erin@srava.sra.co.jp (Erin M. Karp) (03/05/90)
This is my first submission to this group, although I've been lurking
for a while. I finally decided it was time to put my two cents, uh yen
in. I know there was some discussion a while back about being able to
call 1-800 numbers from outside the U.S., and the general agreement
was that it can't be done. I ran across the following article in the
letters to the editor section of the Tokyo Journal (an English
publication in Japan). It was apparently in response to a commment in
an article that said that 1-800 numbers can't be dialed from Japan.
The relevant part of the letter reads:
"That information is in error. It is true that Wide Area Telephone
Service (WATS)(1-800) numbers are not toll-free when called from
Japan. They _will_ cost you. However, if you're willing to pay the
charge, you _can_ call them. The procedure is:
1) Dial 003-1121-800
2) When the operator answers, give her a charge card number (Visa,
MasterCard, or American Express), and
3) The telephone number you wish to call.
The operator will then connect you with the phone number, even a WATS
number, and will bill the call to your charge card. It _isn't_ free, but
it is a way to call 1-800 numbers from Japan."
I haven't checked this out (not having the funds to pay overseas phone
bills for no reason), but if someone else over here wants to give it a
try... Just a note is that phone numbers starting with 00 are always
either NTT numbers or overseas carriers (KDD, IDC, etc.).