Ofcom withdrawing 0500 numbers from June 2017

If you own a 0500 you need to think about changing it ahead of the 3rd June 2017. If you haven’t done so already as part of the change you should consider:

– Where has it been published (Direct Enquiries, Yellow pages etc)?

– What company materials has it been printed on (letterheads, business cards, signage)?

– Is it on your website?

There are a range of replacement numbering options:

– Ofcom has made the 0808 5 range available as a direct replacement, for example 0500 111 222 becomes 0808 5 111 222, retaining the last six digits of their current 0500 numbers.

– Alternatively you may wish to move away from a Freephone service as Ofcom is not being prescriptive on the use of 0808 5. For example an 03 number could offer your customer a cost saving, especially when dialled from a mobile.

We recommend that the announcement of the number change is put in place at least 3 months before the 0500 has to be ceased.

GHM Care provides, installs and maintains business telephone systems and WiFi.