I am wanting a local phone number that I like. I have found one that I like. When I call the number that I want it says "this number has not been allocated" I have looked up and found the company that owns that number. How do I go about acquiring that number from the company. I spoke with someone who sells major phone packages and he said that if I signed up with them he could get the number for me. He said that there is a change of ownership form that the send to get the number. So I know it can be done. I am hoping that someone with industry specific knowledge in this area can guide me in getting this number.

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Originally Posted by zZ2478

I am wanting a local phone number that I like. I have found one that I like. When I call the number that I want it says "this number has not been allocated" I have looked up and found the company that owns that number. How do I go about acquiring that number from the company. I spoke with someone who sells major phone packages and he said that if I signed up with them he could get the number for me. He said that there is a change of ownership form that the send to get the number. So I know it can be done. I am hoping that someone with industry specific knowledge in this area can guide me in getting this number.

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If you are thinking YOU can get that number... then go shopping for a carrier... it doesn't work that way. Carriers might be able to negotiate this between themselves for a fee... individuals don't and can't own a number not associated with an active service. You can hold a number only as long as its got an active account and THEN change carriers for a fee.

Meanig once that service goes inactive... that number goes back into the pool. You don't get to sit on it.

I tried that years ago with the now Obsolete Bell South. When I started my business, I called 852-WIRE, No One was using that number, and I wanted it, The said those are "Vanity Numbers" and I can't have that, Yet I know Business's that do that were with Bell South. The were wishy washy. When I called and wanted to put an add their Yellow Pages, they said, they were too expensive. Strange.
I am a Fire/Security Contractor as well. They were just getting into Security, I was there competition, I did much of the Physical and Mental work, They then were able to say "We Drive the Truck"
In fact they had adds that said just that.

Simply there is no way you can "OWN" a number... they belong to the phone company... and you essentiallty RENT them. No different than Vanity tags for your car... you only have them as long as you pay extra for them... the moment you stop... the state takes it back and becomes available to someone else. It's never really yours.

Like an apartment too... You have it only as long as you are paying rent... but you never really OWN it.