Impossible to call an 0800 number from overseas

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Impossible to call an 0800 number from overseas

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#30744 15-Mar-2006 09:42

Hi guys,

time for a bit of a clarification...

International 0800 dialling is most definitely possible! Telecom and Telstraclear only implement the call routing and billing options that the customer wants. So for example if AA (0800 555 222), etc do not work from overseas, it is simply that the companies involved have not brought the international service.

If you feel this is a service that the various companies you want to call should have, I recommend you contact them directly. Here's the information you all want...

http://www.telecom.co.nz/content/0,3900,101530-1469,00.html

All options are covered, including inbound, outbound and billing! Also, for residential calling refer to my earlier post about Home 0800.

Hope this clarifies things for you!

F5

ps Thanks to Jama Bob for the directions!!

cokemaster

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#30757 15-Mar-2006 12:04

It is possible but not what this thread is about. Nor what the thread creator had in mind (in regard to international 0800 number).

The thread creator has stated he has no problem paying for the international call to New Zealand. This is not about the 0800 number holder footing the bill for the international call.

This is about being able to be call the number in question. Perhaps if they provided a non-0800 number for customers going overseas, we wouldn't be in this situation. Some businesses do provide such numbers (banks, credit cards, Vodafone etc).

In this case, he was unable to contact Flybuys overseas.

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skykissme

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#30761 15-Mar-2006 12:42

jesseycy: You know, this is pretty ridiculous. Do you know you can't call a "0800" number from overseas, EVEN if you're willing to pay IDD rates?

What ticked me off regarding this problem, was when I was in Hong Kong, trying to call the Flybuys 0800 hotline to redeem points that were gonna expire in 3 days. NOPE! Impossible.

Same goes with other 0800 numbers, like for bank queries, for ISP queries, etc.....

I understand that for some, they are smart enough to list a local number (perhaps 09 or 04) number as well. BUT, why don't they allow people to call from overseas to a 0800 number as well? Perhaps the number should be (64) 800-XXXXXXX

This is really ridiculous.... Especially since 0800 numbers are one of the most frequent used ones...

FlyBuys' helpdesk suggests to claim reward over the internet, http://www.flybuys.co.nz or call 64 - 09 - 978-7060

Hope it is not too late for you

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Felix

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#30765 15-Mar-2006 13:07

cokemaster, so in essence this is posted in the wrong forum... the 0800 issue has nothing to do with Telecom at all, it has to do with companies not providing toll free international calling options.

the thread headed towards capability and billin, I was just responding to those points...

F5

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#30766 15-Mar-2006 13:12

Yes, it might have been so.

But this would have been an non-issue if Telecom allowed calling of 0800 numbers from overseas, on the basis that the caller paid for the international call to New Zealand.

A similar thing occurs with the American 800 numbers here in New Zealand.

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#30767 15-Mar-2006 13:18

the carrier that initiates the call is responsible for that cokemaster... what your proposing is the same as ordering Hell Pizza to be delivered, and then paying Pizza Hutt for the food...

or am I missing something here...

basically, 0800 is toll free (as in the account holder of the 0800 number pays), 0900 is the reverse, and toll dialing is charged to the caller...

so why would 0800 be used for something that is already covered with 0900 and toll dialing...

and as the account holder can indeed provide 0800 international, I can't see the problem...

this is not a Telecom issue, it's a customer service issue...

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#30768 15-Mar-2006 13:24

There would always be people who would complain about call charges when dialling an 0800 even from overseas.. (these people exist, I have met them).

Status quo seems good, and companies should do more to give alternative forms of contact (i.e. Telecom give a NZ landline number with instructions to call collect if required).

cokemaster

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#30776 15-Mar-2006 15:58

That analogy is flawed, Felix.

Perhaps a better question (actually two here) is: Why can we call American 1 800 numbers then? And if we can call American 1 800 numbers, why can't we call New Zealand 0800 numbers from overseas?

In the 1 800 case, the caller pays a standard international toll to the USA. Again, I'm echoing what I have said.

Yes, it is a customer service issue by Flybuys, for not providing a number that is accessable outside of NZ. Many companies do provide alternative numbers.

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#30779 15-Mar-2006 17:00

Cokemaster is correct Felix. When you call a 1-800 number from New Zealand, a message is played back with the words similar to "This is an international call and will be charged to your account".

What people are asking here is why not Telecom (and others) offer the option of having 0800 calls connected from overseas - but having the A party charged for the International leg of the call.

Simple, and exactly like when we call an 1-800 number from New Zealand to the US.

Nothing to do with the company offering a 100% free call to overseas callers.

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#30786 15-Mar-2006 20:32

I'm suprised that this seems hard to understand.... freitasm and cokemaster seem to get the drift though......

Anyway, just a rant on my part, it'll be great if they change this (I have made a suggestion to them but no reply), but otherwise, the skies not gonna fall, it just seems dumb IMO to restrict callers from overseas calling our country's most frequntly called and important numbers.

riahon

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#30787 15-Mar-2006 20:47

Now I am confused. If say my company decided we wanted an international 0800# that could be dialled from EVERY country in the world - would I not need Telecom to set up an arrangement with EVERY country in the world to allow this to happen. I cant see how an 0800# here can be used anywhere in the world without that particular telco providing a service to pass the call back to NZ (at the callers expense of course). There is mention of this being available via 1800# from the USA, are there more examples of other countries where this is also possible? If USA is the exception rather than the rule then surely there must be a logical reason why.

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#30791 15-Mar-2006 21:14

OK... this is how it works... Felix, please READ the question, internationally based 0800's porting to NZ PSTN's are of no help for this..

A locally based number connected to the PSTN (landline) or mobile number connected to two mobile switches, GSM and CDMA (multiple HLR's) can accept an international call from overseas no problems as it's simply a matter of the caller party pays and a deal is come to terms between the providers, so many calls out, so many calls in and generally it works even.

0800 numbers are actually virtual, attached to an "Voice services" or "intelligent network" which basically provides a forward, you stil need a PSTN or mobile number to terminate the calls,

You pay for the diversion to your PSTN line plus a price based on the 0800 callers location and area calling from. Land line, Mobile, landline-Region (older plans)

it would be a simple scheme for telecom to open their "intelligent network" to accept calls from overseas calls, charge it at their lowest rate, caller pays from chaging step from say China-NZ, then when the number is terminated at aucklands "intelligent network" before it forwards the calls on, the called partys 0800 is then charged as though a call was being phone from auckland.

Currently those calls coming from any unrecognised area to an 0800 line are diverted to the standard "the number is unobtainable" only the PSTN and a few select VoIP providers plus the two mobile companies are accessable from overseas ghateway.

The USA system works only as Telecom have a international switch in USA, this is actually an offered service to it's custmers, Not a network thing. when you make the call, you are effectivly phoning from the USA, what they should do here...

enough on this now. PHEW!!

Phone all companies before leaving... it's the only solutions. Most companies display a number for international calling on their site. National bank does for example and states "you will have to meet the cost of the internstional call"

Telecoms 0800 000 000 is 09 357 5656 or ring the "NZ Direct" numbers and ask for the 123, 126 etc,, it's a free call from what country.

Felix

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#30821 16-Mar-2006 08:50

ok guys, here's my last word on this one... you can continue your telecom bashing if you like- but here are the facts...

Not all USA 1800 numbers are able to be rung from outside the USA. It just seems that USA companies tend to allow calling with caller pays where NZ companies either do not think of it or decide to not allow calling.

0800 is generally thought of as free calling and therefore to make 0800 not free calling in some cases is pointless.

If you want a company to provide some alternative form of contact, you should approach the company involved.

My advice, keep the +64 number handy, find out if the 0800 is internationally active, find an internet cafe, sort your business before you travel, take your business to a company that does allow international 0800... lots of options there.

I wouldn't however expect 0800 to somehow become "toll free except in some cases"- it just doesn't make sense.

Moving on to another thread now,

F5

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#30822 16-Mar-2006 08:59

This thread is not Telecom bashing. Telecom bashing would require us to single out Telecom and make excessively negative (with no justification or simply untrue) remarks about Telecom.

I don't see that happening here. We are simply discussing 0800 numbers and the merits of them if they were able to be called from overseas at the callers expense.

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#31059 19-Mar-2006 21:49

This forum is based on us trying to dial +64800 XXX XXX just like we dial +6421 XXX XXX or +647 832 0000

Being we are paying for the call from overseas, when it hits NZ it should then be routed free of charge by the Telco.

Problems being, 0800 charging is not just "land" and "mobile" or "peak" and "offpeak" but a complex array of charging steps based on your location and the area the caller is calling from...

Telecom here are not to blame at all, it would be nice but telstraclear and Zintel all disallow it too. it did USED to work when calling into NZ but this may have been a bug/limitation then.

Felix, We aren't Telecom bashing... It's more of a frustration for some of us!

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