I apologise if this is not in the correct category

I have been given a number to call by an American airline but I don't know if it is for use in the UK, it is 00 800 55558000, where is this?

Thanks

It is an international freephone number and should be free from UK landlines.

I see you have also posted a thread on MSE about this, to which you have said that it's Swedish.

Dave wrote on Apr 22^nd, 2006 at 1:56pm:

It is an international freephone number and should be free from UK landlines. I see you have also posted a thread on MSE about this, to which you have said that it's Swedish.

This is an International FreePhone number.  That is one that is free to call from almost anywhere in the world provided you call on a domestic home landline.  Of course mobile phone providers will almost certainly charge you at their 0800 Freephone rate which is not free and usually excluded from bundled minutes.  This number also ought to be free to call from any BT Payphone too although the fact that it doesn't require you to put money in would confirm this.

In general 00 800 Freephone numbers have the same characteristics as 0800 to call except you can also call them free from another country too and not just within the UK.  The actual call centre could be located anywhere in the world since as far as the international call routing country code system is required the 800 is a country code for the country called Freephone that can in fact be anywhere in the world.  As there aren't that many 00 800 numbers they only need the one code to serve them all.

wrote on Apr 23^rd, 2006 at 1:40pm:

[As there aren't that many 00 800 numbers they only need the one code to serve them all.

And given how much it costs the operator to use them, there aren't ever likely to be many either!

I'm surprised British banks don't go for an Inmarsat number, though... then they could use 00 870 numbers!!  :P

jrawle wrote on Apr 24^th, 2006 at 1:43pm:

And given how much it costs the operator to use them, there aren't ever likely to be many either!

When International Calls to many parts of the world only cost 0.5p per minute to retail customers its hard to imagine why a cheap 00 800 call centre service cannot be developed.  I would be interested to know which greedy telecoms company the whole 00 800 freephone system routes through so we can then know who it is who is stitching up the 00 800 call centre operators.

00 800 surely ought to be a way to reduce costs by an international company with identical products distributed in many countries only running one call centre for the whole English speaking world?...............

Anyone using the Plusnet Home Phone product, beware! I have just checked with them and it is chargeable on their system and, as has been reported in another message, it works out at about 17.5p/min if you dial it... (and it will NOT be included in any bundled time you have either)

What part of "International Freefone" don't they understand?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_international_freephone_number

catj wrote on Jun 8^th, 2012 at 5:05pm:

What part of "International Freefone" don't they understand? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_international_freephone_number

A very good question for which I don't have a sensible answer!  ;)

To be fair to Plusnet, at least they owned up to it! BT deny all knowledge!!  >:(

I now do have a sensible answer and it has been provided by a Plusnet C.S. person:

"We don't get charged for these calls, so neither will you. They won't appear on your bill either though."

So there you have it! PlusNet do NOT charge for dialling an 00800 xxxx xxxx number  :) (and I take back all I said earlier)

CPNowell wrote on Jun 8^th, 2012 at 7:17pm:

I now do have a sensible answer and it has been provided by a Plusnet C.S. person: "We don't get charged for these calls, so neither will you. They won't appear on your bill either though." So there you have it! PlusNet do NOT charge for dialling an 00800 xxxx xxxx number  :) (and I take back all I said earlier)

Do you have you Broadband and Calls with PlusNet?

CJT-80 wrote on Jun 8^th, 2012 at 9:56pm:

CPNowell wrote on Jun 8th, 2012 at 7:17pm: So there you have it! PlusNet do NOT charge for dialling an 00800 xxxx xxxx number  :) (and I take back all I said earlier) Do you have you Broadband and Calls with PlusNet?

Yes I do and great value it has been too.

@CPNowell, PlusNet have a great support forum on their site as well as at www.thinkbroadband.com, and they may have answered your question a lot clearer the CS team did initially.. they also have senior reps on the forums who are VERY helpful and informative..

I would like to point out I don't work for or use PlusNet and I don't work for Thinkbroadband.  :)

CJT-80 wrote on Jun 9^th, 2012 at 12:15pm:

@CPNowell, PlusNet have a great support forum on their site as well as at www.thinkbroadband.com, and they may have answered your question a lot clearer the CS team did initially.. they also have senior reps on the forums who are VERY helpful and informative..

Indeed they are! As a non-cable customer I have tried many of the ISPs over the years and frankly, PlusNet have topped the lot in every way. It would take an awful lot of persuading to make me migrate away from them now... (and I say that as an IT Professional by trade of 45+ years who appreciates it when a company takes the trouble to communicate at the same technical level as its customers)  :)