Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request
From: otto@jyu.fi (Otto J. Makela)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Finding Out the "Real" Number Behind a 1-800 Number
Message-ID: <2130@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 14 Dec 89 01:28:47 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 9, Issue 571, message 11 of 11


Does anyone have an idea how to get the "real", out-of-country-
callable number for a company which only has published the 1-800 
number ?

This came up like this: We have a very funny kind of a problem with a
Bell Technologies multi-RS-232 card.  It's pretty late and we should
try to get the machine and the card to the customer in the morning, of
course in a fully operational status.  The people who delivered this
card to us are not at work at this time (not surprising, it being
1AM!).

However, Bell Technologies has a customer help line number on their
manual.  On the forlorn hope that they have seen this problem before,
we dial them.  We get an answering machine saying they no longer are
Bell Technologies, but a part of Intel Corp.  AND THEY ONLY GIVE A
1-800 NUMBER !  We of course cannot call this number from Europe.

After some messing around with Finnish outlands directory
assist and American directory assistance operators, we are told: a)
one cannot direct-dial a US directory assistance (areacode + 555 1212)
from outside the United States (we tried).  Why ?  

a) A 1-800 number cannot be traced back to the owner's "real" number,
since there is no 1-800 directory assistance.  True or false ?

b) There are no services which we could call who could make us a
almost-free (for them) call to a 1-800 number, while charging us for
this service.  Really, no-one has thought of this great business
opportunity ?

Finally, I called a good friend of mine in the US and had him call the
Intel 1-800 and ask what their "real" number is.  THEY REFUSED TO TELL
THIS, SINCE THE NUMBER WAS "INTERNAL" EVEN AFTER HE EXPLAINED WHAT THE
SITUATION WAS !  What they did give him was two numbers to the UK and
Finland Intel offices.  I can make a bet that the Finnish Intel has
never even heard of BellTech, and I'd be surprised if the UK Intel can
help us with this problem at all.  Anyway, it's way past business
hours in Europe at this time, so these numbers are no use to me now.
Is Intel customer service always this sticky ?

Anyone care to comment ?

* * * Otto J. Makela (otto@jyu.fi, MAKELA_OTTO_@FINJYU.BITNET) * * * * * * *
* Phone: +358 41 613 847, BBS: +358 41 211 562 (CCITT, Bell 2400/1200/300) *
* Mail: Kauppakatu 1 B 18, SF-40100 Jyvaskyla, Finland, EUROPE             *
* * * freopen("/dev/null","r",stdflame); * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

[Moderator's Note: I will only respond to (a): Yes there is 1-800-555-1212
for obtaining listed 800 numbers. You can't call it or most 800
numbers because the called party has not agreed to accept charges from
outside the United States (or Canada).   PT]