Jan. 10, 2026
While reading the latest ‘gringo’ issues in Mexico on expat FB forums, an old question came up, again:
“Has anyone made a toll free call to the US recently?
If so, how did you call?
The usual way is not working. Is it no longer possible?

Our response: … “What is “the usual way” ?

Our second question: “Are you doing the normal substitution, where you dial (substitute) different numbers up front from Mexico, changing the numbers at the front of the US number?”

Example:
To call a normal US “1-800” number from Mexico, we have had to replace the USA’s “1-800” prefix with a “001-880 – XXX – XXXX” …

So “1- 800 – 555-1212”
becomes ” 001-880 – 555-1212 ” dialed from Mexico.

This substitution system continues with other “8–” numbers in the USA as:

1-800 … 001-880

1-844 … 001-885

1-855 … 001-884

1-866 … 001-883

1-877 … 001-882

1-888 … 001-881

*           *           *           *

Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry

Read on, MacDuff.