What is a Toll Free Number

Overview: The article states that toll-free numbers allow callers to reach businesses and/or individuals without being charged for the call. Toll-free service has proven successful for businesses, particularly in the areas of customer service and telemarketing. Toll-free service provides potential customers and others with a "free" and convenient way to contact businesses. To make the toll-free market more competitive, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) established a policy that made toll-free numbers "portable." Toll-free directory assistance for some toll-free numbers can be obtained by calling 1-800-555-1212. Toll-free numbers are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. A “vanity” number is a toll-free telephone number that also spells a person’s or company’s name or spells a word or acronym that is chosen by the subscriber, such as 1-800 FLOWERS or 1-888-NEW-CARS. “Warehousing” by toll-free service providers is prohibited by the FCC’s rules. A toll-free service provider may not legally reserve a toll-free number without having an actual toll-free subscriber for whom the number is being reserved. The FCC regulates or sets the rules under which toll-free numbers can be used or obtained.

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Format: HTML | Date: Jan 2003 | Pages: 1