5 digit phone numbers & form validation

[OwlHoot]

Exactly. It's 01234 12345. And if I ever have to enter it in a required field I invariably get problems.

Dunno if they're still available, but one used to be able to get "virtual phone numbers" (I think they were called) which could be mapped to a landline or mobile number, to where incoming calls would be automatically redirected. I think for outgoing calls, the virtual number would show up as the caller number. They were about a couple of quid a month, as I recall, with no extra charge for redirections.

So although that is an extra payment, they do have certain advantages such as concealing landline numbers (which in rural areas give a pretty good idea of location) and, of course, allowing the end number to be changed. And I'd guess they have a valid 01234 567 890 pattern.

My bugbear is brain-dead payment systems such as Vodafone's that want a house number. If you don't have a house number you have to key "0", BUT you can't do this immediately, or else the menu system sends you back to some other option! You have to pause several seconds and wait until the stupid thing asks again, and adds "If your house doesn't have a number, enter zero"

[original PM]

Yeah - someone tried to get us to restrict phone numbers to minimum of 11

told them to go away as the minimum is ten

in fact we have used

must be 10 or more numerical characters and being with a zero for a landline

not had any problems with that in the 7 or so years it has been in place....

[LondonManc]

Exactly. It's 01234 12345. And if I ever have to enter it in a required field I invariably get problems.

You're a digit short of a phone number? Hmmm, six yard tap-in anyone?

[NickFitz]

Interestingly, number-of-digits doesn't appear in "Falsehoods Programmers Believe About Phone Numbers"

I would have expected it to be first on the list.

[Mordac]

Mention the word "landline" to a millennial and they look at you like you're some sort of weirdo.

[SimonMac]

So your phone number is neither (01234) 123456 or (0123) 123 1234 format?

I remember my parents' number used to be 4 digits after the area code and then changed to 6 about 25 or so years ago. I didn't think any short numbers were left after the exchanges were updated

When I lived in deepest darkest Somerset our home phone number was (01460) 36028 even after the big phone number changes on PhONEday, it was a nightmare when ever we had to fill in an online form for the same reasons BBP is having

[NotAllThere]

It's just Virgin don't want any customers from Chesterfield, Ripley or Derby.

[Big Blue Plymouth]

So your phone number is neither (01234) 123456 or (0123) 123 1234 format?

Exactly. It's 01234 12345. And if I ever have to enter it in a required field I invariably get problems.

[BR14]

we'l be a copy of your passport wanting, and your bank details furthermore too.

kind thanks

[ladymuck]

So your phone number is neither (01234) 123456 or (0123) 123 1234 format?

I remember my parents' number used to be 4 digits after the area code and then changed to 6 about 25 or so years ago. I didn't think any short numbers were left after the exchanges were updated

[DimPrawn]

Please be posting your phone number here and we will be doing the needful.

[Big Blue Plymouth]

Tried applying for a credit card this morning. Couldn't submit the application because I got a validation error on the required landline number field - mine has only 5 digits.

So I rang Virgin who promptly told me that they would also not be able to process my application because they'd be using the same web page and I have an "invalid" number.

FFS

No doubt because the dufus that coded the validation for that form probably copied the phone no. Reg ex from RegularExpressions.com. I get this all the time...


Edit: spoke to someone more intelligent & she said mobile no is OK but even so...