bdlngton Posted November 4, 2016 Report Share Posted November 4, 2016 I am trying to call a number in the us with an 866 prefix and I get the message that service is not available. I checked the LCS directory and it says to substitute 883 for 866 but then I get that message that number does not exist. Is 866 a toll free number? Does anyone know what to substitute for 866 to complete this call? I know the call will cost me but that is not a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sm1mex Posted November 4, 2016 Report Share Posted November 4, 2016 I think I have heard in the past 800 numbers are a toll from Mexico and not free on any plan. Might check with TelMex to be sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Berca Posted November 4, 2016 Report Share Posted November 4, 2016 Toll free numbers within the U.S. are exactly that: toll free within the U.S. Only. In Mexico those calls are billed at the international long distance rate and are not free to us. Calling the local number rather than the toll free number can be done at no charge. If your only option is to call the only in the US toll free number here are the correct numbers from Mexico: 800 is 880 866 is 883 877 is 882 888 is 881 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Berca Posted November 4, 2016 Report Share Posted November 4, 2016 Another directory shows 833 rather than 883. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdlngton Posted November 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2016 2 hours ago, sm1mex said: I think I have heard in the past 800 numbers are a toll from Mexico and not free on any plan. Might check with TelMex to be sure. As I said in my original post I know the call will cost me but that is not a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdlngton Posted November 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2016 2 hours ago, Al Berca said: Toll free numbers within the U.S. are exactly that: toll free within the U.S. Only. In Mexico those calls are billed at the international long distance rate and are not free to us. Calling the local number rather than the toll free number can be done at no charge. If your only option is to call the only in the US toll free number here are the correct numbers from Mexico: 800 is 880 866 is 883 877 is 882 888 is 881 As I said in my original post I know that this call will cost me. I also said that I had tried substituting 883 for 866, which I got from the LCS directory, and got the message that the number does not exist. I tried it both with and without the international long distance code 001. There is no local number as I am trying to call a business in the U.S.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdlngton Posted November 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2016 1 hour ago, Al Berca said: Another directory shows 833 rather than 883. I tried 833 in place of 866 and still get the message that the number does not exist. Vbut thanks for trying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
More Liana Posted November 5, 2016 Report Share Posted November 5, 2016 For 1-800 numbers, substitute 001-880 For 1-888 numbers, substitute 001-881 For 1-877 numbers, substitute 001-882 For 1-886 numbers, substitute 001-883 These are the substitutions I successfully and regularly use for calling the USA. Dial the numbers as shown, followed by the telephone number you want to reach. I have never been charged, although I do initially hear a computerized message saying that charges will apply. I wonder if that's the message you're hearing and not the "number does not exist" message. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave0415 Posted November 5, 2016 Report Share Posted November 5, 2016 9 hours ago, bdlngton said: As I said in my original post I know that this call will cost me. I also said that I had tried substituting 883 for 866, which I got from the LCS directory, and got the message that the number does not exist. I tried it both with and without the international long distance code 001. There is no local number as I am trying to call a business in the U.S.. The exit code for Mexico is 00 not 001. Are you dialing 001-1-800? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
More Liana Posted November 5, 2016 Report Share Posted November 5, 2016 5 hours ago, dave0415 said: The exit code for Mexico is 00 not 001. Are you dialing 001-1-800? Dave, you have to substitute other numbers for 800--calling that 800 number from Mexico to the USA doesn't work. AND the exit code for Mexico IS 001--but you don't call 001-1 and then whatever area code you want to reach. It's 001-880 plus the telephone number, or 001 plus any area code plus the telephone number. For example, if I want to call a residence in New York City, I would call 001-212-555-1234. Or an 800 business number: 001-880-555-1234. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVGRINGO Posted November 5, 2016 Report Share Posted November 5, 2016 I would use a Telmex landline phone and call a regular US phone number (not a 800 number) for free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdlngton Posted November 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2016 21 hours ago, More Liana said: For 1-800 numbers, substitute 001-880 For 1-888 numbers, substitute 001-881 For 1-877 numbers, substitute 001-882 For 1-886 numbers, substitute 001-883 These are the substitutions I successfully and regularly use for calling the USA. Dial the numbers as shown, followed by the telephone number you want to reach. I have never been charged, although I do initially hear a computerized message saying that charges will apply. I wonder if that's the message you're hearing and not the "number does not exist" message. The number I am trying to call is an 866 number, so not on your list. I am highly proficient in Spanish so I know what the message said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdlngton Posted November 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2016 18 hours ago, dave0415 said: The exit code for Mexico is 00 not 001. Are you dialing 001-1-800? According to directories I have it is 001. That's what I always dial when calling US numbers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdlngton Posted November 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2016 11 hours ago, RVGRINGO said: I would use a Telmex landline phone and call a regular US phone number (not a 800 number) for free. 11 hours ago, RVGRINGO said: I would use a Telmex landline phone and call a regular US phone number (not a 800 number) for free. I am using a Telmex landline. What in my original post would lead you to believe otherwise? I would gladly dial a regular, non-toll free number if I had one. I know how to do that and that it is free as I do it all the time to talk with family and friends and to take care of business in the US. Unfortunately I have ONLY the 866 number for the business I need to talk to and I am aware that toll free prefixes in the US need to be switched for other prefixes when calling from Mexico. I also know that calls to toll free numbers in the US are not toll free when dialed from Mexico, even when the necessary prefix is substituted for the US toll free prefix. Thus my original question of what do I substitute for 866. So far none of the suggestions have worked. It's looking like I need to go to a friend's house and use Skype or Magic Jack. This has been very frustrating for something that should be fairly simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
More Liana Posted November 6, 2016 Report Share Posted November 6, 2016 12 hours ago, bdlngton said: The number I am trying to call is an 866 number, so not on your list. I am highly proficient in Spanish so I know what the message said. Oy vey. People--myself included--are grasping at straws to give you some help. Just because the suggestions aren't helping, no reason to snark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrm30655 Posted November 6, 2016 Report Share Posted November 6, 2016 I haven't lived in the US for a decade but it used to be that you had to have a regular number to get a toll free number. The last business that i had in the US had 5 lines, all separate numbers. If you called the main number, and it was busy, it "rolled over" to the next number. If you called the 800 number, it would come up on any of the lines that were open. What all that boils down to is that business has to have a regular number (area code) (standard 7 digit number) to have a toll free inbound line. I'd google the business and see if they had a website with a standard number or just google the business + (phone number) and see what comes up. They may not publish their local number but they have one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdlngton Posted November 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2016 21 hours ago, More Liana said: Oy vey. People--myself included--are grasping at straws to give you some help. Just because the suggestions aren't helping, no reason to snark. Sorry Didn't mean to snark. Per entendi bien que el mensaje dice que el numero no existe as I said in my original post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdlngton Posted November 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2016 19 hours ago, jrm30655 said: I haven't lived in the US for a decade but it used to be that you had to have a regular number to get a toll free number. The last business that i had in the US had 5 lines, all separate numbers. If you called the main number, and it was busy, it "rolled over" to the next number. If you called the 800 number, it would come up on any of the lines that were open. What all that boils down to is that business has to have a regular number (area code) (standard 7 digit number) to have a toll free inbound line. I'd google the business and see if they had a website with a standard number or just google the business + (phone number) and see what comes up. They may not publish their local number but they have one. Thanks for the suggestions but I have tried various ways to get their non-toll free number to no avail so far, including sending emails to their help desk. My next move is to have someone in the US call the toll free number to ask for the non-toll free number. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave0415 Posted November 7, 2016 Report Share Posted November 7, 2016 On 11/5/2016 at 8:31 AM, More Liana said: Dave, you have to substitute other numbers for 800--calling that 800 number from Mexico to the USA doesn't work. AND the exit code for Mexico IS 001--but you don't call 001-1 and then whatever area code you want to reach. It's 001-880 plus the telephone number, or 001 plus any area code plus the telephone number. For example, if I want to call a residence in New York City, I would call 001-212-555-1234. Or an 800 business number: 001-880-555-1234. Please before you give out information or correct people make sure you are correct. I knew I was correct so I asked Google. This is what I got to call England. Calling United Kingdom? Call NOW for just 0.7¢/min! No fees, we promise! How to call London (inner) in United Kingdom from Mexico: 00 - Exit code when making an international call from Mexico44 - UK country code for inbound calls20 7 - London (inner) city code00 + 44 + 20 7 + Local Number - International dialing code To call the US and Canada 00 is the exit number for Mexico, 1 connects you to the long distance network in US and Canada (Country code) then dial the 10 digits of the number. My source www.countrycallingcodes.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave0415 Posted November 7, 2016 Report Share Posted November 7, 2016 8 hours ago, bdlngton said: Thanks for the suggestions but I have tried various ways to get their non-toll free number to no avail so far, including sending emails to their help desk. My next move is to have someone in the US call the toll free number to ask for the non-toll free number. After reading howtocallabroad.com there is a suggestion that instead of using 00 1 as a prefix that sometimes it will work if you call use the Mexico Long Distance prefix 01. It is worth a try. Also what is wrong with using the "white pages" to see if you can get a local number that way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcscats Posted November 7, 2016 Report Share Posted November 7, 2016 Use somebodies US/Can VOIP phone (magic jack/vontage). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezzie Posted November 7, 2016 Report Share Posted November 7, 2016 The are currently 6 toll-free dialing area code designations in use for the US and Canada system: 800, 844. 855, 866, 877 and 888. Four of these can be dialed from Mexico by replacing the 1-8xx portion of the number with 001-88x as follows: 1-800-xxx-xxxx replace with 1-880-xxx-xxxx 1-888-xxx-xxxx replace with 1-881-xxx-xxxx 1-877-xxx-xxxx replace with 1-882-xxx-xxxx 1-866-xxx-xxxx replace with 1-883-xxx-xxxx I have been unable to find how to dial 844 or 855 toll free numbers from Mexico (yet). These are the newest toll free prefixes (855 was released in 2010, 844 in late 2013) so not widely used yet. Be careful of the "844" numbers as there has been some recent fraud activity against Canadians by scammers posing as collectors for the Canada Revenue Agency phishing for information and payments. The scammers use a toll free 884 number as a call back to reach them. The above mentioned area code "886" as a toll free prefix for numbers in the US or Canada does not appear to be in use (yet). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave0415 Posted November 7, 2016 Report Share Posted November 7, 2016 886 is a country code for Taiwan so may never be a toll free number. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
More Liana Posted November 8, 2016 Report Share Posted November 8, 2016 On 11/7/2016 at 5:53 AM, dave0415 said: Please before you give out information or correct people make sure you are correct. I knew I was correct so I asked Google. This is what I got to call England. Calling United Kingdom? Call NOW for just 0.7¢/min! No fees, we promise! How to call London (inner) in United Kingdom from Mexico: 00 - Exit code when making an international call from Mexico44 - UK country code for inbound calls20 7 - London (inner) city code00 + 44 + 20 7 + Local Number - International dialing code To call the US and Canada 00 is the exit number for Mexico, 1 connects you to the long distance network in US and Canada (Country code) then dial the 10 digits of the number. My source www.countrycallingcodes.com You posted the following, copied and pasted: "The exit code for Mexico is 00 not 001. Are you dialing 001-1-800?" The '1' that you posted following 001 is superfluous and incorrect and unusable. To call the USA from Mexico, one dials 001-the area code-the phone number. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phxfunguy Posted November 8, 2016 Report Share Posted November 8, 2016 If you are located Lakeside and have an LCS directory, might I assume that you are an LCS member? You can go into the office and use their MagicJack phone to call a US toll free number totally for free. Or if you have a neighbor with MJ or Vonage you could do the same. The easiest fix might be to download the Skype app to your computer or smartphone. It's free to dial a US 800 number from Skype...just have a good Internet connection so the call doesn't drop. When I first got here I relied on this Skype method totally for calling banks, etc. in the US that only had 800 numbers to use. I also used their pay-to-call plan for calling US numbers back in 2010 (which was cheap) before I got a MJ or we were given free US dialing from Telmex. Hope this helps your 800# dilemma. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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