# Calling a 1-800 number -- from another country! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 7, 2002, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-a-1-800-number-from-another-country/112794 "2002-06-07T04:15:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kybrdbrkn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b3f665/32.png) [@Kybrdbrkn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kybrdbrkn)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2002, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-a-1-800-number-from-another-country/112794/1 "2002-06-07T04:15:51Z")
I need to call a company back in Canada, but the only number I have for them is a 1-800 number. I am in Korea, so you can see how that’s a little tough. Is there a way I can make the call? Oh, and yeah, I know it won’t be a toll-free call anymore! Thanks for any help you can give! Chris ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2002, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-a-1-800-number-from-another-country/112794/2 "2002-06-07T04:19:15Z")
I don’t know for Korea, but AFAIK (that from multiple posts read on travel boards), from Europe, you can’t use the 800 numbers at all. You need to ask whatever organism you want to call for another, regular, phone number. Perhaps it’s the same in Korea… ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2002, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-a-1-800-number-from-another-country/112794/3 "2002-06-07T06:02:30Z")
I’m in Korea as well, and you _used_ to be able to call 1-800 numbers in the states by simply dialing the country code first (001, I think, for the US… ) then the 1-800 number. After doing this, you would get a recording saying that the call was NOT free, and to hang up if you did not want to proceed… Oddly enough, I had a conversation about this very topic with someone a few days ago, and as I recall that person was saying that you no longer could call 1-800 numbers from Korea, so my info may be old. ---
**Author:** ![OddTunes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f475e1/32.png) [@OddTunes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OddTunes)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2002, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-a-1-800-number-from-another-country/112794/4 "2002-06-07T07:31:16Z")
Here in Australia I’ve used those calling cards you can buy at 7-11, the ones that let you make really cheap int’l calls. They will basically route your call over the internet to a hub in the US, at which point it will recognize the 800 # and you’re connected. It’ll still cost you a few won per minute, but they work. ---
**Author:** ![the\_great\_dalmuti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b2d939/32.png) [@the\_great\_dalmuti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_great_dalmuti)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2002, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-a-1-800-number-from-another-country/112794/5 "2002-06-07T07:46:56Z")
In Japan you can dial an 800 numbger to the USA with no problem. As for Korea to Canada, Im not sure. But likely, you will be charged regular price for the call. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2002, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-a-1-800-number-from-another-country/112794/6 "2002-06-07T14:33:41Z")
Ummm…try this. In Hungary, you can dial 1-800 numbers by dialling 1-801 instead. Don’t ask me why. The 1-888 numbers also have some different prefix from international locations. ---
**Author:** ![Tomcat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Tomcat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tomcat)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2002, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-a-1-800-number-from-another-country/112794/7 "2002-06-07T15:34:48Z")
Hi- I call those numbers all the time. 880 or 881 for 800 & 888 numbers. You’ll get a recording that says “…are not free when called from abroad. Hang up now or you will be charged at direct dial rates.” So, it does cost. Also, International directory assistence will do it for you. -Tcat ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2002, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-a-1-800-number-from-another-country/112794/8 "2002-06-07T16:13:33Z")
You **can** call 1800 numbers in the US from outside the US. Dial INTERNATIONAL CODE + 1 + 800 and the rest of the number. The call isn’t free, but it connects nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2002, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-a-1-800-number-from-another-country/112794/9 "2002-06-07T18:39:05Z")
To be more precise, using **jjimm** ’s method, you may be able to call toll-free (“1-800”) numbers in the US _from outside the North American Numbering Plan (NANP)_. The NANP is the telephone numbering system shared by the USA, Canada, and a number of other countries. This doesn’t work inside the NANP. From one NANP number, you simply aren’t allowed to dial another NANP number (even one in another country), as you would dial an international call to the rest of the world. You dial these inter-NANP-country calls as domestic long-distance calls. In the NANP, toll-free calls (to area codes 800, 888, 877, 866, and 855) are dialed as domestic long-distance calls, with a preceding 1. Since the preceding 1 is used all the time, the custom grew up of quoting it as part of the number in ads and such, even though technicaly it is not. It’s the trunk-access digit. [sup]It’s just an unfortunate confusion that the trunk-access digit 1 used inside the NANP is the same as the country code 1 used outside the NANP. This is part of the reason you can’t dial NANP calls as international calls from within the NANP.[/sup] The recipient of a “toll-free” call pays for it, not the caller. The recipient can choose what locations in the NANP ey is willing to accept calls from: one area code, one state or province, an entire country, or (presumably) the whole NANP. Callers outside that area (but still within the NANP) are simply out of luck in contacting the owner of the toll-free number, unless another regular non-toll-free number is provided. Unfortunately this situation is still all-too-common, especially with advertisers who advertise in US magazines with international distribution, but provide nothing but a toll-free number with US-only access. There was an attenpt to provice ‘replace codes’ for external access to toll-free niumbers. Supposedly, you could dial 1-880 instead of 1-800, or 1-882 instead of 1-888, to reach NANP toll-free numbers from outside the areas the recipients had chosen to take calls from. Note to **pulykamell** : 801 is the area code for Utah. What happens when you want to call Utah? +1 801 xxx xxxx… I believe this worked from a number of non-NANP locations, such as Australia, but it was never made clear whether it would work within the NANP. More NANP toll-free codes appeared (877, 866, 855), and no new replace codes were created. I believe this effort has been abandoned. The logical thing would be to make all NANP toll-free numbers reachable from anywhere, inside or outside the NANP, as regular NANP numbers… but simply to charge the caller (possibly with an announcement beforehand) when ey is calling from outside the areas where the call is free to the caller. This is precisely what **Astroboy14** describes; it should be extended. The system is already smart enough to tell the caller that “this call cannot be reached”; how much more difficult would it be to charge the caller instead? I’m not even going to get into _international_ tollfree numbers (+800)… ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2002, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-a-1-800-number-from-another-country/112794/10 "2002-06-07T19:19:20Z")
…and back to the OP… To look up Canadian phone number online, try Canada411: [http://www.canada411.sympatico.ca/](http://www.canada411.sympatico.ca/) It has both residential and business searches, plus a toll-free directory. From the toll-free search FAQ: > [@](#): > > 1. Why do I enter an area code to do a search? > > Not all toll-free numbers work from anywhere in Canada. Some do, but many are specific to an area (e.g. Ontario, or even Ottawa). When you enter an area code, you will only get results of toll-free numbers that will work from your area, based on your area code. > > 1. Do I have to enter an area code? > > You have to enter a choice from the drop-down box. If you pick “Any”, you will get all the results regardless of where the toll-free number will work from (e.g. it may work in Ontario, but not in Alberta). > > 1. Why is there a “U.S.” choice in the drop down box? > > You can use this directory from outside of Canada and find [Canadian] toll-free numbers that will work from the United States. Soon, we will add the capability to let you find numbers that work internationally. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-a-1-800-number-from-another-country/112794/11 "2002-06-08T14:57:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tomcat \* > \*\*Hi- > > I call those numbers all the time. 880 or 881 for 800 & 888 numbers. You’ll get a recording that says “…are not free when called from abroad. Hang up now or you will be charged at direct dial rates.” So, it does cost. > > Also, International directory assistence will do it for you. > > -Tcat \*\* Crap. Tomcat, that’s it! It’s 880 and 881 from Hungary for 800 and 888 numbers. I guess it works in the Czech Rupublic as well, and I assume other parts of the world. **Jjiimm** said you can call 800 numbers from the rest of the world but it’s not free. That’s not correct. Yes, it ain’t free, but not all telephone exchanges accept the 1800 prefix for some reason. Here in Hungary, you cannot dial 1-800. Believe me, I have tried on numerous occasions only to finally figure out the secret. You must dial 1-880, and it is a toll call. Oftentimes, credit card companies and the such will list non toll-free numbers on the back of their cards with the instructions to “call collect from outside the United States.” **Sunspace** - D’OH! As I just wrote, I meant 1-880 and 1-881. I have no idea how I got 1-801 in my head. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-a-1-800-number-from-another-country/112794/12 "2002-06-08T17:11:51Z")
**Pylykamell** , yes, those are the replace codes. They work for 1-800 and 1-888 numbers, respectively, but what do you do when faced with a 1-877, 1-866 or 1-855 number? (In my post, I meant ‘881’ when I typed ‘882’. It was the sunspots. Yeah, that’s it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2002, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-a-1-800-number-from-another-country/112794/13 "2002-06-09T14:03:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pulykamell \* > **Jjiimm said you can call 800 numbers from the rest of the world but it’s not free. That’s not correct. Yes, it ain’t free, but not all telephone exchanges accept the 1800 prefix for some reason. Here in Hungary, you cannot dial 1-800.** Are you just dialling “1-800 xxx xxxx” or are you dialling INTERNATIONAL CODE (e.g. 00) - 1 (i.e. the US/Canada) - 800 xxx xxxx. This works for me from every single non-NANP country I’ve ever had to dial from. Same applies to all the other US free calls - 877, etc. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2002, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-a-1-800-number-from-another-country/112794/14 "2002-06-10T11:20:11Z")
Jjiimm, of course I’m dialling with the international code. I call abroad almost daily. The 1800 and 1888 prefixes don’t work from Hungary, the Czech Rupublic and apparently Korea for some reason. Lemme try right now… Here’s what I get “The number you have dialed is available from Hungary by dialling 1 double-8 0. If the call is answered you will be charged…” For 1-888, same message with “1 double-8 1” For 1-877, I continually get a busy signal. For 1-866 and 1-855, I get a message saying the number I called is not correct. There is a way around this problem, at least for mobile phone users. Many service providers provide discount voice-over-IP phone calls by dialling in an extra 0 after the international code (either “00” or “+”) The internet phone calls seem to recognize all the NANP prefixes. ---
**Author:** ![Phlip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Phlip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlip)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2002, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-a-1-800-number-from-another-country/112794/15 "2002-06-10T12:04:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by clairobscur \* > \*\*You need to ask whatever organism you want to call for another, regular, phone number. \*\* Anyone see anything wrong with this sentence? Gave me my first giggle of the day. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2002, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-a-1-800-number-from-another-country/112794/16 "2002-06-10T12:36:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pulykamell \* > \*\*Jjiimm, of course I’m dialling with the international code. I call abroad almost daily. The 1800 and 1888 prefixes don’t work from Hungary, the Czech Rupublic and apparently Korea for some reason. \*\* Apologies. I stand corrected!