Here is a way to get a FREE phone number to use for all of your sweepstakes entries and for requesting freebie offers too.
Google is coming out with a brand new service called Google Voice. With the new service you will be able to screen your calls and use this second phone number for your sweepstakes entries. You still have the chance to miss that winning call because some sweeps companies will not leave a message but that possibility can happen even if you have a cell phone or landline because you are not always right next to your phone when it rings.
Google Voice will offer a free legitimate working phone number that you would greatly benefit from. With this free phone number you have an extreme level of portability. You can have all of your Google Voice phone calls transferred to any phone number you want, and it’s easy and quick to change the transfers so if you loose say your cell phone, just simply transfer the calls to your new cell.
You get transcribed voicemail messages. When someone leaves you a voicemail, you can go online to your Google Voice account and either listen to the message or read the transcribed version.
You can set up a notification alert of any new phone calls that are received. This alert can come via text message or by emails. You can even set up a block for the calls from phone numbers that you don’t want to receive.
At the current time the new Google Voice service is not available widespread. You must sign up to be invited for their new program. Sign up to receive an invitation.
Please note that Google Voice is only available for sign up in the US.
Here are some of the great features that will be a part of the Free Google Voice service:
One number for all your calls and SMS
- Call screening – Announce and screen callers
- Listen in – Listen before taking a call
- Block calls – Keep unwanted callers at bay
- SMS – Send, receive, and store SMS
- Place calls – Call US numbers for free
- Taking calls – Answer on any of your phones
- Phone routing – Phones ring based on who calls
- Forwarding phones – Add phones and decide which ring
Voicemail as easy as email, with transcripts
- Voicemail transcripts – Read what your voicemail says
- Listen to voicemail – Check online or from your phone
- Notifications – Receive voicemails via email or SMS
- Personalize greeting – Vary greetings by caller
- Share voicemail – Forward or download voicemails
More cool things you can do with Google Voice
- Conference calling – Join people into a single call
- Call record – Record calls and store them online
- Call switch – Switch phones during a call
- Mobile site – View your inbox from your mobile
- GOOG-411 – Check directory assistance
- Manage groups – Set preferences by group
At the current time the new Google Voice service is not available widespread. You must sign up to be invited for their new program. Sign up to receive an invitation. It can take up to a month. I signed up a few weeks ago and have still heard nothing back so be patient. They are probably still in the testing phase to work out all of the bugs.
Please note that Google Voice is only available for sign up in the US.
I got my google voice account last week… it is pretty cool. And it will really benefit the sweeps community. You'll be able to block people that abuse your phone number.
The google voice service has been around for over two years. It was originally Grand Central, after google took full charge they changed the name to now google voice. My only advice is don't fully count on google voice to perform to it's 100%, still has many bugs, but those are being worked out "slowly".
just got mine yesterday, especially for sweeps
I got my google voice today .Its only one day but Im happy about all it has to offer.
Thanks for this bit of useful knowledge. I really dislike the phone and avoid it unless absolutely neccessary. I'm VERY glad to have a way to know – because the Google number I chose will be only for that – if I'm being contacted about a contest, so I know to pick up.
I tried entering a Text-to-win contest with this but I keep getting the response that it was unable to send. Has anyone been able to enter contests via goodle voice SMS? Maybe there is a problem using short codes.
Kristine
I tried regular texting and it works fine. I haven't tried the shortcode option so that is a good question.
I've had that same problem Kristine .Any suggestions ?
thanks for the info. exactly what i was looking for. i just wished you didnot have to wait to be invited for google program. but thank you any way.
Been using Google Voice for about 4 months. At first it worked fine, took messages and forwarded fine, but now it won’t answer, take any calls or forward to my home phone. I’ve tried calling it from several different locations, and get the same result. I hate to think I’ve missed any sweeps calls! You all may want to check your google voice number to be sure they are working…
Mac and Diane
Can someone explain how this will be good for a sweeps win? I called my google voice number and transferred to my cell phone just like any other call would come in..How will I know if it was a caller from a sweeps or a solicitor?
You know it is from a sweeps if you ONLY use the Google voice to enter sweepstakes. Then all calls coming to that number should only be about sweepstakes. I guess you could rarely get a solicitor call that number but I think it wouldn’t happen often.