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Unread 04-04-2007, 03:36 AM   #7
DracoFelis
 
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Default "Out of area" toll free numbers.

Quote:
Originally Posted by nettoyeur View Post
*18663977875 "The number cannot be reached from the dialing area"
Happens all the time with toll free numbers and VoIP (For example, Free World Dialup's toll free service has the same "problem"). What is going on is this:

While a lot of companies with USA "toll free numbers" allow them to be called from anywhere "in the country", this isn't true of all toll free numbers. Some companies with toll free numbers, choose to limit them to a specific calling area near where their service is. For example, some companies that only serve a single state, may limit their toll free calls to only coming from phones "in that state".

Now the problem arrives when you want to call one of these "restricted area" toll free numbers from VoIP. Because, from the perspective of the toll free number you are calling, your call is coming from the place where the SIP Broker service enters the telco lines (for the toll free call), which is likely not anywhere near where you physically have your own VoIP located. And if SIP Broker enters the telco service outside the "calling area" of your toll free provider, than you will likely get a message such as you experienced.

So what can you do about it? Not much, I'm afraid. You can try alternate toll free services (for example, when SIP Broker's doesn't work, try FWD's, etc), in the hopes of "getting lucky" and having one of the VoIP to toll free "gateways" being "local" to the toll free number you want to call. Or you could try borrowing a local telco/POTS phone if/when you just have to call that toll free number. Or you could even try talking the company with that toll free number into changing it so that it works in more areas/states in the USA (fat chance with some companies).

But in the end, this is a limit of how the company you are calling chose to setup their toll free number. So ultimately, it is neither in your hands nor in SIP Broker's, but rather in the hands of the company who setup that specific toll free number...
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