TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: How to Dial a Toll-Free Number Using a Calling Card

How to Dial a Toll-Free Number Using a Calling Card

Dailhart (dailhart@yahoo.com)
10 Apr 2006 06:10:25 -0700

I routinely dial a toll free 866 number from my cell phone to retrieve
e-voice calls. They do not have a regular local number for this
purpose.

It costs me .35/min from my cell phone (no long distance plan). It
could cost me .03/min if I could use my calling card. The calling card
does not allow toll free calls.

Are there any calling cards, methods or services that would solve this
problem?

Your advice is much appreciated.

Dartonbud

[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I personally think this (35 cent surcharge)
is the intention of your cell phone provider. I will tell you why I
say this: (1) there is _no such thing_ -- at least not in the 866
range -- as a toll free number without a 'regular local number for
this pupose'. A few of the real old, a/c 800 numbers are, or were
delivered via T-1 direct to the recipient with no direct dial number
involved ... very few, long ago; maybe some still. But 99.8 percent of
all 'toll free numbers' these days do have a 'regular' number they
translate into. If your inbound call is delivered via T-1 circuit
direct to the voicemail thing nowdays, then that is the way the owner/
proprietor wants it to work, i.e. much of the 35 cents is for him. And
(2) if he (voicemail proprietor) is collecting 35 cents per minute,
then whether he gets it via his 866 arrangement or if he gets it via
a calling card direct dial, in any event, _he_ is going to collect it.
And I can tell you that any calling card you wish to use is not about
to charge you _three cents_ for what someone along the way is charging
them _35 cents_ to give out, whether that 35 cents is a legitimate
charge or not ... and these days in telecom, there is virtually nothing
which _legitimatly_ costs 35 cents per minute to deliver.

Unless you have some vested interest in using your 35 cents per minute
voicemail (the nature of the contents provided, for example; does it
include news/weather/sports/features?) my suggestion would be there
are lots of voicemail services for two or three cents per minute to
which you might subscribe instead. Combine those with a 'forward on
busy/no answer' feature on your cell phone (you _do_ have that; your
cell phone uses it now when you otherwise do not answer) and re-direct
your calls to _your_ personal voicemail account. PAT]

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