Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request From: covert@covert.enet.dec.com (John R. Covert 14-Dec-1989 1048) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Finding out the "Real" Number Behind a 1-800 Number Message-ID: <2156@accuvax.nwu.edu> Date: 14 Dec 89 00:03:15 GMT Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu Organization: TELECOM Digest Lines: 102 Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 9, Issue 573, message 1 of 10 >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 ? If you know the name of the company and the city it's in, you should be able to call your own country's international directory assistance number in order to get the regular listed directory number of the company (which may or may not be answered by the same people who answer the 800 number). Although some 800 numbers have a corresponding regular number, this is not always the case. Historically, when there was one phone company, 800 service was provided by routing the 800 number to a local central office. However, depending on the destination, the translation may have been to a dialable number or it may have been to a completely fictitious number which could not be reached except with the 800 number. Even in the cases where there was a real number, in the old days it was contrary to the tariffs to dial it, because the old-style billing on 800 Service was generated based on the usage to this number. If you called it as a regular number, the 800 customer still paid for the call (and you did, too), and the wrong amount of revenue was generated (a real big no-no for a regulated monopoly). Now that there are many long distance companies providing 800 service, it is more common for there to be a regular number and the billing is usually handled in a more rational manner. However, this still is not always the case. The 800 service may be provided on trunks directly from the long distance carrier, with no regular number associated with it, or the fictitious numbers may still be used, or the real numbers may "belong" to the long distance carrier, not to the customer. Even when there is a regular number, the customer may not wish it to be given out, so the long distance companies are not authorized to provide the translated number. And finally, 800 Service is pretty sophisticated. If I call 800 221-2000 to reach TWA Reservations, I will reach a different reservation center depending on what part of the country I'm calling from and what time of day it is. As Patrick already mentioned, there is 800 Directory Assistance, but giving out translated numbers is neither part of their job nor possible for the reasons stated above. >one cannot direct-dial a US directory assistance (areacode + 555 1212) >from outside the United States (we tried). Why ? This is not unique to the United States. I know of no case where customers in one country can call the directory assistance number in another country. Your own country's international directory assistance operator should be able to provide you any information the NPA+555-1212 operator could provide. The reason? Mainly because CCITT recommendations suggest that local operators should handle international directory assistance calls. This is done to ensure that only "trained" persons are on the line dealing with a possible language barrier, and to ensure that the information is presented in the CCITT approved format. (Whether operators are really trained to do this or not is another story. See my article in V9#543.) Also, your local telephone company or PTT may not be willing to spend money on international circuits being used for a service that cannot be charged at the full international call rate -- and many European countries will have a large set of foreign directories in their own international directory assistance bureau to use rather than making the call. >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. I've seen ads in some airline magazines for companies which do provide services similar to this. In fact, they provide local or toll-free numbers in many European countries that you can call and be connected to their message center, where they will connect calls, relay messages and so forth. Maybe someone remembers the name of one of these companies. I don't think their service is cheap. >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! Well, now you're just dealing with a person whose ability to handle a customer located outside the U.S. is less than satisfactory. If this customer service department is not willing to give out the number for their local switchboard, then there's not much else we can say about it. Too bad your friend in the U.S. didn't have three-way calling or call forwarding. He could have connected you. >Is Intel customer service always this sticky? Sounds like this is beyond the scope of TELECOM Digest, and I hope the Moderator will not permit this rathole to develop. /john [Moderator's Note: Customer service problems *within the realm of telephone companies, telephone equipment manufacturers, etc* is okay here. But as Mr. Covert points out, if a company does not wish to give out their phone number in order to receive calls from customers, there is little more we can say about them here. Write them off and find another equipment supplier if possible. PT]