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?

Its just a phone number.
Yes it seems a ridiculous waste of money.

Are mobile phone numbers becoming like VRNs? What is the most expensive number? 07777777777? I might ring it to see who answers.

Much the same here - I got my phone number and email address in about 1997. The phone number is a nice pattern. I asked to choose it when. I was buying my first phone and my email address is exactly like yours. I am CONSTANTLY getting emails for other Dizzys. Do you get that? I have had boarding passes, appointments to have my car serviced in Texas, LA water bills etc.

I had no idea that this was a thing! I have had the same phone number for 25+ years and people often comment on how memorable it is when I have to give it out. It has only has four different digits in it and one of them appears 5x. I've just looked at similar number on a website that are selling for £1000+!

Meh. £100 is the cost of a massage, a nice meal out, a good haircut, a new dress. If you can afford it and it’ll make you feel better for longer than any of those options then why not.

I think it’s ridiculous but I also think the same about personal number plates, but it’s your money, so spend it on what you want.

I am in Oz and when I got my phone I was able to choose my number. So my phone number is 04xx and my birthday. It was free.

It’s ridiculous! But you know that, and it’s your money. It’s up to you how you choose to spend it. I wouldn’t spend £100 on a phone number (most people won’t ever remember or think about your number anyway, they’ll just put it in their phone's memory) but I’m not you.

It sounds like having this number will make you feel better about a less-than-ideal situation, so I say go for it. If you have this one for decades like your old one, then the cost per year will be low. And maybe you'll be able to sell it in the future for more!

I still don’t understand how a phone number can feel worse. It’s not like it’s something you or anyone else is going to give a second thought to. You give someone your number, they stick it on their phone and never look at it again. I couldn’t tell you what my husband’s phone number is.

That said, it’s your money and if it feels important to you then do it.

Firstly, do you have synesthesia? The idea of numbers being "worse" makes me think this.

Secondly, if you can afford it, no one loses out and it will make you happy, go for it! Its like a really expensive meal but you can taste it every time you tell someone your number or write it on a form...

I think I’d agree op, the new number won’t solve it sorry I mean a special new number rather than just a random new one. It’s a bit of magical thinking, understandable after trauma of course x

If you are a taxi firm in the 20th century, I can see why it would make sense to have a "good" number.

You are a taxi firm in the 20th century, right?

Id seriously love a phone number with 666 in it, but then im a weirdo 🧛‍♀️ 😆 🤣

I paid for my number and my son's ... last six digits are continuous e.g. 123456 and the same for both of us.

DH got his number years ago when his friend worked for O2. It's a very good number which rolls off the tongue and is easy to remember. Buy the number, you'll have it for a lot of years.

Do it, that's not a crazy amount, it'll be a positive step for you.

This whole post is absolutely nuts !

Years ago, my sister’s landline ended with 007 and a man rang her up and offered to buy the number off her for £100. He sorted everything out for her with BT, she was like “brilliant!”

This.
Who memorises numbers these days?

I worked for one of the networks for 30yrs, you’d be surprised how common it is for people to get the gold numbers. They also have silver and bronze numbers but they’re nowhere near as good as the gold and not that much cheaper.

The only reason I could think of to pay for a VIP number would be for a business. It would be nice if our emergency customer service number ‘matched’ our office number for example, but it doesn’t and it has never prevented anyone from calling it when there’s an emergency, therefore not worth spending the money on IMO.

Who was it?

Why not ? It's something you use daily so really the cost isn't very much. It's no different to a personalised license plate. I'm surprised it's not a more popular service to be honest. Maybe there's a business in there somewhere, buying and selling phone numbers

Well, it isn’t a lot of money but your previous thread states that you aren’t sharing the number with anyone so I am confused, unless I am missing something.