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Portable Phone Numbers = Market for Cool Numbers

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the i-want-get-bent dept.

goombah99 writes "The New phone number rules that allow you to keep your phone number when you switch carriers has given rise to phone nascent number property rights. On E-bay you can bid on 867-5309 (made famous by Tommy Tutone's Jenny I got your number). As I write this the bid is over $8000 dollars with seven days to go. What other numbers are famous or valuable? Will we see a land rush like the internet names?"

4 of 395 comments (clear)

  1. and now I've got the song stuck in my head... by sweeney37 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I think the general "gee-whiz" factor of owning 867-5309 would wear off really quickly. I know I called this number in the past, how many other people did too? I think the guy that is selling this is making a nice penny on his past headaches.

    Mike

    1. Re:and now I've got the song stuck in my head... by bryanp · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Owning the number would be more useful for a small-medium business. There is a service company in my area that has xxx-867-5309 and they can put it in their commercials knowing that people will remember it. For a business this is a very valuable thing.

      --
      "An unarmed man can only flee from evil, and evil is not overcome by fleeing from it." Col. Jeff Cooper
  2. "Ownership" of the phone number by dada21 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It is odd how people have become acclimated to the belief that they own their phone number. Back in the day (in the 80s) I had lost a phone number when a local business wanted it. The phone company explained clearly in their legal text (which was in the phone book) that you don't own the number, and can lose it at any time.

    Do phone numbers really matter all that much? I used to know all my friends' phone numbers by memory. Now, speed dial makes it worthless.

    If someone changes their number, they e-mail me, I save it to my contacts list, and when I sync my phone the new phone number is there. I don't think I call more than 1 person a day from my phone without using the contact list. I use over 3000 minutes a month from my cell phone, so that's around 9-10 people a day I call without knowing their number.

    For a business, having a cool number that spells something or references the business in a memorable way makes sense only when you need to get people to call you after seeing an advertisement. Once you regularly call someone, you probably won't recall that number, even if its something great like 4-DADA-21.

    I know I don't own my phone number. I also know I'll be paying more on my cell phone bill so that others can keep their numbers. I've switched cell phone numbers probably 4 times in 8 years, and never really lost contact with anyone.

    If people matter to me, they know more than my phone number. They have my e-mail address, they have my home address, they can contact me through other friends. If I lost my number today, I'd be hampered for maybe 2 days and then it would be business as usual.

    I'd rather not pay for this feature so others can "protect their private property."

  3. Re:Prank Calls by rs25com · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I used to work for Cellular One in San Francisco, and we had the 867 prefix. Of course, one of my friends owned a small record company, so he snagged 867-5309.

    Worst mistake of his life. Because it was a business, he had to answer all the calls.

    And yes, EVERYONE prank calls that number ALL the time. He dropped it after 60 days. Whoever the guy was who called (supposedly) the number at 3am is exactly the type of moron the winner bidder will get to deal with until they, too, drop the number!