This topic

Reverse Charge Calls To USA

ploppy — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 21:36:26 GMT

I had reason to call a bank in the USA this week. It took about 5 calls overall and about 3 hours in total. The bank gave me what they said was a (can't say the words here but) free international number of the format 1-234-567-8910 (not the actual number). So I simply called that preceded by 00.

Turns out I've racked up £120 worth of calls.

The only thing I can offer as a clue to something going wrong is that after dialling the number an operator's voice said something about reverse charges and then the bank's phone number would ring.

What have I done wrong?

Re: Reverse Charge Calls To USA

truCido — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 22:14:46 GMT

International freephone numbers normally start with 00800. If you dialled 001xxxx unfortunately I dont believe that was a freephone number. If you share the actual first few digits of the number, someone can probably advise

Re: Reverse Charge Calls To USA

ploppy — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 22:29:31 GMT

A number that starts 00800 is called a Universal International Freephone Number (UIFN). I'm aware of those numbers and use one to contact a different financial institution in the USA. My US bank, unfortunately, does not offer such a number. I did in fact dial 001-205-XXX-XXXX - the bank gave me the 1-205-XXX-XXXX.

The voice that answered me before the bank's phone rang - some words to the effect "operator, this number accepts reverse charges" - which I took to mean that I was calling "collect", was maybe telling me that I should have gone through the international operator and requested the reverse charge call. But that was not at all clear to me.

Re: Reverse Charge Calls To USA

truCido — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 08:40:37 GMT

I'm afraid you dialled an international USA 001 number, these will not be free rated and normal international rates will apply. This is all detailed in the call charges for your line.

Re: Reverse Charge Calls To USA

Manatarms84 — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 08:42:21 GMT

That number may be a free phone number but that is likely if you are calling from within the US and not internationally.

If the bank has miss advised they may be inclined to reimburse some charges however that would between yourself and them. If you are looking to call international from your landline then BT do various packages which would cover different types of numbers but it is not likely they would do anything about these specific call charges

Re: Reverse Charge Calls To USA

ploppy — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 11:07:40 GMT

I think the crux of the matter is that, while the number they gave me (1-205-XXXXXXX) is a number that will accept reverse charges, that's only the case if you go through the international operator. Dialling it directly incurs charges, as some of you have pointed out. I should have realised this because it happened to me many years ago. Trouble is, when a bank gives you an "international freephone number", that suggests that you can dial it direct - for free. And you can't.

I've been in touch with the bank to see what they say.

Re: Reverse Charge Calls To USA

NigelB72 — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 18:00:24 GMT

If you booked the International Reverse Charge call via BT's operator services, you should be able to contact them and they'll investigate it. It's possible that the advisor didn't prepare the call correctly resulting in charges. This should be foot printed and the call would have been recorded. If it turns out they set the call up incorrectly, they should be able to arrange a refund.

Re: Reverse Charge Calls To USA

ploppy — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 18:35:46 GMT

Therein lies the problem I think. I didn't go via the International Operator. When the bank tells you their number is a t*ll free international number you take their word for it and don't involve the operator.

BTW, am I correct in thinking the Int Ops number is 155?

Re: Reverse Charge Calls To USA

NigelB72 — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 18:44:21 GMT

@ploppy it was when I worked there but that was many moons ago now

Re: Reverse Charge Calls To USA

ploppy — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 18:53:07 GMT

Thanks. So being "in the know" maybe I could run this past you. When I call the given number (001-XXX-XXX-XXXX) an automated voice at their end says something like "operator, this number accepts reverse charge calls", or words to that effect. Now, when I'm calling that number directly myself there's not much I can do other than continue to navigate the automated menus. However, when you go through an international operator who's trying to connect a reverse charge (call collect) call, and the voice says "...." as above, the operator can then do something so that the charge goes to the receiver not the caller. I'm no expert here so I'm just trying to think through it logically. So, long story short, I'm now convinced that dialling the number direct results in the caller being charged, wheres going through the international operator results in the receiver being charged. Am I right? If so, that's where I went wrong. I still blame the other end though for giving me duff info.

Re: Reverse Charge Calls To USA

NigelB72 — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 19:05:49 GMT

@ploppy you'd need to call the BT international operator and ask for a collect or reverse charge call to the number and they would connect the call.

Once accepted by the called party, the billing would be reversed to their billing and no charge to yourself.

Re: Reverse Charge Calls To USA

ploppy — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 20:20:45 GMT

"Once accepted by the called party ..." is the thing that baffled me until I thought about it. An automated message that says "operator, this number accepts reverse charges" is probably enough for the Int Op to allow the call to continue and reverse the charge. That's what I've concluded anyway.

Re: Reverse Charge Calls To USA

NigelB72 — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 11:47:37 GMT

@ploppy unless booked as a collect/reverse charge call, the operator would/should have left the call once it was ringing.

Re: Reverse Charge Calls To USA

ploppy — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 12:19:47 GMT

So when I ask the international operator to make a reverse change call to the number I give her, and she dials it, am I correct in thinking that when she hears the automated response “operator, this number accepts reverse charge calls” she then puts me through and does something so that the receiver is charged for the call. Sorry to spell it out in baby steps but I’ve never done this before.

Re: Reverse Charge Calls To USA

iniltous — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 12:59:41 GMT

I’m assuming you didn’t contact the operator to connect the call ( that’s what I’d think the correct process should be ) you call the BT international operator , if a BT customer using your BT account line , and ask for a reverse charge call to *********, presumably that’s a conventional person to person call normally , the operator asks if the recipient is willing to accept the charge , (in your case this is the deemed consent given by the automated voice recording ) the call is connected and timed , at this point you only ever called the operator on a ‘free’ number …the operator at the end of the call , when you clear down , knows the duration and destination, so arranges to bill the recipients network operator , who bill the recipients for the call cost , but critically its BT they refund , not you , this ‘call’ may only ever show on your bill as an operator assistance call to BT and be free or possibly only the handling free is charged to you , not the call cost….you effectively subverted the process by calling the number yourself directly rather than via the operator, so that international call can’t be on anything other than your account, and can’t be retrospectively charged to the recipient….you may have called the same number as what the BT operator would have done , but you made the call not the international operator.

Presumably the reason why the bank has this arrangement rather than a conventional freephone number , is that they would need an 0800 type number is every country rather than a single number and an automatic acceptance of reverse charging provided the call goes through the operator

Re: Reverse Charge Calls To USA

ploppy — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 12:51:40 GMT

Thanks. That's pretty much what I thought - now that I've had time to investigate the issue.

Rather than an 800 they could set up a Universal International Freephone Number (UIFN) - maybe they don't think it's worth it. I regularly call another institution in the USA - they provide a UIFN, which is nice.