Free Directory Enquiries
Once upon a time, directory enquiries were the Cinderella service of the Post Office and BT.
Since liberalisation of the service, they’ve got much more of a profile through TV and radio ads and trying very hard to generate sexy or funny brand images. That exposure (not to mention the moustaches) seems to have come at a price! Costs for directory services have continued to creep upwards to the point where there’s really not that much difference in price between the better known providers. For example, a one minute call to 118 118 is £1.20 (85p on connection plus 35p a minute) while using BT’s 118 500 number it’s £1.40.
The Number
There is a service we’ve come across which offers FREE directory enquiry calls. It’s called The Number (0800 118 3733) and although it is genuinely free, you do have to register first so you can be added to a tele-marketing database. You also have to endure a recorded advertisement every time you call and it’s an entirely automated system relying on voice recognition technology. There are no human operators available if you get stuck or can’t get the information you want and because of the adverts and all the other bits and pieces you can be on the receiver for a long time before you get the number you want.
G.M. Group 118 226
The best and cheapest option in our opinion is the fixed fee service provided by a little known company called the G.M. Group. Its 118 226 number allows you up to two enquiries for a flat rate of 23.5p, no matter how long the call lasts. The G.M. Group directory enquiry service is actually provided by BT using the same call centre staff you would talk to if you dialled the BT 118 500 number. The service was designed to appeal to businesses but there’s absolutely nothing to stop consumers from using it. It’s quick, there are no advertisements and no risk of you being added to a database and bombarded with sales calls at all hours of the night! Above all you speak to a real human being and not a machine.
One or two enquiry numbers through the G.M. Group will cost you just 23.5 p and you can get three numbers out of them for just 47p!
Compare that with 118 118 (£1,20 for one, £1.55 for two and £1.90 for three numbers) or BT 118 500 (£1.40 for one, £2.38 for two and £3.37 for three numbers) and it’s obvious that the G.M. group is the best value for money around!