Cannot call Hong Kong mobile numbers

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Cannot call Hong Kong mobile numbers

Postby Error401 » 11/09/2017

Hi,

Ran into this problem tonight that I've never experienced before.

Called a HK mobile number, and can hear their distinctive ring-back tone, but after 5 rings, got the following error message:

"You have dialed a Hong Kong number, you need to 44849. You have dialed eleven digits."

I then called a landline number and it connected no problem. Tried several other mobile numbers but no dice.

Anyone knows what "you need to dial 44849" mean?

TIA
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Re: Cannot call Hong Kong mobile numbers

Postby Liptonbrisk » 11/10/2017

I have no clue what 44849 means.

Click https://www.wikihow.com/Call-Hong-Kong# ... g_Kong_sub.

The dialing format should be

011 (exit code for Canada)
852 (Country code for Hong Kong)
5,6, or 9 depending on the mobile carrier (mobile area code)
8 digit Hong Kong mobile number

So, dial 011852x12345678
where x = 5, 6, or 9 and where 12345678 is the eight digit mobile number.

1. Login at https://www.freephoneline.ca/callLogs
2. Select the current month, and click "submit."
a) Do you see the mobile number you dialed?
b) Is it entered properly, according to the above format?
c) Is there any associated error message listed? Any details?

3. a) Dial ***1.
b) Enter the IP address you hear into a web browser.
c) If you can't access your ATA from a web browser, enable WAN access: click https://www.obitalk.com/info/faq/OBi202 ... b-from-WAN for instructions.
d) (Enter the LAN IP address you hear into a web browser) Login to your ATA.
e) Navigate to Status-->Call History.
f) Is the mobile number you dialed listed?
g) And is it entered properly, according to the above format?
h) Do you see any associated error message?

If the mobile number(s) were entered correctly, and if you're still having problems (especially if no one else responds further here), open a support ticket at https://support.fongo.com/hc/en-us/requests/new.
If no responds to your support ticket, provide the ticket number in a private message to Fongo Support after logging into the forums: ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&u=7852.
Provide the full phone numbers that you're attempting to reach when submitting the ticket and also when sending a private message.

It could be a carrier issue.

By the way, the OBi202 setup guide (version 1.51x) can be found here: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=18805#p73839.
In the guide, on page 18, 011XX.S3 is listed for FPL's Digitmap.
S3 means wait 3 seconds to enter in the full phone number starting with 011 before sending the number through your OBi202's phone port. If you need longer than three seconds to enter international phone numbers, change S3 to S7 (or something higher than 3). Most people are using phones that allow them to punch in full telephone numbers before hitting "talk"/"call" buttons or lifting up the receiver, so 3 seconds is probably fine for most people.
Please do not send me emails; I do not work for nor represent Freephoneline or Fongo. Post questions on the forums so that others may learn from responses or assist you. Thank you. If you have an issue with your account or have a billing issue, submit a ticket here: https://support.fongo.com/hc/en-us/requests/new. Visit http://status.fongo.com/ to check FPL/Fongo service status. Freephoneline setup guides can be found at viewforum.php?f=15.
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Re: Cannot call Hong Kong mobile numbers

Postby Error401 » 11/10/2017

Hi Liptonbrisk,

Thanks for your help!

Checked my call logs on FreePhoneLine, and the problematic calls did go through with a duration of a minute each, and with a status of "Normal Call Clearing", and were billed at 6 cents per call (!?) According to https://www.freephoneline.ca/completeLi ... =HONG+KONG, all call types but one terminating in HK are billed at 2 cents per minute, while a "proper" call is billed at 3 cents a minute. So the 6 cents a minute calls make no sense.

Have taken your suggestion to submit a ticket to Fongo, but their only option for FreePhoneLine users are 'pay per incident'... or maybe I didn't find the proper category.

Any other pointers?

Thanks again!
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Re: Cannot call Hong Kong mobile numbers

Postby Error401 » 11/10/2017

now that I reviewed the call logs in detail, it looks like FPL charges 4 cents to setup the call, and THEN bill 2 cents a minute, which explains why these 1 minute calls are 6 cents each!

Was the 4 cents call setup fee posted anywhere?
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Re: Cannot call Hong Kong mobile numbers

Postby Error401 » 11/10/2017

whelp, just found this: https://support.freephoneline.ca/hc/en- ... ace-a-call

so the 4 cents connection fee is a thing...

So the only problem I have left now is the 44849 message.
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Re: Cannot call Hong Kong mobile numbers

Postby Jake » 11/10/2017

Error401 wrote:now that I reviewed the call logs in detail, it looks like FPL charges 4 cents to setup the call, and THEN bill 2 cents a minute, which explains why these 1 minute calls are 6 cents each!

Was the 4 cents call setup fee posted anywhere?


They introduced that quite a while back now. I think it was 2cents when they first added it, but I can't be sure.

It's on the main rates page https://account.fongo.com/calling/long-distance/ just under where is says "Our World Rates"

And also on the main coverage page https://www.fongo.com/coverage/ "All calls to locations outside of our Free Calling Cities have a 4 cent connection fee."

It's more than likely other places also, but those are where I remember seeing it recently.
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Re: Cannot call Hong Kong mobile numbers

Postby Error401 » 11/10/2017

Jake wrote:
Error401 wrote:now that I reviewed the call logs in detail, it looks like FPL charges 4 cents to setup the call, and THEN bill 2 cents a minute, which explains why these 1 minute calls are 6 cents each!

Was the 4 cents call setup fee posted anywhere?


They introduced that quite a while back now. I think it was 2cents when they first added it, but I can't be sure.

It's on the main rates page https://account.fongo.com/calling/long-distance/ just under where is says "Our World Rates"

And also on the main coverage page https://www.fongo.com/coverage/ "All calls to locations outside of our Free Calling Cities have a 4 cent connection fee."

It's more than likely other places also, but those are where I remember seeing it recently.


Thanks Jake! Good to know this new additional fee is plastered all over the place.

Argh, I guess beggars can't be choosers...
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Re: Cannot call Hong Kong mobile numbers

Postby Jake » 11/10/2017

From what I remember is was quite a shock to many when they first introduced it, but I guess they have bills to pay also.
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Re: Cannot call Hong Kong mobile numbers

Postby Liptonbrisk » 11/10/2017

Error401 wrote:
Have taken your suggestion to submit a ticket to Fongo, but their only option for FreePhoneLine users are 'pay per incident'... or maybe I didn't find the proper category.

Any other pointers?


If the issue isn't on your end, you don't need to pay. Choose World Credits or technical support. If you choose technical support, the ticket may be automatically closed. In that case, send the ticket number in a PM to Fongo Support as outlined in my original reply.

Again, it could be a carrier issue (and the issue might be with carrier chosen by Fibernetics to route the call to the destination). But the problem could also be with the mobile provider.


Fibernetics is the parent company of FPL and Fongo.

If you're positive you're dialing the right number, and if the number dialed matches the proper format I outlined previously (which you haven't confirmed yet), then I don't see why the issue is on your end: https://www.wikihow.com/Call-Hong-Kong# ... g_Kong_sub.

Device configuration issues are the user's problem (and a lot of problems posted on these forums are on the user's end); those issues do not qualify for free technical support. Carrier issues are not your problem. Besides, it's not as though Fibernetics wants to lose money by suddenly having people not wanting to buy World Credits to dial long distance to Hong Kong mobile numbers. So, I would submit a ticket.
Please do not send me emails; I do not work for nor represent Freephoneline or Fongo. Post questions on the forums so that others may learn from responses or assist you. Thank you. If you have an issue with your account or have a billing issue, submit a ticket here: https://support.fongo.com/hc/en-us/requests/new. Visit http://status.fongo.com/ to check FPL/Fongo service status. Freephoneline setup guides can be found at viewforum.php?f=15.
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Re: Cannot call Hong Kong mobile numbers

Postby Error401 » 11/11/2017

Liptonbrisk wrote:
If the issue isn't on your end, you don't need to pay. Choose World Credits or technical support. If you choose technical support, the ticket may be automatically closed. In that case, send the ticket number in a PM to Fongo Support as outlined in my original reply.

Again, it could be a carrier issue (and the issue might be with carrier chosen by Fibernetics to route the call to the destination). But the problem could also be with the mobile provider.

Fibernetics is the parent company of FPL.

If you're positive you're dialing the right number, and if the number dialed matches the proper format I outlined previously (which you haven't confirmed yet), then I don't see why the issue is on your end: https://www.wikihow.com/Call-Hong-Kong# ... g_Kong_sub.

Device configuration issues are the user's problem (and a lot of problems posted on these forums are on the user's end); those issues do not qualify for free technical support. Carrier issues are not your problem. Besides, it's not as though Fibernetics wants to lose money by suddenly having people not wanting to buy World Credits to dial long distance to Hong Kong mobile numbers. So, I would submit a ticket.


Yes, positive the numbers are dialed correctly, have been calling these numbers for as long as I remember and have had no issues (I think the most recent successful calls were like last week), and then it just stopped working -- it shows on the log as being a successful call with a duration of 1 minute, that's when I heard that weird error message.

Re: Fongo closing a ticket automatically, will I receive a 'ticket closed' reply from them? I did get an open ticket confirmation though... but have not heard back from Fongo yet.

Thanks again for all your help and the background info for this n00b.

Cheers
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Re: Cannot call Hong Kong mobile numbers

Postby Liptonbrisk » 11/12/2017

Error401 wrote:

Re: Fongo closing a ticket automatically, will I receive a 'ticket closed' reply from them?


Yes

I did get an open ticket confirmation though... but have not heard back from Fongo yet.


It's the weekend. I'd wait a couple of days for a response.
Please do not send me emails; I do not work for nor represent Freephoneline or Fongo. Post questions on the forums so that others may learn from responses or assist you. Thank you. If you have an issue with your account or have a billing issue, submit a ticket here: https://support.fongo.com/hc/en-us/requests/new. Visit http://status.fongo.com/ to check FPL/Fongo service status. Freephoneline setup guides can be found at viewforum.php?f=15.
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Re: Cannot call Hong Kong mobile numbers

Postby Error401 » 11/13/2017

Just to update everyone here, seems like the problem has resolved on its own as I've made yet another call today to the exact same mobile number and it went through with no issues.

FYI, the ticket was submitted on Nov 9 (Thursday), and considering this was most likely a carrier issue, FPL probably caught on with it via other users tickets? who knows, but I'm glad it's been resolved.

Thank you again, Liptonbrisk & Jake for your help.
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Re: Cannot call Hong Kong mobile numbers

Postby Liptonbrisk » 11/13/2017

Error401 wrote:Just to update everyone here, seems like the problem has resolved on its own as I've made yet another call today to the exact same mobile number and it went through with no issues.

FYI, the ticket was submitted on Nov 9 (Thursday), and considering this was most likely a carrier issue, FPL probably caught on with it via other users tickets? who knows, but I'm glad it's been resolved.

Thank you again, Liptonbrisk & Jake for your help.



Possibly Fongo support resolved the issue, but sometimes carrier issues are resolved by other parties (especially by the faulty carrier). Thank you for letting us know the problem is resolved.
Please do not send me emails; I do not work for nor represent Freephoneline or Fongo. Post questions on the forums so that others may learn from responses or assist you. Thank you. If you have an issue with your account or have a billing issue, submit a ticket here: https://support.fongo.com/hc/en-us/requests/new. Visit http://status.fongo.com/ to check FPL/Fongo service status. Freephoneline setup guides can be found at viewforum.php?f=15.
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