I want to park my landline

[gsbill]

My landline phone number is currently bundled with internet provided by AT&T which I am getting ready to drop because I have gone with IQFiber. I never actually use that line but I have had the number for over 40 years now and do not want to relinquish it totally just yet.

I am looking to park the number with a service that will juse record voicemails. From searching the interwebs it appears that service is available for somewhere in the $5-10 / mo range. Names that came up included parkmyphone.com, unitelvoice.com, and numberbarn.com.

Before going further I wanted to check with our national GSR panel of experts on just about anything you can think of. I know someone here has done this already and learned something in the process that I would do good to know.

You can park a landline with Google Voice. May be a one time fee. I’ve had Google Voice for a long time. It serves me well. No landline. Gave it up decades ago.

[joequesmith]

Ooma is a one time fee of $39.95, is that right?

Basically, you buy the hardware. Monthly fee will depend on options. In my case, it's the tax, about $5/mo.

With the only rotary phones, banks and such would remove the dial on their internal phones to prevent using them outside the building. But it was easy enough to pound out the numbers on the hang up button.

[joequesmith]

I had a friend growing up that still had a party line.

[dpep]

You can park a landline with Google Voice. May be a one time fee. I’ve had Google Voice for a long time. It serves me well. No landline. Gave it up decades ago.

What function does that include? Does it receive calls straight to voice mail?

[gsbill]

What function does that include? Does it receive calls straight to voice mail?

Calls and text messages go to your Google voice number. No need to answer or monitor the number unless you want to. You ll see voicemail, spam and text message drop down boxes. You can forward calls to any number you chose. I use my GV for most forms. Doctors. Online. Etc or whatever to protect my privacy. I’m simply known by my Google account user name.

You ll need to link it to a real phone number. I did that a long time ago then turned off the linked number. Google has no clue.

[salty_monk]

I've had an Ooma line for at least a dozen years (actually I have their office line with the virtual secretary etc etc at work too). The basic service is free once you buy the hardware. It needs plugging into a router. From memory it costs me about $7 in fees/taxes a month. Might be less over your way... probably less tax!

The box has an answer machine on it. You may not even need the box you plug in these days, you might be able to do it all through the "app" on your cell phone...

[Suzukian]

It should work through WiFi. Google let's you store up to 6 lines/numbers.