I'm trying to get more info on world wide toll free numbers (which is
1-800 and then 8 digits...i think).
1) who provides such a service and what are the costs?
2) can people in the philippines call a worldwide toll free number for
free?  if so, how?

Hello, tp168:

  The list of 1-800 toll free number providers is almost endless,
check out these lists:

Business Toll Free
http://www.business.com/directory/telecommunications/business_solutions/business_toll_free/

Toll Free Numbers
http://directory.google.com/Top/Business/Telecommunications/Communications_Providers/Long_Distance_Calling/Toll_Free_Numbers/

And the prices can change a lot depending on the provider, check out
these comparison tables:

Long Distance Rates and Services Comparisons
http://www.longdistanceworld.com/

Inbound Toll Free Service Providers
http://www.discountlongdistancerates.com/tollfree.html

The rates depend on the origin of the call because the bill for the
call is paid by the receiver, not by the caller. To call a 1-800 you
just need to dial it as a normal USA phone, check out this site to
know the international codes and the way to do it:

Country Calling Codes
http://www.countrycallingcodes.com/

I hope this is what you were looking for, in any case, don't hesitate
to request for any clarification, we are here to help you.

Search strategy

toll free
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&cat=gwd%2FTop&q=toll+free&btnG=Google+Search

toll free rates comparison
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=toll+free+rates+comparison&btnG=Google+Search

international calling
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=international+calling&btnG=Google+Search

Regards.

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Request for Answer Clarification by tp168-ga on 18 Aug 2003 06:21 PDT

I was looking for worldwide toll free numbers, not US toll free numbers. Pls advise.

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Clarification of Answer by joseleon-ga on 18 Aug 2003 06:35 PDT

Hello:
  1-800 are USA based toll free numbers, I mean, those numbers are
managed by the USA phone companies and when you call to a 1-800 you
are calling the USA, some companies (if not all) redirect those
numbers to the country you want, i.e. Philippines, so it looks like
you were a USA based company. Also you can call a 1-800 number
worldwide and are free worldwide.

Do you mean world wide companies that provide toll free numbers in any
country in the world? This has nothing to do with 1-800. Could you,
please, explain more your question?

Regards.

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Request for Answer Clarification by tp168-ga on 18 Aug 2003 07:54 PDT

There are companies that provide world wide toll free number to be
called from any country.

Per my question, it has 1-800 and then 8 digits (rather than 7
digits).

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Clarification of Answer by joseleon-ga on 18 Aug 2003 09:08 PDT

Hello:
  And what do you want to know, the country of such a number (1-800
and then 8 digits (rather than 7 digits))? Or more info about toll
free numbers on your country?

Regards.

1-800 numbers are numbers located within the North American Numbering
Plan (NANP). Although these numbers can (sometimes) be called from
outside the NANP area, they are treated and charged as normal
international calls from the originating country to the U.S.A.

International freephone numbers have their own country code 800 and
are dialled (from Europe) as 00 800 (from USA, I think, as 011 800).
There is outline information of the Universal International Freephone
Number system at
http://www.intug.net/views/uifn.html
http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/universalnumbers/uifn//

The latter website has a "Search Provider Contact" which will link to
providers of UIFN throughout the world. Contact a provider listed in
your own country.

An example of a company using one is:
http://www.newfoam.com/UIFN.asp

Owain