Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request
From: sl@van-bc.UUCP (Stuart Lynne)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: 800 Numbers and Canada
Message-ID: <2417@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 26 Dec 89 21:20:09 GMT
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Reply-To: sl@van-bc.UUCP (Stuart Lynne)
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 9, Issue 595, message 5 of 7


In article <2365@accuvax.nwu.edu> samho@larry.cs.washington.edu (Sam Ho) 
writes:
>X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 9, Issue 588, message 7 of 9

>While most 800 numbers do not work from Canada, I believe it is
>possible to get US+Canada accessible 800 service.  However, I've also
>seen Canadians instructed to dial 112-800-NNX-XXXX, toll-free.  I
>can't remember the number offhand, but the pledge line for our local
>PBS station, KCTS-9, is one.  "Call 728-9000 (mass calling prefix,
>apparently) in Seattle, or 1-800-something in Washington State.  For
>our viewers in Canada, (cut to shot of volunteers in Vancouver) call
>112-800-something.  Remember, Channel 9 is viewer-supported
>television, etc."  Anybody know the purpose of this oddity?

You probably havn't seen that recently. Up until a few years ago all
long distance dialing in BC was done with 112-XXX-YYYY. BC Tel
switched us over a year or three back.

It is possible for companies in the US or Canada to get 800 numbers
that work across the line. I believe since about 1982.

AT&T for example has 800 numbers that are available in Canada for
ordering documents (although I believe our 800 numbers are different
from the US ones).

SCO (as in SCO Xenix) has an 800 number that get's you into their
sales department (and in this case the 800 number is identical to the
US one).

I use this as a test of how much a company wants Canadian business. If
they have an 800 number and it doesn't work in Canada I form the
opinion that they are not interested in my business.


Stuart.Lynne@wimsey.bc.ca ubc-cs!van-bc!sl 
604-937-7532 (voice)    604-939-4768 (fax)