My data base shows 876 numbers for Jamaica, and area codes starting with 2
for barbados and a couple of other Caribbean islands, but no 809 numbers.
I'm on the line I have to use for free long distance information, but I'll
check it later and report back.

Tom Karnes


On Fri, 8 Mar 2002, Steve Zielinski wrote:

> Hi Harvey,
>
> The real issue isn't the area code itself, afterall 809 has been the area
> code for all the caribean, including u.s. and foreign islands for
> decades.  The real issue is  whether or not these companies who charge
> these rates exist, likely they do, i haven't checked the scam buster web
> page yet.  Nevertheless, the real issue is the service at the other end,
> what that service charges,
> and not the area code itself.
>
> Since the expantion, and I might add subsequent waste and wantant abuse of
> the new area codes established in the early 1990's, many small islands and
> locations have their own area codes.  For example, the area code 674 goes
> to the island of Guam.  Yes, one little island with one big area code.
> If a person calls Guam, they'll get whatever international rates apply
> from their long distance carrier for a call to Guam.  The fact that you
> dial what seems to be a regular u.s. area code, has nothing to do with the
> rate.  In other words, just because you dial a number which has a u.s.
> area code in it, doesn't mean you'll get low rates.  Most of the world is
> dialed through the traditional international dialing system, that is from
> the u.s. you'd dial 011 plus the country code, plus the city code, if
> there is a city code, plus the local phone number. Depending on your long
> distance carrier, and perhaps the plans they offer, and international
> agreements about costs for calls between the u.s. and that called nation,
> you can get incredibly low international rates to certain countries,
>
> The rates are what one really deals with, regardless of how the
> call is dialed, and the fact that the location is international or not in
> and of itself doesn't guarantee the rate is high or low.
>
> Puerto Rico has now gotten an area code of 756, I believe.    Being in
> the Caribean, it used to have a code of 809.  I believe the
> U.S. Virgin Islands still is in the 809 area code.
> If you had a friend living in the U.S. Virgin Islands, you'd never call
> him or her following the broad brush advise of the message which has been
> posted.  The issue isn't the area code, the issue is what is the rate for
> the specific call, or pay per call service if a given number is a pay per
> call service number.
>
> When indoubt, contact your long distance provider for a rate.  Be aware of
> the fact that if you contact an a t & t operator for a rate, and are not
> an a t & t customer, you'll be in for a heck of a surprise.  Even if you
> contact the a t & t operator to ask a question like, what is the
> international code for a certain country, you'll be in for a shock.  I
> know, because I'm not an a t & t customer, I called the a t & t operator
> to ask for the country code for a country, and was send a bill of almost
> $10 for asking the question.  They treated the information as a directory
> assistance call to a foreign place, even though I never called that
> country, or asked for a foreign name or number from their directory, but
> just asked a a t & t operator for the international country code for that
> country.  So phone scams are all over the place.  I got the charge
> eliminated but it took two or three calls to a t & t, and a complaint to
> my states utility commision.  The a t & t person to who I'm complained
> took the stance that regardless of the fact that the charge of 9.35 wasn't
> in effect a couple years ago, it is now, and I will have to pay.  I never
> was given a warning by the operator or through a recording that there
> would be a charge to connect with the operator, or given an opportunity to
> hang up before the charge started.  It was a mess.
>
> I am sure that if you contact an operator from a long distance company
> which you do not subscribe to, you'll get some surprising charges.  I
> doubt they'd be as high as a t & t's though. So best advice, contact your
> onw long distance company for rates.  Sometimes the operator has them,
> sometimes the operator switches you to the business office.  When it comes
> to the telephone near monopolies, we have a system of pay for what you
> use, and pay through the nose for little used services.
>
> Fyi, You'll also see or get scam calls suggesting that you dial numbers in
> the 743 area code.  Again, nothing necessarily bad with that code itself,
> but it's an international location which happens to have rather high
> charges for most long distance companies, and certain scam outfits have
> set up workers to take calls from the u.s. from customers who think they
> are dialing a contiguous state, assuming the rate is low.
>
> Steve
>
>
> --
> +----------------------------+
> |  Steve Zielinski  (N8UJS)  |
> |      [log in to unmask]      |
> +----------------------------+
>
>
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>


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