Grand Central - now Google Voice

[Modee]

Notification I received today:

Upgrade to Google Voice
We're happy to announce that your GrandCentral account can now be upgraded to Google Voice.

In addition to the current GrandCentral features, Google Voice has free voicemail transcriptions, SMS, conference calling, and more.
You can also use your Google Voice account to make low cost international calls and free calls to anywhere in the United States.
Your GrandCentral number, forwarding phones and PIN will be moved automatically to Google Voice.
Please note that all voicemails and call logs will still be available on GrandCentral after you upgrade.
You will have to re-record your name and greeting and update any custom settings or WebCall buttons after you upgrade.
We hope you enjoy the new features.

Perhaps soon Google Voice will be opened again to the public, free.

[Modee]

Google Voice is now available via invites. I just opened a new account today.

[Modee]

Google Voice - handing out new invites right and left

Google Voice is currently (at this time) available to anyone who wants an account. To get an invite for a free account:
File not found – Google

At present, I have more invites than I can handle, and have opened about a dozen new Google Voice accounts.

GOOGLE VOICE (the replacement for Grand Central) DOES work for EBAY. You WILL need a real phone number, that you can pick up and answer, to set up the Google Voice in the first place. (When you first set up your free Google Voice account, it requires you to connect it to a real phone line, that is not currently being used with Google Voice, to confirm and activate the account. And, sorry, it will not allow you to confirm the account with another Google Voice number.)

Google Voice will not allow you to delete that phone number you add to the account, unless you add, activate and confirm another one. This is one bad thing about Google Voice - with Grand Central you used to be able to use a phone line to activate the account, and then delete it for good.

Be SURE to record a custom greeting and custom name for your Google Voice. Do NOT leave the standard one on there, which will include the words "Google Voice" in the greeting.

ALSO, after you set up your Google Voice, in settings BE SURE to set it for:
“Directly connects calls when phones are answered”
because otherwise, when EBAY and PP phone you, such as with an automated code, their system will never get through to give you the code. The way Google Voice works in standard settings is that when a phone call comes in from an unknown number or one that has not previously phoned you, Google will “screen” the call and not put it through until after you have accepted the call.

The other big problem with any Google Voice setting other than “Directly connects calls when phones are answered” is that Google Voice plays the silly words “Please state your name after the tone and Google Voice will try to reach_______” on every incoming call UNLESS you set it to directly connect. (Even if you record a custom name, they will still play that greeting, but merely add your custom name for the ________.) That greeting will alert EBAY and PayPal to the fact that your number is a voice mail, which they don’t like. EBAY especially dislikes voicemails, and tends to suspend accounts that use them.

The other option with Google Voice is simply to enable “Do Not Disturb,” and then callers will hear your custom greeting (and not the words "Google Voice" at any point), but will always get voicemail. This is not a good solution either, because, as I recommend in my tech support, you should always connect your EBAY and PP accounts to a phone number where you can pick up the phone and say “Hello.” With the low cost of disposable cell phones + free minutes these days,
Disposable cell phones - Free EBAY, PayPal, Business and Law Forums - Ebay Suspension, PayPal Limited
if you plan on keeping your account for any length of time, there is really no excuse to not buying one for each EBAY account.

Google Voice is just an additional tool that allows you to use a disposable phone with an EBAY account, but buffer yourself between EBAY/PP and your phone. When people call the Google Voice #, they will be transferred directly to your phone.

And, if perchance your EBAY account should be suspended for good, then you can just delete the Google Voice account and open a new one routed to the same cell phone, or change the Google Voice phone number (costs a few bucks), and keep on trucking using the same cell phone.

[mystic]

Great tip! Thanks!
Can you have multiple google voice account numbers routed to the same cell phone?

[Modee]

No you may not, however after you have created one Google Voice you may use the same routed to phone # to create a new Google Voice. What will happen then is that the routed to phone # will be deleted off the first GV account, and added to the second GV. Both GVs will remain active, but only the second one will be able to route numbers to that incoming phone. (The first GV will be on a sort of "do not disturb" voice mail only status.)

So, although you may use one incoming phone # to create many GV accounts, only one Google Voice account at a time may route phone calls to the same #.

[mystic]

Thanks! This is all new to me, so I just want to clarify your points since I need to operate multiple stealth accounts but do not want to be inundated with lots of cell phones.

First, from these two options, should I be picking the 2nd one?:
Google Voice

Here's my other scenario question:

Let's say I have 1 cell phone and my # is 555-123-4567
I open up a Google Voice account to obtain a new phone number for my stealth paypal #1 account. When I open up this Google Voice account, it will generate me a new phone number (e.g. 555-321-2211), and those calls will be forwarded to 555-123-4567 (correct?)
If I need to open up a second Google Voice account for my stealth paypal #2 account, should I delete my cell phone number from the first Google Voice (therefore putting it into a do-not-disturb mode), and use it to open up the second Google Voice account? From what I gather, calls can only be routed from one GV# to one cell phone at a time. (correct?) If Paypal decides that they want me to phone-verify stealth account #1 for whatever reason in the future, can I delete my cell phone from Google Voice account #2, re-add it to account #1, and have it work instantly?

Thanks again!

[Modee]

I'm not sure what you mean by the 2nd option?

You must be able to pick up the phone and say Hello! to whatever phone # you give to Ebay or PayPal. Going to voice mail is not an option. The Short List explains this in more detail.

[Modee]

Google voice is INVALUABLE for Ebay / PayPal / Amazon accounts. Although I still recommend that you connect the GV to a disposable cell phone
Disposable cell phones - Free EBAY, PayPal, Business and Law Forums - Ebay Suspension, PayPal Limited
so that you may PICK UP THE PHONE and say Hello? EACH time you receive a call - miss even ONE of those calls and it could mean the END for your account - still, Google Voice works great for the main number to give to Ebay / PayPal / Amazon.