SAYNOTO0870.COM - Number lookup by SMS?

Dave

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Re: SMS gateway
Reply #15 - Jan 6^th, 2009 at 8:54pm

pacifist wrote on Jan 6^th, 2009 at 7:17pm:

What about an SMS->Site gateway?

It's one thing to be able to browse the site on your mobile, but what about a service which lets you text an 0845 number to a certain phone number, and in reply you get an 0800 or Geographical alternative?

It wouldn't be too hard to do, there are plenty of ways you could do this, even if it involved sticking a short advert in the reply message after the number (many gateway services will give you free SMSs in return for a small amount of advertising)...

This has been brought up before and I have joined your comments to the existing thread. If you opted to receive emails when someone posts a response, you will need to resubscribe by clicking here.

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DaveM

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Re: Number lookup by SMS?
Reply #16 - Jan 6^th, 2009 at 10:56pm

Just one small point Undecided

Who's going to pay the person that looks up the number for you and then sends it back ??

How about we make it an 070xx number you send it to, or something similar like the 82xxx competition numbers (cost to be decided), then you could get upto 5 possible numbers sent back to you, depending on if there's anything in the database ??

For a number that gives problems, a reply advising a delay shouldn't cost the person providing the service (on unlimited texts).

I could go for that Roll Eyes

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awhitehouse

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Re: Number lookup by SMS?
Reply #17 - Jan 7^th, 2009 at 4:36am

Hi Dave,

I thought this thread had gone cold - pleased to see it hasn't.

My original proof of concept was based on scraping the site using the verified database (i.e. no person involved in supplying the data). I can re-enable it if you want to try it.

If the request is texted to an 8xxxx number, I think this it is reasonable for the user to pay 15p/25p to get the alternative numbers given that the facility needs to pay for itself and the potential saving per minute on the call, especially from mobiles.

How do you want to proceed?

Regards,

Andrew

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andy9

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Re: Number lookup by SMS?
Reply #18 - Jan 23^rd, 2009 at 12:14am

awhitehouse wrote on Jan 7^th, 2009 at 4:36am:

Hi Dave,

I thought this thread had gone cold - pleased to see it hasn't.

My original proof of concept was based on scraping the site using the verified database (i.e. no person involved in supplying the data). I can re-enable it if you want to try it.

If the request is texted to an 8xxxx number, I think this it is reasonable for the user to pay 15p/25p to get the alternative numbers given that the facility needs to pay for itself and the potential saving per minute on the call, especially from mobiles.

How do you want to proceed?

As I said ages ago, I tried it a bit and liked it, but I seem to have been the only person basing my comments on actually using it.

Does revenue on the incoming message to the IoM number subsidise the replies, or does it need the shortcode to pay its way?

Though I'd like to see it, I wonder if the increase in mobile internet add-ons on contracts means that more people can now browse here on their phone

I wonder if there won't be any more comments for another few months

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« Last Edit: Jan 23^rd, 2009 at 12:15am by andy9 »

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irrelevant

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Re: Number lookup by SMS?
Reply #19 - Jan 23^rd, 2009 at 9:19am

I'd probably use it - I get free SMS on my mobile, but cannot access the web. (Well, I can via GSM dial-up, for free, but my current phone doesn't support that, only GPRS, which my very old but cheap tariff doesn't allow me to use!)

I was actually looking into SMS facilities myself for another project, and a&a supply VoIP numbers (£1/month+vat) which will accept incoming SMS messages (on 020 3 numbers at least) delivered either by email or an http POST for free. Obviously your replies can be sent via any suitable means, so find a cheap or free web based sms...

Obviously, though, if it were to cost more than a few pennies to use, one might as well call the 08* number ....

Me, I'd charge by using reverse-charged SMS on the replies. That way you can send a free "no matches" message back, and only charge for verified results. Thus avoiding annoying people by charging them for nothing. I've no idea how much it would cost to implement reverse-charging, though, and of course you immediately fall under the remit of PhonePayPlus if you do so, and they impose BIG fines if you get things wrong!

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awhitehouse Newbie Offline Posts: 7	Re: Number lookup by SMS? Reply #20 - Jan 23^rd, 2009 at 10:24am Do you have a link for the SMS -> VOIP gateway details? Seems like an interesting option.
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irrelevant

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Re: Number lookup by SMS?
Reply #21 - Jan 23^rd, 2009 at 11:19am

awhitehouse wrote on Jan 23^rd, 2009 at 10:24am:

Do you have a link for the SMS -> VOIP gateway details? Seems like an interesting option.

http://www.aa.gg/kb-telecoms-sms.html ;

But according to support, it's currently only on 020 3 numbers, not the 03's I have.

You don't need to use their numbers for VoIP, BTW, they'll also forward to a normal phone, but then you pay for the calls.

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Dave

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Re: Number lookup by SMS?
Reply #22 - Jan 23^rd, 2009 at 2:37pm

irrelevant wrote on Jan 23^rd, 2009 at 9:19am:

Me, I'd charge by using reverse-charged SMS on the replies. That way you can send a free "no matches" message back, and only charge for verified results. Thus avoiding annoying people by charging them for nothing. I've no idea how much it would cost to implement reverse-charging, though, and of course you immediately fall under the remit of PhonePayPlus if you do so, and they impose BIG fines if you get things wrong!

So what happens when a verified number is "wrong" or "doesn't work"?

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irrelevant

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Re: Number lookup by SMS?
Reply #23 - Jan 23^rd, 2009 at 2:52pm

Dave wrote on Jan 23^rd, 2009 at 2:37pm:

So what happens when a verified number is "wrong" or "doesn't work"?

Ah, well that's the tricky part. If you charge people, then you suddenly have a much bigger responsibility w.r.t. the accuracy of the data. I was only trying to say that, were I to charge, that's HOW I'd do it, rather than imply that I would want to do so.

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awhitehouse Newbie Offline Posts: 7	Re: Number lookup by SMS? Reply #24 - Jan 23^rd, 2009 at 3:41pm You can cover this in your site Terms and Conditions, i.e. we make best endeavours to ensure the number are correct but we don't guarantee them. Then if it turns out the number really is wrong you can give them some sort of credit for the next search.
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