To think paying £102 to change to a “better” mobile number isn’t completely ridiculous?

[ThatJadeFawn]

Long story short, I’ve had my current number for years and there’s a bit of emotional baggage attached to it now due to family boundary issues / people having access to it who I don’t really want having access anymore (posted about the situation a few days ago).

I’d already been considering changing it, but every replacement number EE offered me felt worse than my current one, so I kept saying no.

Today they offered me a “gold/VIP” number with triple 7s in it that I genuinely really like and would actually prefer to my current number. Problem is, it costs £102.

I know logically it’s “just a phone number” but equally people keep numbers for years and years, and if I’m going to go through the faff of changing it, I almost feel like I’d rather do it properly and actually like the new number.

Part of me thinks “life’s short, just get the number you want.”

Another part thinks “£102 for digits is objectively insane.”

AIBU?

YANBU. I like my number because it has some nice sequences that make it easy to remember, if I had to get a new one I would pay for one I can easily remember.

This is mad. How can a number be better or worse? It's just a number.

I can understand if you want something really memorable to advertise a business but otherwise it's beyond me.

Worse, it actually sounds as though she's done this multiple times (says "every" replacement number they've offered her feels worse). OP im sorry but the EE people probably think you're batshit.

As pps said, I understand why you might want to get a new number. I dont understand why you feel the new number needs to be an "upgrade" and "feel better" than your old one, rather than just being different to it so unwanted callers cant get hold of you.

I suppose if you genuinely think that every time you type in or tell someone your new number it will make you happy, go for it. 99% of people wont understand, but people waste money on far worse things.

This does sound a bit nuts and I have no idea why someone would pay ££££ just for a number that has repeats of the same digit in it. I have three 3s in a row, I’ve never even thought about it until now.

That said; it’s your money OP and we all value different things in life.

I have not done this multiple times. Stop jumping to conclusions. I literally said in my OP that I have had my number for years.

When I said “every replacement number they gave me” I’m referring to, when you call up they tell you what they can change your number to.

This is the most absurd thing I’ve heard in days.

My very first email address was just my name @hotmail.c.uk, when i divorced i was so lucky to get my christian name and maiden name@ hotmail.co.uk and when i married again i was astounded to get my new name @co.uk. Three times seems incredible but as you say it pays to be over 50 and in my case having an unusual name.

I didn't know this was a thing and yes paying for a phone number does seem ridiculous.

However. If it's a number that YOU will remember better then go for it. Plenty of people pay waste money on number plates so why not.

But what was wrong with the numbers you were offered? The people you don’t want contact from wouldn’t know the number- I thought that’s why you wanted to change your number?

Or are you saying that you get vibes or feelings from numbers in some way?

You haven't really answered the question about how new numbers are in any way worse than your current one. Your family won't know it so does it matter whether it is a VIP/Gold number or not? People will store it into their phones and will probably never look at it ever again.

My number ends 999, does that make it valuable? I don't understand why you would pay extra when you could get a new number for free, but I also dont understand personalised number plates so im probably not the target audience.

At the risk of being that person, if you have £100 to burn on choosing a phone number - which nobody needs to remember because, y'know, phones have contact lists - then I would find a local good cause and give it to that instead.

Or at least just spend it on some booze and have a nice time with it.

I've got 777 in my mobile number and I've never felt it was anything special. It was just the number given to me. But if you think it'll give you a confidence boost and you can afford it, go for it. Personally I can think of better things to do with £100.

OP, my number has triple 7 in it, and people always seem to think it’s only double seven - I have to repeat it every time I give someone my phone number. I certainly din’t think it’s anything that I would have been prepared to pay for!

Unless it 1341766639919113, I wouldn't worry.

I have what would be a VIP number, except it was free 25 years ago!

Honestly, it’s a bit of a pain having to make sure they have the correct number of the same digit whenever I have to give it out. One number features 4 times, one features 3 times and another features 2 times.

We've all got great mobile numbers in our family because we lived abroad for awhile and then when we came back, we got SIM cards in a big supermarket and they had probably a couple of hundred and I remember us going through them searched for a one that was easier to remember as we were going to have four new numbers to remember. So now all four of us have excellent mobile numbers.

I have learnt from this thread that I have a VIP number and premium email address - the benefits of being 42!
But paying for a VIP number unless you are a business seems bonkers to me

YANBU to want to change numbers
YABU for thinking some "sound worse" - its irrelevant because people will save undeer your name and never look at it again, and youll eventually just learn it off by heart anyway,.
YANBU though if you want to cough up £100 to get something that you percieve to be better. Its your money.

I could not tell you a single other persons mobile number, not even my DPs. They go in my phone and never see them again

I know every single one of my family's phone numbers by heart because I'm old and they all had mobile phones before I did so I had to know them. I also know at least half of all the other numbers in my phone, not because I purposely memorise them but . . . . .I don't know, they just commit themselves unasked to my memory. I guess I'm unusual in that.

Forgot to say, I'm not rolling in money but I'd pay that for an appealing number.

Same here, also about 25 years ago.

I was getting a new phone etc. I had the PAC code and called the new company.
Got talking to a guy who asked me, "Is that the football you've got on in the background?"
"Yep" I said.
He lowers his voice and says, "Don't suppose you could tell me the score of X versus Y, could you? We're not allowed to have our personal phones with us while working and I'm dying to know what the score is..."
"Sure" I said, "X are 3-1 up"
"Brilliant" he said, "Thanks a lot mate"
"No problem", I said. "Don't suppose there's any chance I can get an easy to remember number so that my elderly Mum would be able to remember it, is there?"
"Weeelllll, they're supposed to be reserved for special cases etc., but I'll see what I can do" he said.

About five minutes later, I got an email from them confirming my number as 07??? XYZZZZ

Still got that number to this day.

Meh
my DH’a ends 007 I’m sure a few people may like it 🤷‍♂️ a number is a number , but whatever floats ya boat

Then I’m sorry but I think this is ridiculous! It’s a phone number.

This is a big thing in China where people take numbers very seriously- 8s are lucky, 4s are unlucky and mean death, and so on.

It’s your money, OP. I’ve certainly spent that much on pointless things before.