Can you use a toll-free number when roaming in Italy?

[AlanCA]

When on holiday in Italy recently I tried to dial a "toll-free" number given to me to use to contact a car hire company. When I dialled the number on my O2 PAYG SIM I was given a voice message saying this number is not valid.

Should such numbers work on an O2 PAYG SIM?

The number given was 800 87 6272. That is all. On my paperwork it says "TOLL FREE NUMBER FROM ITALY 800 87 6272". I tried various combinations of prefixes such as 00, 0039, 0044, but none was valid. There was credit on the SIM, it worked OK in Italy for normal chargeable Italian or UK numbers.

Does the O2 PAYG roaming agreement in Italy include "TOLL FREE" numbers? The operators that connected to my phone there were ITIM and IWIND. This number did not work with either of these networks. I have asked O2 help desk and in-store and nobody seems to know. I have tried IWIND and ITIM stores and they don't know either. When I collected my rental car the breakdown number on the keyfob was of a similar nature. If I had broken down I would have been stuck as I could not have called it.

Is there anyone out there who really knows the answer?

Is there anyone out there who is in Italy and can try the number for me?

Many thanks for any help that can be offered.

[MI5]

You can't call a UK toll free number from abroad.
You should always be given an international number to call in such instances.

[Bambino]

@AlanCA If you use Skype to make the call you can call toll free. I'm not sure about any other VOIP. Just out of curiosity, did you try the prefix +44800 from your phone?

[AlanCA]

Hi Folks, just to point out this is supposed to be an ITALIAN toll-free number. i.e. free to call in Italy. Italians can call it on their mobiles so should I be able to call it on my O2 PAYG SIM if I am in Italy roaming? I can call all other normal Italian numbers and can call all UK normal numbers.

So, Just to point out - check the breakdown number on the key fob of your Italian hire car. If its a "toll-free" number of this form you may not be able to use it from your mobile if you break down! Ask at the rental desk for a normal number for breakdown service when you take the car.

[AlanCA]

Thanks for ideas. This was the only number I had so no good for Skype I think. I tried the number alone, then 00 as prefix, then 0039 as prefix, then 0044 as prefix. None worked.

[MI5]

I suspect then that you should have dialled 00 800 87 6272.

Edited as you have already tried that.

[Bambino]

@AlanCA Did you by any chance try +39 as the prefix?

[MI5]

Does your phone have Dial Assist which automatically is supposed to determine which country you are trying to call?
If so, it could be seeing it as a UK number and auto dialling it as such. Might be worth trying with dial assist turned off and then just dialling 00800.......

[EmilieT]

Hi @AlanCA and welcome  Did you get a chance to look at the latest suggestions above? Any progress since you last posted?

[AlanCA]

Hi MI5,

Thanks for your ideas. I have checked the call history on my phone (Moto G 2nd edition) and the call record shows Italy against it so it appears to have tried to dial the number as an Italian one.

I am going to Germany soon so I will see if they offer me any toll-free numbers there such as a breakdown number for a hire car. I will try the number before I leave the hire office to see if it works.

I am preparing myself by getting normal numbers for any organisations that I may need to contact and not assuming that the information on my car hire voucher is correct.

If I have the same problem with a German toll-free number then I will post a warning on the forum.

Regards