Three things to check with any provider before you sign up.
Data protection: UK GDPR and the ICO
An AI receptionist records or transcribes calls and handles callers' details for you. Under UK GDPR that usually makes the provider your data processor, and you need a written contract with it, often called a data processing agreement (DPA). Ask each provider for its DPA, where call recordings and transcripts are stored (UK, EEA or elsewhere) and how long they're kept, and tell callers if calls are recorded. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) publishes guidance for small businesses at ico.org.uk.
UK phone numbers
Check which number you get. Geographic numbers start with 01 or 02. 03 numbers aren't tied to a place but cost callers the same as calling an 01 or 02 number. 0800 numbers are free to call from UK landlines and mobiles, which usually means the business pays for incoming calls. To keep the number you already have, ask whether the provider can port it in, and out again if you leave. Number porting is regulated by Ofcom.
Prices and VAT
Every UK price here is in pounds sterling (GBP), copied from the provider's own pricing page. Of the 23 UK providers listed, 2 say prices exclude VAT, 1 says no VAT is added and 20 don't say. Where a provider doesn't say, we show the VAT basis as Unknown.
General information, not legal advice.