Unable to call any phone number starting with 1 (US long distance or other non-local Canadian cities)

[Sean-S]

I upgraded my home phone and internet plan on July 6th (I have been with Bell for more than 10 years). I used to call any US number no problem. But, since July 6th I haven’t been able to call US or any other city outside Ottawa (which is where I live) despite the service being still included in my plan.

The message I receive is “YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO MAKE THIS CALL. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR SEVICE ADMINISTRATOR FOR ASSISTANCE.” Note that I call USA by dialing 1-(Area code)-phone, and I don’t call any weird or out-of-ordinary area code. I use the same procedure and phone as I used to before I upgrade my services, but I am not able to call long distance.

I called and chatted with the technical support MANY MANY MANY times to no avail: They told me to dial 0 to connect to the operator, but I get the same message. Also, yesterday another tech support said to use Bell’s long distance phone number (10101010323) before calling long distance, but again I received the same message. Today, the only thing the tech support was able to do was to remotely restart my modem (which I have done many times myself), and the problem still persists.

It feels pointless to call the Bell's tech support any longer because of the lack of anyone responsible, and I'm considering changing carrier. 

If anyone knows a solution or alternative please let me know.

Many thanks.

[WelshTerrier]

Do you have Home Phone Choice? If so, you have a feature called Call Control.

I suspect that Call Control is activated, turned on, & you have blocked Long Distance. To correct this, follow these steps to turn this feature off. You can do this from either your telephone or by accessing MyBell.

1. Dial *95.
2. Enter your password and press 1.
3. Follow the prompts and press 1 to turn on Call Control. Press 2 to turn it off.

You can now also activate and manage Call Control through MyBell:

1. Log in to MyBell and select Home phone from the My services drop down menu.
2. Select the My package & Features tab.
3. Under Manage my service settings, click on Change next to all Control.

You can now activate or de-activate your service and manage its features.

How to use Call Control on my Bell Home phone

Here is a link to assist you in setting up & using Call Control:

How to use Call Control on my Bell Home phone : What is Call Control?

[Sean-S]

Dear @WelshTerrier,

Thanks so much for your response. 

Yes, my new plan is in fact Home Phone Choice. I checked the Call Control feature and it is inactive as shown below:

If you have any other idea, please let me know.

[Sean-S · Accepted solution]

After talking and texting with more than 10 agents in the past 6 days, I have finally came across a competent tech support agent named Manuel who realized that all the other agents have exhausted their options for help and there is nothing they can do for the problem. So, Manuel quickly scheduled an appointment with a home technician, and the technician reprogrammed the service in minutes from his van parked outside our home and solved the issue.

It is interesting to note that I finished my chat session with Manuel at 12:11 PM and my issue was solved by 13:20 which is less than 2 hours in total. I hope Manuel's efforts, job ethic, compassion, empathy, and expertise make him eligible for a bonus or a raise.

In contrast, the other agents kept me on the phone or chat for hours and then remotely restarted my modem! They told me over and over to do the same thing, even though I explicitly told them that method isn't working. I have wasted many hours on the phone with them, and they all seemed to be just reading off their scripts and don't actually care if the problem is solved or not. I am disappointed by my overall experience and hope they investigate why this was the case. It is a good thing that all conversations are recorded, so they can go back and learn from it so no-one else experience the similar level of unprofessionalism. I demand an explanation for the lack of professional support, and my time wasted in the past week for an issue that could have been solved in less than 2 hours!

[Sonros]

Yes, my was experiencing the same she could not dial an International number or Canada long distance with a 1010229 number. The tech said to dial 0, then listen to the automated instructions. Since you can’t get an operator I guess they need to come and check the wiring. So crazy, they want to upgrade our services but they don’t know how to solve issues. Instead of moving forward we are one step back. 

[Mahen]

When I dial 011 and international number I get a message saying I have to dial 01 instead and talk to an operator to connect the call. This is very annoying.

[WelshTerrier]

011 is the International Direct Dialing (IDD) number for the U.S and Canada, also known as an exit code. The next  group of numbers entered will  be the destination country code. I have included a list of International country codes. It is important when dialing direct, that the correct calling number sequence is used.

International country codes - Bell Canada

Calling overseas

To make a direct-dialed call (billed directly to the phone from which the call originates), dial:

011 + Country Code + City or Area Code + Local Number

Note: Not all country codes are necessarily 3-digit. Area code & city codes can vary within a country.

Calling long distance within North America

To make a direct-dialled call (billed directly to the phone from which the call originates), dial:

1 + City or Area Code + Local Number

Note: you may no longer be prompted to dial “1” before the 10-digit number to complete a long distance call within North America. Long distance charges may apply.

If you require further assistance in placing a call, simply call the Bell Operator by dialling 0.

If you need further assistance, please reach out once again.

Take care.

[mike2k23]

Hi,

I have Home Phone with Bell. I am trying to call a 905 number in Hamilton from Toronto.

If I call the number with a (1) before the area code, a recording comes up that it is not a long distance number and to not use (1)

If I call without using (1), it says it is a long distance number and to use a (1) or (0)

So how can I make a call?  Either way it won't take it.

Thanks

[WelshTerrier]

Good Day.

That is a very good question. Is this a recent issue, a one time event or is this something that has been continual? Have you tried make this call from another line or phone? Has this occurred with other outbound calls?

If you experiencing this same issue today, I would call  Bell Home phone repair service: at: 1 866 310-BELL (2355) or dial  *611 from any Bell mobile device.

This appears to me to be a Bell Central Office equipment or programming issue.

Take care.

[Alexis1]

OK, I had the same issue for 2 months, but finally I acquired a case number from one of the call center employees and she, by the name of Stephanie, told me that it was a programming issue and she was referring me to a level 2 technician. After a moment of being on hold, she told me to try phoning long distance, and LO and BEHOLD, I could dial 1 and the phone code and ALL WAS RESOLVED!. 
So, follow what happened to me and all will be well.