Trying to make phone calls back to the US

International Sim Card.....or try magic jack

jpier99463 wrote:

I have been attempting to make phone calls using Skype back to the United States.  I seem to be having a lot of difficulty getting through when the phone numbers I call are 800 numbers or toll free numbers.  How can I get around this?

Hello jpier99463! Welcome to Expat.com

Maybe tell us a bit more so that members can advise better? From where are you trying to call the US please?

Regards
Kenjee
Expat.com

I am living and working in Riyadh.  I have tried to call several different 800 numbers to businesses in the United States.  For whatever reason, when we do connect, the sound is garbled they cannot hear me and I cannot hear them.  I have made a couple phone calls to friends on their landline and the phone call was completed no problem.  Can anybody explain what is going on or give me an alternative means of telephoning back to the US?

Thanks,

jpier99463 wrote:

I am living and working in Riyadh.  I have tried to call several different 800 numbers to businesses in the United States.  For whatever reason, when we do connect, the sound is garbled they cannot hear me and I cannot hear them.  I have made a couple phone calls to friends on their landline and the phone call was completed no problem.  Can anybody explain what is going on or give me an alternative means of telephoning back to the US?

Thanks,

You need something called VPN, your ISP is blocking ports so you don't make free calls.

Go for StrongVPN or voip shield or any freebie ones.

Once you have it on your mobile phone, you can then make calls.

It happens that in my fumbling about I came across another source with the same advice.  Apparently, the phone companies in the GCC are jamming our voip phone services and other alternatives (such as 800 numbers) to try to make us call using their lines and being forced to pay their rates.  I haven't solved my issue yet, but at least now I know what to do.  Thank you very much for your advice.

I use Facebook Messenger or my US Google Voice account.

i have a question,, is the facebook messenger calls blocked in KSA?

No, they are not.

well l think all calling app are bine  disconnected...coz l too l notice that....but let hope maybe is just for short tyme they will b connected .

I was using FB Messenger on a call to the US less than an hour ago.

... and by the way, I was not using a VPN, just straight Wi-Fi.

I am facing the same problem .when I try to call massage comes your country can't support this call,
How can I rid of this problem?

I just saw in the Arab News that sometime yesterday, Saudi telecom blocked access to FB Messenger. Don't know if this is permanent.