Do any of you remember "900 numbers"?

[KCRoadFan]

For me, this is post number 900, which made me think of so-called "900 numbers" - an 80's and 90's phenomenon that I'm too young to remember myself, but which I've read about some. From what I can tell, they were phone numbers starting with 900 (of course), and charged a fee per minute. Many of the "900 numbers" had the sort of info that you would look up on the internet or smartphone today - weather, sports scores, and stuff like that. Other ones, however, connected you to, I might say, crazier stuff - celebrity hotlines and that sort of thing.

Anyway, do any of you remember having called a "900 number", and if so, what was the experience like?

[Flint1979]

For me, this is post number 900, which made me think of so-called "900 numbers" - an 80's and 90's phenomenon that I'm too young to remember myself, but which I've read about some. From what I can tell, they were phone numbers starting with 900 (of course), and charged a fee per minute. Many of the "900 numbers" had the sort of info that you would look up on the internet or smartphone today - weather, sports scores, and stuff like that. Other ones, however, connected you to, I might say, crazier stuff - celebrity hotlines and that sort of thing.

Anyway, do any of you remember having called a "900 number", and if so, what was the experience like?

Yeah they were a phone number you called and they charged your phone bill for it. It was for entertainment purposes for the most part like psychic hotlines, and adult chat lines and stuff. They'd charge like $2.99 for the first minute then like $0.99 for each minute after that give or take a few bucks lol.

[Henry]

For me, this is post number 900, which made me think of so-called "900 numbers" - an 80's and 90's phenomenon that I'm too young to remember myself, but which I've read about some. From what I can tell, they were phone numbers starting with 900 (of course), and charged a fee per minute. Many of the "900 numbers" had the sort of info that you would look up on the internet or smartphone today - weather, sports scores, and stuff like that. Other ones, however, connected you to, I might say, crazier stuff - celebrity hotlines and that sort of thing.

Anyway, do any of you remember having called a "900 number", and if so, what was the experience like?

Yeah they were a phone number you called and they charged your phone bill for it. It was for entertainment purposes for the most part like psychic hotlines, and adult chat lines and stuff. They'd charge like $2.99 for the first minute then like $0.99 for each minute after that give or take a few bucks lol.

Also, 976-xxxx was a local variant of the 900 number.

[Rothman]

I am happy when the young people admit that they are young.

You're too young to be dialing 900 numbers.

[mgk920]

IIRC, the first use of a '900' number was in a  radio call-in program put on by the then President Jimmy Carter.  Yes, it was toll free, but it was in the late 1970s.

Mike

[CNGL-Leudimin]

This I assume it's for any numbers internationally starting with +1. Because for those starting with +34, the 900 numbers are toll-free lines (akin to your 800).

[MikeTheActuary]

There is, of course, a Wikipedia entry on the subject: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premium-rate_telephone_number#United_States_and_Canada

[SectorZ]

Dork alert for myself, the only 900 line I ever called (and yes with my parents permission) was the Nintendo Power Hotline, that I think I called three times in my life over a period of a few years.

I can't imagine having a job where you played video games and help people (mostly kids) try to get thru difficult spots over the phone.

So, yes, file that 900 line under things that became extinct and unnecessary when the internet arrived.

[Rothman]

Dork alert for myself, the only 900 line I ever called (and yes with my parents permission) was the Nintendo Power Hotline, that I think I called three times in my life over a period of a few years.

I can't imagine having a job where you played video games and help people (mostly kids) try to get thru difficult spots over the phone.

So, yes, file that 900 line under things that became extinct and unnecessary when the internet arrived.

I wonder if they played the video games and instead just had a rolodex of tips.

Nintendo was pretty overt about Nintendo Power's purpose being getting kids through games quicker so they would buy new games quicker.

[Ted$8roadFan]

I do remember 900 numbers when i was younger.  although I don't recall calling any, in fear of my parents finding out on the next phone bill.

[kirbykart]

I am happy when the young people admit that they are young.

You're too young to be dialing 900 numbers.

Why do you keep changing quotes in thread titles to '"'? It doesn't display a quote and is frankly really annoying. I don't understand it.

[hotdogPi]

I am happy when the young people admit that they are young.

You're too young to be dialing 900 numbers.

Why do you keep changing quotes in thread titles to '"'? It doesn't display a quote and is frankly really annoying. I don't understand it.

Using my phone on the website does it automatically. (EDIT: Not Tapatalk. The website on Safari.)

As for 900 numbers, I've wanted to enter one for "enter your phone number to sign up for texts" for a company I really hate so that the company is forced to lose money from it, but I don't know if it would do what I want, and I also wouldn't want the owner to receive the "spam" texts.

[kirbykart]

I am happy when the young people admit that they are young.

You're too young to be dialing 900 numbers.

Why do you keep changing quotes in thread titles to '"'? It doesn't display a quote and is frankly really annoying. I don't understand it.

Using my phone on the website does it automatically.

Is that using the Tapatalk service? Because that doesn't happen for me on the website on my phone.

[Pete from Boston]

I called exactly one, in 1983. It was advertised at the end of a sitcom called "Mr. Smith,"  in which an orangutan accidentally gains a human personality and becomes a political advisor.

As kids, we assumed a 900 number, which even most adults had never heard of at that point, was free like an 800 number. So we called and listened to a three-minute recording of television producer Ed. Weinberger as Mr. Smith.

We got a stern talking-to when the bill came with a 50¢ charge for that call ($1.52 in 2023 dollars). If you grew up using the phone regularly as a kid before the 2000s you probably know about getting in trouble for the cost of your phone calls, then billed individually.

I never called one again. "Mr. Smith"  was cancelled after 13 episodes.

[Rothman]

I am happy when the young people admit that they are young.

You're too young to be dialing 900 numbers.

Why do you keep changing quotes in thread titles to '"'? It doesn't display a quote and is frankly really annoying. I don't understand it.

Please direct your complaint to Tapatalk.

Heck, I don't fully understand what you're getting at anyway, since it doesn't appear on my phone in Tapatalk.

Anyway, not my problem.

[hotdogPi]

Heck, I don't fully understand what you're getting at anyway, since it doesn't appear on my phone in Tapatalk.

It appears when either of the following is true:

1. Someone makes a post on an affected device.
2. Someone quotes a post that's been affected.

Each post displays the same for everyone. For example, since what I'm posting right now satisfies condition #2, it will show """ for everyone, but reply #13 will look normal for everyone, even on affected devices.

[abefroman329]

I wonder if they played the video games and instead just had a rolodex of tips.

If The Wizard is to be believed, then yeah, they just had binders of walkthroughs for games and would read to you from those.

[abefroman329]

We got a stern talking-to when the bill came with a 50¢ charge for that call ($1.52 in 2023 dollars). If you grew up using the phone regularly as a kid before the 2000s you probably know about getting in trouble for the cost of your phone calls, then billed individually.

I'm not old enough to remember being billed for local calls, but I do remember having to beg permission to call the Nintendo Power help line.  I also remember waiting until after 7 pm to make a long-distance call, when the rates were lower.

[JayhawkCO]

We got a stern talking-to when the bill came with a 50¢ charge for that call ($1.52 in 2023 dollars). If you grew up using the phone regularly as a kid before the 2000s you probably know about getting in trouble for the cost of your phone calls, then billed individually.

I'm not old enough to remember being billed for local calls, but I do remember having to beg permission to call the Nintendo Power help line.  I also remember waiting until after 7 pm to make a long-distance call, when the rates were lower.

Similar. Never called the Nintendo Power line, but I remember when I was 8 or so and they'd have wrestling I-900 numbers to call that were $0.99 for the first minute and $3.99/minute after that. I never ended up being able to call. Probably better off for all of us.

It was mentioned upthread, but for the younguns here, 1-976 numbers were the same thing but for phone sex.

[Rothman]

I wonder if they played the video games and instead just had a rolodex of tips.

If The Wizard is to be believed, then yeah, they just had binders of walkthroughs for games and would read to you from those.

Ha!  Best product placement movie ever.

[abefroman329]

I wonder if they played the video games and instead just had a rolodex of tips.

If The Wizard is to be believed, then yeah, they just had binders of walkthroughs for games and would read to you from those.

Ha!  Best product placement movie ever.

It's pretty shameless.  But it's no Mac and Me.

[LilianaUwU]

I need to mention the primary purpose for 900 and 976 numbers, at least in French Canada: hotlines for not too family friendly stuff.

[abefroman329]

I need to mention the primary purpose for 900 and 976 numbers, at least in French Canada: hotlines for not too family friendly stuff.

Yes, they were primarily phone sex lines in the US as well.  People are tiptoeing around that fact for reasons that are unclear to me.

[LilianaUwU]

I need to mention the primary purpose for 900 and 976 numbers, at least in French Canada: hotlines for not too family friendly stuff.

Yes, they were primarily phone sex lines in the US as well.  People are tiptoeing around that fact for reasons that are unclear to me.

Hell, I tiptoed around calling them sex hotlines myself. Then again, we're not all adults here.

[hbelkins]

900-976-1313.

For some reason, that number has always stuck out in my head, even though I can't remember what it was for.