# Calling England from Canada
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-england-from-canada/244990
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [May 13, 2004, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-england-from-canada/244990 "2004-05-13T18:30:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2004, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-england-from-canada/244990/1 "2004-05-13T18:30:31Z")
I live in Ontario, Canada. I need to call this company:
[http://www.makin-metals.com/company.html](http://www.makin-metals.com/company.html)
Their number is listed on the bottom as:
01706 717317
I don’t get it. 11 numbers? Is some part of that an area code? Now, I know the country code for great Britain is 44. And I did some searching around and it seems I have to dial 011 to get out of Canada. Also, I need to press 9 to dial out of the office system. So this is what I tried:
9 011 44 01706 717317
Well, it didn’t work. That sexy female voice came on and told me that my call could not be completed as dialed.
So englighten me - how in the heck would I go about calling that number?
(PS. Not sure what the policy is on showing an actual phone number. I figured since it is a company, with an obviously public webpage, wherein the phone# is clearly posted, it wouldn’t be a big deal.)
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### Author:  [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2004, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-england-from-canada/244990/2 "2004-05-13T18:32:30Z")
You only need the first zero. They should publish their number as +44 1706. The fools !
In other words, dial
9 011 44 1706 … etc
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### Author:  [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2004, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-england-from-canada/244990/3 "2004-05-13T18:46:16Z")
Okay, question the second: Do businesses over there observe the same 9:00 - 5:00 schedule we do? I see its 7:44pm in England so it looks like I’m too late to call.
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### Author:  [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2004, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-england-from-canada/244990/4 "2004-05-13T19:03:59Z")
Yep, it’s probably too late, they’re probably all down the pub having after-work pints.
Like here, some customer service departments stay open late … although in England ‘customer service’ is often meant ironically.
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### Author:  [@Shrinking\_Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shrinking_Violet)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2004, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-england-from-canada/244990/5 "2004-05-14T13:31:30Z")
> [@cowgirl](#):
>
> You only need the first zero. They should publish their number as +44 1706. The fools !
>
> In other words, dial
>
> 9 011 44 1706 … etc
Well, maybe they aren’t expecting international calls? Their number as published is as we would dial it in the UK. Adding the +44 would confuse a lot of the natives. 🙂
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### Author:  [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2004, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-england-from-canada/244990/6 "2004-05-14T13:34:19Z")
The international dialling thing is awfully confusing. I myself have been trying to send a fax to Kenya, the number is written thusly:
(254-20) 23583458
or something. I bet it makes perfect sense to people in Kenya.
It keeps bouncing back. Argh ! Stupid international telecommunications !