Will a phone card bought here (usa) work in australia?

[Buddha Bart]

A friend of mine is studying abroad for a semester, and as part of a going-away gift I wanted to include a phone card. Only when I looked on the back of the ones you can grab in like CVS or Eckered they dont make any mention of it. Are 800 numbers just as functional oversees?

bart

 

[AndyHui]

800?

No.

Australia uses 1800 and 1300 for toll-free services.

That card won't work unless there is a specific number to call in Australia.

 

[aphex]

haha WEIRD! Im goin to australia next semester as well and had the same question 🙂

 

[Buddha Bart]

ok, after an hour of research here's what i've got...

some sites claim that many of your no-name cards bought in the US will not work when calling the US from oversees.

AT&T has a couple of things that seem to address this. First there's "AT&T Direct Service" which has numbers you can call in many countries so that once you connect to them, you're effectively on the AT&T network, and can then use ?????
I say ???? because it seems a bit vauge. I've seen reverences to using your AT&T Calling Card, your credit card, other calling cards, etc. Personnaly I'd like to use a PrePaid calling card, but there is no specific mentioning of it.

So I'm gonna buy a prepaid, and try using it here, if it says "sorry prepaid's don't work with this service" oh well, i needed a phone card anyway. If it works, it goes in the gift basket 🙂

bart

 

[bozo1]

<< "AT&T Direct Service" which has numbers you can call in many countries so that once you connect to them, you're effectively on the AT&T network, and can then use ????? >>


Their 'direct service' just hooks you up to an AT&T Operator and/or gives you access to their network to use your AT&T calling card - you can't connect to that number then dial a US-based 800 number without paying AT&T longdistance fees.

 

[Buddha Bart]

fudge...

from the bottom of the online purchase form...

AT&T PrePaid Phone Calls can be used to place the following types of calls: in-state and state to state consumer calls where AT&T is authorized to carry such calls; Outbound international calls from the U.S. to over 200 locations around the world. Call Customer Service for complete rates and available countries. Cards cannot be used to place 500, 700, 800, 888, 877, 866, 855, 900 or 976 number service calls; or to place certain operator-assisted calls such as third-party-billed and collect calls. Directory assistance rates are higher to 555 numbers than other domestic calls.

grrrr