Hi Everybody

If you recall I first contacted members in regard to "RingLocal" the free alternative 118 service - it is now "118FREECALL"

At long last today 01/08/2011 is the launch "118FREECALL" this service provides a FREE alternative 118 service. I cannot provide you with the FREE 118 number at present becaue we do not have the staff to answer the phones. The service is to be launched in Barnsley and then only promoted in certain areas, our biggest fear is that we will not be able to cope with the number of calls that we anticipate if the service is widely known before we have additional resources.

If there is anybody out there that is interested in assisting me with this FREE alternative 118 service and you have broadband and a landline telephone number please contact me via a pm personal message. or aom@blueyonder.co.uk

I am also very interested in the feedback of members.

Regards

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The previous thread started by Bazzerfewi on his "Alternative Lo-Call 118 Service" is here.

There are many who move swiftly into cynical mode on hearing the word "free" when related to a service that obviously costs money to operate.

We look forward to hearing of just how this works. Who pays the bills?

Cynicism is not dispelled on hearing that the service has been "launched" without any staff to operate it and without being able to announce its number.

It seems a little silly to invite people to say that they would perhaps never use a free service, without any idea of what benefit it could offer them. "Always" and "never" are not necessarily the only responses that people may wish to give.

We are keen to know more.

In reply to silent victim:-

Funding - This service is FREE to the caller because the revenue is created from the paying clients and advertisers and subscribers calls are transferred both automatically and manually depending on the service.

I did not say that there wasn't anybody to operate it - I said that we only have limited resources at present.

I was just asking if any members wished to assist in some way, and what the opinion is. I have been a member of this site for a long time and I was just asking for feed back.

The number is 0800 1185118 and it will be live by Friday this should dispel any disbelievers

I think that the question "How can it be free?" must be a FAQ on the website and any other relevant literature it publishes.

What is the website address for 118FREECALL? I went to www.ringlocal.co.uk expecting to be forwarded on and Googled the name but only came up with this thread.

I note that there are some other 'free' 118 services.


http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/phones/directory-enquiries-free

I am sorry if I have mislead anybody it was not intentional, I have had a few technical issues "Teething Problems" that I didn't anticipate.  

The FREEPHONE number is active all be it in a trail capacity and the web site will be updated as soon as possible. All these issues should have been sorted and I do appologise.

This is a truly FREE 118 SERVICE the caller will never have to pay to Find a number. HOW DO WE DO IT we are forming a workers cooperative and the operators will answer calls and they will only receive commission on calls answered.

Where does the revenue come from -  the clients pay a monthly fee and also pay an inclusive call received charge. We match customers and clients and research suggests that both the customer in happy becuase they do not pay anything and the client is happy because the fees they pay to 118FREECALL is loose change compared to a local advert and they are matched to the customer every time.

I hope that this clears everthing up for members.

bazzerfewi wrote on Aug 1^st, 2011 at 6:01pm:

In reply to silent victim:-.....

Thanks for the limited information.

Given that the service will only be accepting calls from the Barnsley area, many of us will have to wait a while before our doubts can be dispelled by experience.

It is implied that all calls are transferred! As the service is free to the caller, then this is either a most radical step in the development of DQ services or a highly selective service that only offers contact with those who are sufficiently desperate to promote their business as to meet the telephone costs of callers.

A quick scan of pizza delivery services in Barnsley reveals no 0800 numbers. Would 118Freecall be expecting to capture all of these calls from those who pay for geographic, but not 0800, calls?

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UPDATE

The above was posted just as the immediately previous posting appeared.

I now understand that the service is restricted only to businesses that subscribe. (Please correct me if I misunderstand.)

As you have now launched the service is it a little late to offer further comment on the concept.

It will be interesting to hear how you get on.

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FURTHER UPDATE

I now understand that I was wrong to believe the previous posting.

I think that it is radical to expect your clients to provide with the revenue that enables you to refer callers to their competitors when the competitor has paid you nothing.

You also have a rather odd view about the concept of a worker's cooperative!

I am sorry Silent Victim - but you are SO WRONG!!!!!

the caller will either be given the number verbally if the service provider is not a client or they will be connected directly to the company, there is nothing radical about it, all the services being used are readily available within the market place all we have done is used them in a different way

"A quick scan of pizza delivery services in Barnsley reveals no 0800 numbers. Would 118Freecall be expecting to capture all of these calls from those who pay for geographic, but not 0800, calls?"

It is the 118 number that is the 0800 number not the different client 0800 numbers

bazzerfewi wrote on Aug 1^st, 2011 at 7:54pm:

"A quick scan of pizza delivery services in Barnsley reveals no 0800 numbers. Would 118Freecall be expecting to capture all of these calls from those who pay for geographic, but not 0800, calls?" It is the 118 number that is the 0800 number not the different client 0800 numbers

The quoted comment was based on the assumption (now known to be false) that all calls were forwarded.

I now understand that a caller will be offered free calls to the pizza delivery services registered with 118FREECALL and the numbers of those on lists which 118FREECALL has researched without infringing the copyright of any existing DQ services.

SilentCallsVictim wrote on Aug 1^st, 2011 at 8:05pm:

bazzerfewi wrote on Aug 1st, 2011 at 7:54pm: "A quick scan of pizza delivery services in Barnsley reveals no 0800 numbers. Would 118Freecall be expecting to capture all of these calls from those who pay for geographic, but not 0800, calls?" It is the 118 number that is the 0800 number not the different client 0800 numbers The quoted comment was based on the assumption (now known to be false) that all calls were forwarded. I now understand that a caller will be offered free calls to the pizza delivery services registered with 118FREECALL and the numbers of those on lists which 118FREECALL has researched without infringing the copyright of any existing DQ services.

Yes that is correct - Also we have sourced the company that provides data to 118118-BT and Yell, when we have the financial resource we will be in a position to provide the service in alternative areas without the costly research.

118freecall is set to be the truly FREE 118 service in the uk. 0800 1185118 is the number for all but BARNSLEY HAS THE FIRST CALL WE INTEND PROVIDING THE SERVICE TO ONE AND ALL

It's a big mistake to launch before you're ready, and an even bigger mistake to announce the sort-of-non-launch on a major site such as this.

If this was Dragon's Den here, you'd be ripped to shreds.

catj wrote on Aug 1^st, 2011 at 8:42pm:

It's a big mistake to launch before you're ready, and an even bigger mistake to announce the sort-of-non-launch on a major site such as this. If this was Dragon's Den here, you'd be ripped to shreds.

I have been trying to work out how to respond to the op and I think catj's response is spot on

YES!!! BUT catj  IT ISN'T DRAGONS DEN AND I WAS ASKING FOR A CONSTRUCTIVE OPINION FROM ONE MEMBER TO ANOTHER NOT AN OFF THE WALL FLIPPANT QUOTE

catj wrote on Aug 1^st, 2011 at 8:42pm:

If this was Dragon's Den here, you'd be ripped to shreds.

We went through the Dragon's Den-style helpful advice stage with Baz some time ago.

He has now done his numbers and secured the investment necessary to launch his service - we should perhaps just wish him well.

Baz does however owe us the courtesy of not over-hyping what it is that he has done.

It seems that it is a modest community project to promote local businesses for now. Not that there is anything wrong in that, but it is unfair on members of this forum to present it as being something much more grand without providing the necessary detail to show it for what it truly is.

It would be much easier not to be flippant in response if we were provided with something other than flippant comments about the nature and the scale of the service.

The most constructive comment I can offer, is one which I offered originally. Ask yourself why nobody else is doing this. Every original idea has to start somewhere, but it is a useful exercise to make sure that you have really seen an opportunity that others have missed.

Classic quote from last night's show: "Having a great product does not make a viable business."

And with that thought, "I'm out".

AND IN REPLY

LOSERS GIVE UP

WINNER NEVER DIE


"DRAGONS DEN IS FOR EXHIBITIONISTS

AND WITH THAT THOUGHT I WILL CARRY ON

It will all end in tears.

Sarcasm is the HIGHEST FORM OF IGNORANCE AND THE LOW LOW LOW LOWEST FORM OF WIT IGNORANCE BEING YOUR FORTE

RingLocal is now www.118freecall.co.uk and all numbers to be published on the site will be 0800 - 0808 numbers. The caller will never pay to enquire about a number for a specific service. I appreciate this service has taken a number of years to reach this stage but I was not prepared to introduce the service until I was sure it was the best service I could offer. I now have  a FREE alternative 118 number and this will be available as soon as the relevant clients have been contacted (hopefully over the next few weeks) This is now a truly FREE ALTERNATIVE 118 SERVICE. Initially the site will display alternative FREEPHONE numbers and then as the site has sufficient traffic the FREE 118 number will go live.

Baz

This is a request for clarification, not an attack.

The link posted above does not work - it goes to a dodgy looking host page.

One assumes that the 080 numbers are free to caller from mobiles, given that the 118 number will be also.

From a PR perspective, how will you counter the suspicion that this sounds too good to be true, and therefore probably has a horrible catch somewhere? Is there a horrible catch? Could it be in the qualification "... to enquire about a number for a specific service"? What does this mean, and what sort of enquiry will a caller pay for?

Please understand my desire to learn that, for once, something which sounds too good to be true is indeed true. As you seek to sell this idea to customers and media, you will undoubtedly encounter the same suspicion from those who have learned that much of what is offered in the telecoms world is not all that it is said to be.

bazzerfewi wrote on Nov 9^th, 2011 at 12:42am:

RingLocal is now www.118freecall.co.uk

If that is the website, then RingLocal is a fantasy that does not exist.

The website is still absent, the url has not been corrected and no explanation has been offered, nearly 4 days after this was pointed out in this forum.

It may be that there is something real going on here, but it does not match with the descriptions which are being posted.

Scams can take many forms - there may not necessarily be any evil intent - but the effect may be the same.

SilentCallsVictim wrote on Nov 12^th, 2011 at 11:42pm:

bazzerfewi wrote on Nov 9th, 2011 at 12:42am: RingLocal is now www.118freecall.co.uk If that is the website, then RingLocal is a fantasy that does not exist.

I fully appreciate the above comments and I appreciate what you say, there has been a number of technical problems that I was not aware of when I published the 118freecall web address. The www.118freecall.co.uk and www.118freecall.com web addresses do exist Domain name:

118freecall.co.uk – 118freecall.com

Registrant:
K Baz Ramsbottom

Registrant type:
Unknown

Registrant's address:
Chancel Way
Barnsley
South Yorkshire
S71 2HS
United Kingdom   and www.ringlocal.co.uk also exists. I now have a student from Sheffield Hallam University assisting me with the new site. We have had a problem with the VPS Virtual Private Server it has to be changed from Lynux to Windows (not an easy tack apparently.) I was present when Joe contacted Easily and the technician stated that the VPS would be compatible and it isn’t. I agree I am guilty as charged but I assure you that it is out of eagerness and foolhardiness on my part as I have no intention of misleading anybody.
FREE 118SERVICE – Quite by accident I came across a FREE 118 service that I think may be of interest to members. Virgin Media customers that subscribe to a phone bundle can now contact their
Directory Enquiry service 118180 Free Calls to Virgin Media Directory Enquires (118 180): **Free Calls to Virgin Media national Directory Enquiries Service on 118180 are only available from a Virgin Media Home Phone (cable & national) and Virgin Mobile and are included within your tariff; charges apply for calls to 118180 from other operators. 

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Edited by Dave: Quote box completed

bazzerfewi wrote on Nov 13^th, 2011 at 3:11am:

FREE 118SERVICE – Quite by accident I came across a FREE 118 service that I think may be of interest to members. Virgin Media customers that subscribe to a phone bundle can now contact their Directory Enquiry service 118180 Free ... charges apply for calls to 118180 from other operators.

Either I am missing something, or there really is a lot missing.

A service which has been planned and developed over many years is announced as having been launched via a website.
When the website is found not to exist, it is admitted that it has not actually been set up yet.

Promoting a competitor whilst in the course of launching a service can only be commercial suicide. One must wonder how the negotiations necessary to make the arrangements for "a truly FREE ALTERNATIVE 118 SERVICE", which must have included Virgin Media and sponsors who would have required an honest statement about likely traffic, could have been concluded without being aware of 118180.

A modest degree of hype can be excused by "eagerness and foolhardiness", but I am inclined to think that we are being wickedly misled. There may indeed be no intention to mislead, but that makes little difference in the end.

It is extraordinary to find that we are back in "Dragon's Den mode" about a service which allegedly has already been established ... or has it?

SilentCallsVictim wrote on Nov 13^th, 2011 at 4:29am:

It is extraordinary to find that we are back in "Dragon's Den mode" about a service which allegedly has already been established ... or has it?

No it has not been established, the database is in place there has been 3 supposedly serious backers but none came to fruition. I am now having to use FREE assistance because I do not have the resource to carry out a full market launch. The other issue is that I have only just sourced a memorable 118 number. I appreciate it is messy but I must carry on and launch locally as soon as I am able. Now we have the VPS and the technical know how it should stand a greater chance of success. Thank you for your coments.

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~ Edited by Dave: Quote box completed

bazzerfewi wrote on Nov 13^th, 2011 at 8:36am:

No it has not been established

You test our patience by stating that a free alternative 118 service will go live "hopefully over the next few weeks" when nothing of the sort is achievable (in the real world) in the foreseeable future.

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