What are the 0800 89xxxx numbers for?
They are direct overseas lines (known as country direct numbers), most will ask you for pin numbers. BTs originally lumped all it direct overseas lines in this area, but it has now realised this wasn’t such a good idea and is distributing them more evenly Mercury’s country direct numbers are evenly distributed through out the 0500 xxxxxx range. Country direct numbers are numbers which forwards calls to a regular number in the remote country. I believe these numbers are arranged with your local Telco, who rent a number of 0800/0500 lines from BT/Mercury and pay BT/Mercury for incoming calls over them. The remote telco then resells these numbers to company’s requiring a toll-free number from the UK. You are not charged for the call, the company you reach is paying for the call, as with all 0800/0500 numbers. 2.2.5. What is Caller-ID (CLID) and what can I do with it? On modern exchanges BT sends the phone number of the number that called you (when possible), just before the first ring – s
