Dilling 1 + area code when calling your MJ

[Mentronyc]

I just received my MJ and its great, but I noticed when I call the MJ number I need to dial a 1 + my area code. Why should I do that if I picked a number from my city and my same area code? If anyone calls me from my area, they need to dial a 1 + the #, is like they are making a long distance call. If you just dial the area code and the #, you get a msg telling you, "you need to dial a 1 when calling this number"

Anyone having this problem? Can I get number where you dont need to dial a 1 when calling it?

Thanks

[kcowan]

No problem from AC 858. Just 10 digits to call anywhere including Canada.

[Mentronyc]

Yes I can do the same. When calling others from my MJ, all I need to do is dial the 10 digit number "No 1"

But when others call me at my MJ from a home phones, they all need to dial a 1 + the rest of the 10 digit number. Im concern because not everyone likes dialing a 1 + your number when calling you. I was planning on keeping the MJ as my regular home phone, but now with this "dialing a 1 or 0 when calling my number it doesnt sound good.

Is anyone else having the problem?

[CaBob]

Hi

Yes! I am having the same problem.
I have two phone lines, regular and magicJack.
Both have the same area code and both are listed as the same city.
I still have to dial long distance to get from regular to magicJack.
If I can't find a solution to this, I won't be able to get rid of my regular line, and that was the object.

Is this the norm?
Can anyone else get local incoming calls?

[gooney]

I just received my MJ and its great, but I noticed when I call the MJ number I need to dial a 1 + my area code. Why should I do that if I picked a number from my city and my same area code? If anyone calls me from my area, they need to dial a 1 + the #, is like they are making a long distance call. If you just dial the area code and the #, you get a msg telling you, "you need to dial a 1 when calling this number"

Anyone having this problem? Can I get number where you dont need to dial a 1 when calling it?

Thanks

Where are you from, what city? Did you pick a number from the city you are in or a city near by with same area code?

There are cities near by north and south of me with the same area code as my city but i still have to dial a 1 for long distance to call those areas.

If this is not the case then that would suck...i love grandcentral.

[kcowan]

Yes the phone book should identify which exchanges within an area code are local. Remember all that BS. So nice to leave it all behind us with MJ and other calling plans.

(As an aside, in the early days of cell phones, I could call forward it to the number I wanted to call then just call my cell and get connected as a local call, then turn off call forwarding. This was before they charged for call forwarding in airtime back in 1990. I was a consultant and would call forward the phone to my latest DID line when I was on a contract, all for free as in no aritime charge.)

[lonestarmagic]

In my area, on my landline....I can call one town north of me and just enter the 10 digit. But if I call one town south of me, it's considered 'long distance' and I had to enter '1' before the number. So the phone company set it up on my phone with an additional charge calling it extended calling. They tack on an additional $7.50 per month for this option.

With MJ, I just enter the 10 digit regardless of who I'm calling. Only people that are long distance from me still have to enter '1' just as if they were calling me on my landline.

I have also heard some cities with the same area code, but with a different prefix have to enter '1' in making their calls. So. Calif is one of them.

[Mentronyc]

Where are you from, what city? Did you pick a number from the city you are in or a city near by with same area code?

There are cities near by north and south of me with the same area code as my city but i still have to dial a 1 for long distance to call those areas.

If this is not the case then that would suck...i love grandcentral.

Im in Miami, FL. My area code is 305. On my regular house phone I have 305 and their is no need for whoever is calling me to dial 1 + 305-###-####.

I picked a 305 Miami area code for my MJ the same as my home area code. I have NO problem calling out from my MJ. If I call anyone from my MJ all I need to do is dial 305 + the number.

The problem is when some one in my Area code 305 tries calling me at my MJ. They NEED to dial 1+305+###-####. If they dont dial a 1, they get a recording asking to Dial a 1.

This is Not good since people calling me think they are making a long distance call and its going to cost them, so noone calls me at the MJ because they think is a long distance call.

Can this be fixed?

Thanks

[HendersonMike]

Im in Miami, FL. My area code is 305. On my regular house phone I have 305 and their is no need for whoever is calling me to dial 1 + 305-###-####.

I picked a 305 Miami area code for my MJ the same as my home area code. I have NO problem calling out from my MJ. If I call anyone from my MJ all I need to do is dial 305 + the number.

The problem is when some one in my Area code 305 tries calling me at my MJ. They NEED to dial 1+305+###-####. If they dont dial a 1, they get a recording asking to Dial a 1.

This is Not good since people calling me think they are making a long distance call and its going to cost them, so noone calls me at the MJ because they think is a long distance call.
Thanks

Question, Has anyone called having to dial the 1+area code to you and have they actually been billed for it as a long distance call? Or even shown up on their statement?

[HolmanGT]

@ Mike,

"Question, Has anyone called having to dial the 1+area code to you and have they actually been billed for it as a long distance call? Or even shown up on their statement?"

Very good question I would like to hear the response also, but I would be very surprised if they didn't get billed for it.


Now back to the issue of area code, there are two numbers that determine whether a call is a long distance call or not and that is the AREA CODE and PREFIX. The calling party has to be inside your area of toll free calling, not just in the same AREA CODE. I also seem to remember living in an area where you would be asked to dial "1" even when the number you were dialing was in the same area code and prefix. Now I won't swear to the that last statement, hell I might have been dreaming, cheap drugs, whatever.

But the short of it is area code by itself mean very little if anything. I once lived in southern California in a town by the name of Van Nuys. I could call Canoga Park thirty miles to the west and it was not a toll call or I could call North Hollywood which was a tenth of a mile to the east and it was a toll call and you did have to prefix the number with a one.

So distance is not a good guide of a possible toll nor is area code and some times not even the prefix. you just have to ask the phone company or look it up in the phone book what numbers are in your toll free area. Actually that was the original idea behind the one because you could not alway tell if a number was long distance just by looking at the number. The Government thought the phone companies should have to flag you that you were about to incur a long distance charge rather than surprise you on our phone bill.

[Mentronyc]

Question, Has anyone called having to dial the 1+area code to you and have they actually been billed for it as a long distance call? Or even shown up on their statement?

Thats not the point, the point is WHY would anyone in my same area code have to dial a 1 + the #. You dont do this with a regular landline #.

Besides since noone know if they have to pay or not, they are just NOT calling me thru the MJ. I dont see why would I have to explain to everyone in my same area to dial a 1 when calling me. Also explain to them not to worry that its going to be a free call.

Why dont MJ just take care of the problem for us and fix the "Dialing 1+#" when calling the MJ from the same area code. SIMPLE.

[lonestarmagic]

Question, Has anyone called having to dial the 1+area code to you and have they actually been billed for it as a long distance call? Or even shown up on their statement?

Thats not the point, the point is WHY would anyone in my same area code have to dial a 1 + the #. You dont do this with a regular landline #.

Besides since noone know if they have to pay or not, they are just NOT calling me thru the MJ. I dont see why would I have to explain to everyone in my same area to dial a 1 when calling me. Also explain to them not to worry that its going to be a free call.

Why dont MJ just take care of the problem for us and fix the "Dialing 1+#" when calling the MJ from the same area code. SIMPLE.

I understand your frustrations.....

To give you an example, in my area which one of the area codes is 214, this number covers a large populated area covering several cities. On my landline phone which is the same area code, some calls I make to another party in the same area code, I have to enter a "1" before I dial the area code and number.

The reason for this is due to the prefix number of the number I'm calling. Even though I'm still calling a 214 area code, it's the prefix number which makes it either local or LD.

The town north of me is 214 and the town south of me is 214....if I call to the town north, I only have to dial the 10 digit code, but if I call the town south of me, I have to enter a '1' before the 10 digit code.

So, if I haven't lost you.....it's the prefix number that MJ gave you that could be causing this issue and causing callers to have to enter a 1 before calling you.

[HolmanGT]

Question, Has anyone called having to dial the 1+area code to you and have they actually been billed for it as a long distance call? Or even shown up on their statement?

Thats not the point, the point is WHY would anyone in my same area code have to dial a 1 + the #. You dont do this with a regular landline #.

Besides since noone know if they have to pay or not, they are just NOT calling me thru the MJ. I dont see why would I have to explain to everyone in my same area to dial a 1 when calling me. Also explain to them not to worry that its going to be a free call.

Why dont MJ just take care of the problem for us and fix the "Dialing 1+#" when calling the MJ from the same area code. SIMPLE.

Mentronyc,

There are plenty of times and situations on a regular land line where you have to dial a one and the area code even though the other person is in the same area code. Area code alone does not define a call as long distance or not long distance. you can live right across the street from some one in the same area code as you and on a land line they may be a long distance call in which case you have to dial a one and the area code.

For a number to not be long distance they have to be in your toll free zone regardless of area code and prefix albeit most of the time if they are in the same Area and prefix they are not a long distance calls but not always.

[Mentronyc]

Ok guys I understand, Im just frustrate since people dont want to use the MJ when calling me. Im trying to get rid off my land line and I just cant lol.

Im going to try changing my MJ number like lonestartmagic told me, to see if I have better luck. I'll get back to you guys later and let you know whats going on.

Thanks again for all your help.