I run my own business from home. I constantly have to call 0871 numbers to talk to manufactures and there agents etc. I deliberately obtained an 0871 number to return the cost!  :o

My other problem is that I was getting calls in the evening from companys trying to send unwanted faxes or trying to sell me insurance etc - if they see an 0871 number it is simple - THEY DON'T BOTHER!

All my local adds and my business cards that I leave with customers have a geographical number, so please don't assume that all 0871 numbers are bad!

I constantly look up and add geographical numbers on this site and recommend it to both of my friends  :P

This has been discussed before. See hot topics.  ;)

funkyfish wrote on Feb 26^th, 2008 at 9:37am:

All my local adds and my business cards that I leave with customers have a geographical number, so please don't assume that all 0871 numbers are bad!

I know it is tempting to think this way but in my view this is still wrong because you are profiting a middle man telco who is taking most of the revenue on the call, even if you get some of it.  As the old saying goes two wrongs don't make a right................

In my book campaigners against 084/7 numbers should take to the moral high ground and never use these numbers themselves.

My solution would be to no longer deal with any companies that try to give you an 0871 number and I have to say that the use of 0871 numbers (as opposed to 0844, 0845 and 0870) by businesses is still really quite rare.