B.
            PestProJoe.com