TO: ALL WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS AMATEURS
ALL NON-WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS AMATERUS
FROM: KEN HARRIS WA8LLM
WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED
WOOD COUNTY BULLETIN NR 11.13 DATE: March 27, 2011
SUBJECT: TOLL FREE TELEPHONE NUMBERS
Toll Free telephone numbers aren't really free. Someone has to pay for them. The business or person who has the "Toll Free" number has to pay for it. Some Toll Free numbers are paid for at a flat rate, meaning there is only a monthly charge and no additional charges. But, some Toll Free numbers are paid for each call, or by time, anytime the number is called.
When telling someone of a Toll Free number, be sure to indicate what the Toll Free number starts with. The only Toll Free number that was in existence for several years was "800", a lot of people "Assume" that when you say "Toll Free" that you mean the number starts with "800". That's not the case anymore. At the present time there are at least three Toll Free exchanges, and they are "800", "877", and "888".
If someone dials a "Toll Free" number which starts with "877" or "888", and they use "800", they're going to get a wrong number, and there's a chance the owner of the wrong number may have to pay for your mistake, so don't be surprised if the person on the other end of the telephone is a little unhappy with you, when you tell them you dialed the wrong.
The next time that someone says they have a Toll Free number to give you, make sure which of the three Toll Free exchanges it is before you call.
Ken Harris WA8LLM
WCEC
Wood County WV