Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com!decwrl!hayes.fai.alaska.edu!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request From: knop@duteca.tudelft.nl (P. Knoppers) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Calling 800 Numbers From Europe Message-ID: <11764@accuvax.nwu.edu> Date: 5 Sep 90 11:13:30 GMT Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu Reply-To: Peter Knoppers Organization: Delft University of Technology, Dep. of Electrotechnical Lines: 22 Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 622, Message 11 of 12 >Toll-free numbers provide a convenient and cost-effective method for >businesses to stay in touch with customers. The drawback, however, is >they are inaccessible to anyone who happens not to be in the targeted >market area*. [The remainder of the article suggested that this might not be true] Well, it is true from the Netherlands. It is not possible to reach 800 numbers from this country. Apparently they are blocked in the international exchanges of PTT telecom, the Dutch phone monopoly holder. American visitors having an AT&T phone card can probably reach 800 numbers through AT&Ts USA-direct service (I may have this name wrong), which has a toll-free number in the Netherlands. I believe that the toll-free numbers in this country can not be reached from abroad, so the "problem" is symmetric. P. Knoppers, Delft Univ. of Technology, The Netherlands, knop@duteca.tudelft.nl