The easy-to-remember 192 and 153 numbers are to be replaced with a series of six-digit numbers, prefixed with 118, on Sunday. BBC News Online readers give their verdict on the new services.

Open the directory enquiries table and print it off

My girlfriend collapsed on Saturday and I needed to call NHS Direct for some advice. I called 118118 to get the number, as, according to their adverts, they've got your number. After requesting the NHS Direct number and waiting for 30 seconds I was given the number for Derby Community Health Clinic. I found this a bit strange as I was in London at the time. After about a minute of trying to find the number I told the lady to give up. I then called 192 and was given the NHS Direct number immediately.
Chris, UK

I have found it so confusing to find which is the cheaper service, that now I just go on the net, and look at directory enquiries there. So at least then I know how much I am paying for the net, and how much it is to call from my own phone!
Rob, England

I phoned 118 118 asked "Can I have the number for Sunderland Civic Centre." The operator replied "what city is that in?"
Peter Richmond, Sunderland, UK

Are they going to tell you how much it will cost to put the call through? Imagine asking for a number like the customer services line of a telephone company, being put on hold for an hour, and getting a bill of 24 pounds when you could dial the number for free.
Carl, UK

Since these numbers have come in I have had over 15 calls a day here where I work where the callers have been given the wrong number. It's driving me mad !!
Jo, UK

I don't mind which one I use as long as it's a UK call centre. Too many companies move employment offshore and I'd like to know which ones are doing this so I can withdraw my custom.
Tris Bayliff, UK

How can it be easier? There are more numbers now than before. That's going backwards not forwards.
Chris Ashbey, UK

BT - a rip off as usual. They asked me if I wanted to be put through to the number, and when I answered yes, they said (very quickly) "putting you through at 30p a minute" and put me through without giving me a chance to respond! Very cheeky!
Gary Downey, UK

Electricity, gas, mobile phones, land line phones and now directory enquiries: Yet another wilfully complex and confusing way of fooling the punter into paying out more than he needs to for a basic service. A cynical marketing ploy, and the customer can only lose out.
Di, UK

This is such a waste of time and energy. I don't know anyone who thinks 192 needed to be replaced and now we have an un-needed and bewildering array of numbers to "choose" from. What is the point?
Chris, UK

The recent developments with directory enquiries is the stupidest thing I have seen for a long time. What an utter waste of time and money. BT should have been made to provide this for free - it should be a service for customers not a money making exercise. The whole thing is confusing nonsense and the idiotic bureaucrats who thought up this silliness should be sacked immediately. Stick to the internet folks, it must be a million times better than this ridiculous mess. Pathetic!
Martin Singleton, Essex, England.

There seems to be very little information available about the cost of these services to mobile phone users. Realistically, I would only ever use them from a mobile phone while on the move - at home, I would use the phone book or the internet instead.
Paul, UK

Are they going to tell you how much it will cost to put the call through? Imagine asking for a number like the customer services line of a telephone company, being put on hold for an hour, and getting a bill of 24 pounds when you could dial the number for free.
Carl, UK

Are these changes called "Progress" ?
Steve Bowen, UK

It is worth noting that some phone companies (notably cable operators) intend to restrict their customers to only calling one of the new 118 numbers (the one owned by the cable operator or it's parent or sister company). Similarly, some firms will program their PBXs to only allow calls to one of the numbers (presumably the one they deem to be the cheapest).
Peter Byrne, UK

OneTel is only 'free' to OneTel customers until the end of the year, if you read the small print. Read the small print.
FJL, UK

Since my phone service is provided by Telewest, they tell me which Directory service I am allowed to use. No competition there then.
Nigel, England

Re: 118 It is worth noting that some phone companies (notably cable operators) intend to restrict their customers to only calling one of the new 118 numbers (the one owned by the cable operator or it's parent or sister company). Similarly, some firms will program their PBXs to only allow calls to one of the numbers (presumably the one they deem to be the cheapest).
Peter Byrne, UK

As you say, all is not what it seems. I tried last weekend to get a number for a business in London and two of the new 118 companies were unable to find the name in the directory. So I ended up calling BT anyway and getting it first time. Seems that the various companies do not have the full listings, so this may be a point for Oftel to investigate...
Alex, UK

Life is a race - majority caused by technology - oh to have one number that we can all remember that just makes our lives easier!! But that's not the case as from this weekend!!! Someone is trying to 'do our heads in'!!!
Moira Langford, UK

I stopped using directory enquiries long ago - I now use the on-line enquiries which usually gives me a quicker response.
John R, UK

The UK is a small island which amongst other things it cannot produce is a simple telephone number!
Roy Barratt, UK

Try explaining that to a tourist who is in the UK for a couple of days and needs to find a phone number.
Richard Siddall, USA

I used the 118 888 service yesterday and the operator, instead of giving me the number, said "shall I connect you?". I unthinkingly said yes and I then found out afterwards that the company will charge me 30p a minute for the call! This is outrageous - the operator should have told me the cost of connection before asking me, or at least given me the option of taking the number or having her connect. And then it seems that these new services are often more expensive than 192, the 118 118 is 49p per call plus 9p per minute! There are 20 new providers of this service, I thought that competition was supposed to bring down prices, not force them up! What is OFTEL doing? This is a scandal that we appear to have to pay for the ludicrously expensive and annoying advertising campaigns of these companies.
Nick Towle, UK

I'm having lots of fun phoning directory enquiries and asking for the number for...directory enquiries
Jack, UK

I work for one of the new directory enquiry call centres, and it's actually not always as easy to find the listings as you might think. Wrong spellings, misinformation and even absent listings can often make it difficult, believe me! The businesses are not always listed with the name the caller knows. As for the need to replace 192, the new companies offer wider choice and more competition, leading to cheaper prices for the consumer. The old BT monopoly was unfair, deregulation is the way forward!
Matt, UK

I dialled 118 118 to find out the cinema telephone number, but they asked me what film I wanted to know about and then told me the times! This was much better than calling the cinema and going through their 'press 1 for this, 2 for that' system. It was quick and the person I spoke to was very polite.
Sue, England

The big con amongst a number of the new companies appears to be offering to put you through before they've told you the number. Why yes of course, I'd love to be connected and not be told the number so that I can pay the extortionate connection charge and have to call back again to get the number.....
GMcD, Scotland

Stop winging. It was not BT's idea to change these numbers, it was OFTEL's idea to allow other companies to offer directory enquiries (DQ) to prevent BT having a monopoly. This is a good idea, because you can choose which service to use and know how much each one costs. People didn't complain when the gas board was split up because they could get cheaper gas. This is the same thing. Most of these new DQ services cost LESS than 192.
Kevin, UK

I called one of these new services and asked for a number. After about 5-6 seconds I heard "Just putting you through" at which point I had to ask them to tell me the number and not to connect me. This will catch a lot of people out and make the companies a lot of money. They should be legally required to tell you the cost of the connection and the charge per minute for the call, and then to ask what you want to do - either be told the number or be connected.
Chris Carter, UK

I'm with NTL at home, and they block access to some of their competitors 118* numbers. Get the regulator to sort that out!
Alan Pope, England

I'm interested to see the effect on business. I work for a large organisation and use 192 a couple of times per week, however the new numbers do not go through our switchboard yet. I have seen nothing in the run up that has highlighted this.
Johnathan Musson, UK

I think it is a good idea to open it up to competition, but surely this could have been achieved far more effectively if you could dial 192 then be presented with a menu of options starting with the cheapest - that way it would soon find its level.
Ian Williams, UK

I emailed T-Mobile to ask them which was the cheapest 118 service to use from my mobile. They replied "The new 118 directory enquiry services are split into 5 price zones, costs ranging from 60p to �1.50 per minute. If let us know the full number of the service(s) you wish to use, we will gladly give you an accurate price." So I still have no idea which would be the cheapest to use, but at a minimum of 60p I don't think I'll be phoning very often.
Iain Tatch, UK

Who cares how much it costs? How often do you call directory enquiries in a year? I can count the number of times on 1 finger. The only services which will survive will be the easiest to remember.
Colin Smith, UK

I think it is confusing and if I hear the advertisement that they sing double 1, double 8, double 8 again, I am going to scream. I have not use directory enquiries for 10 years or more...I will use the BT online one.
Adrian, England`

Not one single advert or comment I have read has mentioned that you can use BT's website for directory enquiry searches for free. Why pay someone to look up the number for you - do it yourself and save yourself money. Obviously, if you are out and about and need a number, this is not a solution, but for all the office staff who have permanent internet connections and run up huge phone bills for the companies they work for, this is a free and working alternative.
Alan, UK

The other day, my neighbour rang on my door bell, to tell me she had a phone call for me! It was an ex girlfiend, who had tracked me down by calling my next door neighbour, because I am ex directory. Apparently, 118 119 uses the Electoral Role database, which means they can get pretty much any number! You don't need to know someone's name - you just ask to be put through to a particular address!
Matt, London, England

I called 118800 for a number for Micheldever tyres. Despite eventually having to spell this out phonetically, the operator took 3 min 45 seconds to give me the number (total cost nearly 80p) - I will never use them again! I'd have been better to use my Orange mobile at 49p - never had a problem with them to date.
Martin berwick, England

I just use BT's on-line directory enquiries service. A lot less hassle.
Myron, UK

I called 118 118 and asked for the Fiat dealer in Oldbury (West Mids). The American accented chap at the other end thought I wanted the "Fix It dealer"! Than I had to explain I that Fiat is a make of car and I wanted the showroom number. I got a number for the Fiat dealer near Oldham (Near Manchester).
S Singh, UK

Who has 118192?
Kat, UK

Can someone tell me how the new service is cheaper? A fixed 40p for two numbers is cheap. All the new ones seem to be on a per minute basis. I bet you can't get two numbers in less than a minute....
Jan Ertner, Leics and Denmark!, UK and Denmark

I called one of these 118 numbers, asked for my optician and was asked if I wished the operator to connect me to them. Immediately being suspcicious of the charge this would incurr, I said "no". Despite this however, there was a click, ringing tone, and the operator had connected me regardless. These companies know that most of us will not be able to follow up up such complaints. I wouldn't know who to complain to, and it would probably take a campaign of letter writing and research.
Simon Watkins, Wales