Google Voice in 403 problem

**Jibs20** · 06-20-2012, 08:54 AM

Hey everyone, i've been reading a lot about getting google voice activated for use in canada using the 403 area code. I used hotspot shield to mask my ip address and with the help of a friend in the u.s i registered my google voice account and was given a 403 area code gv number. After the registration was completed i wanted to go into my gv account and change the phone number that google voice forwards too, but none of the options that i'm supposed to select were available.

Has anyone else who has registered gv in canada under the 403 area code had this problem? Is there a reason why i'm missing menu options and is there a fix?

Thanks for the help

**anupunu637** · 06-23-2012, 08:16 AM

in some country google voice is not working

**brucele** · 06-24-2012, 07:55 PM

403 loophole doesn't work anymore

those that added 403 number before the loophole was closed has been grandfathered

**Jibs20** · 06-25-2012, 06:31 PM

Thanks for the definitive information, i can quit trying to make it work now. Thanks

**sachmomo** · 09-07-2012, 01:04 AM

Hi Jibs,

Don't think you should give up just yet....

I actually JUST signed up (Sept 5th)for a GV account and got a 403 number. I now have it working flawlessly with the GV Callback App (search for Xinlu app available, not Voice+ as found on the market) and using the 403 # as one of my ten favorite numbers.

I can confirm that it works as advertised. You place an outgoing call from your phone. The Call Back App intercepts the call and contacts GV (using a small amount of data, about 7kb per call). GV spoofs your number and calls you back (hence on your phone, you will see an incoming call with your 403#). Once you answer the call, GV then calls out your recipient. Your recipient will see your 403# show up on their caller ID. Since GV is ALWAYS calling you back with your 403#, it can be used as one of your My 10#'s (Unlimited incoming also works, but with my 10, you can receive the call anywhere in Canada without LD charges. On a side note, this will also work in the US if you are travelling and buy a Prepaid Sim card on a US carrier like T_Mobile)

While the 403 call forward loophole is indeed closed, Google is still assigning a 403 #s (Shows up as Airdrie, Cochrane, High River and Okotoaks). There is a trick to actually getting this 403#. My guess is when you signed up, you requested a 403#. GV would have showed a series of numbers available, howver when you tried to request the number, it could not be assigned. Sound right?

Originally Posted by Jibs20

Thanks for the definitive information, i can quit trying to make it work now. Thanks

**ceredon** · 09-07-2012, 07:46 AM

Originally Posted by sachmomo

Hi Jibs,

Don't think you should give up just yet....

I actually JUST signed up (Sept 5th)for a GV account and got a 403 number. I now have it working flawlessly with the GV Callback App (search for Xinlu app available, not Voice+ as found on the market) and using the 403 # as one of my ten favorite numbers.

I can confirm that it works as advertised. You place an outgoing call from your phone. The Call Back App intercepts the call and contacts GV (using a small amount of data, about 7kb per call). GV spoofs your number and calls you back (hence on your phone, you will see an incoming call with your 403#). Once you answer the call, GV then calls out your recipient. Your recipient will see your 403# show up on their caller ID. Since GV is ALWAYS calling you back with your 403#, it can be used as one of your My 10#'s (Unlimited incoming also works, but with my 10, you can receive the call anywhere in Canada without LD charges. On a side note, this will also work in the US if you are travelling and buy a Prepaid Sim card on a US carrier like T_Mobile)

While the 403 call forward loophole is indeed closed, Google is still assigning a 403 #s (Shows up as Airdrie, Cochrane, High River and Okotoaks). There is a trick to actually getting this 403#. My guess is when you signed up, you requested a 403#. GV would have showed a series of numbers available, howver when you tried to request the number, it could not be assigned. Sound right?

Wait, what? Are you saying GoogleVoice gave you a 403 number? That's new. It never used to give out 403 numbers. The 403 loophole was that you could use a 403 number as your forwarding number and hence allow you to activate and forward.

**sachmomo** · 09-07-2012, 12:51 PM

Yes sir....i will post a screen shot when i get home

**sachmomo** · 09-07-2012, 12:53 PM

And no, it is not google talk like from the browser, it is Google Voice!

**ceredon** · 09-07-2012, 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by sachmomo

Yes sir....i will post a screen shot when i get home

In that case I would be interested in finding out the trick to get GV to assign a 403 number. I have a US GV number now that forwards to a 403 FPL number. Getting a GV 403 number would be helpful, since when my plan expires next year I will lose US calling, so it won't be worthwhile to use my US GV number for VM. If I can get a 403 number, then I can at least forward there for VM, though I guess I would still need Canadian long distance.

**cscat** · 10-11-2012, 08:35 PM

Hi there,
I am also interested to know how this can be done. Country in my Gmail is set to Canada (as I am Canadian) and when signing for a 403 (Note: not forwarding to a 403 number), it goes through everything until verifying an existing number. It doesn't matter what number (in US or in Canada) I put, it just gives the same error: "Country of the new forwarding phone does not match the existing ones."

What area code number did you use to forward your 403 number to?

Thanks for clarifying this and helping us out.

**mch** · 10-13-2012, 08:30 PM

Here is a data point.

I was able to get one of these 403 numbers successfully on a GV account that already had a US number and is forwarded to a US phone.

Did change number. Paid $10 on my US credit card for the change. Then paid $20 to make both numbers permanent.

Now I have a GV account with both a Canadian and a US number. Switching back and forth between numbers for outgoing callerID is a signin and click to make whichever number I want "primary"

Very nice. I was using line2 to get this kind of functionality with a Canadian number. This is cheaper.

**cscat** · 10-16-2012, 08:48 AM

Thanks you very much mch. Tested it and it works! I didn't actually buy my number yet though. Will do, but I'm curious how sachmomo did too!

**ceredon** · 10-16-2012, 08:53 AM

Originally Posted by mch

Here is a data point.

I was able to get one of these 403 numbers successfully on a GV account that already had a US number and is forwarded to a US phone.

Did change number. Paid $10 on my US credit card for the change. Then paid $20 to make both numbers permanent.

Now I have a GV account with both a Canadian and a US number. Switching back and forth between numbers for outgoing callerID is a signin and click to make whichever number I want "primary"

Very nice. I was using line2 to get this kind of functionality with a Canadian number. This is cheaper.

So, is the 403 number on your GV account a forwarding number or it is a GV number? When you say you did a number change, does that mean you changed your assigned GV number from a US number to a 403 number?

**mch** · 10-16-2012, 09:37 AM

Originally Posted by ceredon

So, is the 403 number on your GV account a forwarding number or it is a GV number? When you say you did a number change, does that mean you changed your assigned GV number from a US number to a 403 number?

Yes, I changed my assigned GV number from a US number to a 403 number, then paid the $20 fee to make both numbers permanent.

The forwarding number on the account is unchanged, a US mobile phone number in area code 206.

I am Canadian, but live/work in the US, so having a GV account with both a Canadian and US number is convenient for me.

**ceredon** · 10-16-2012, 10:34 AM

Originally Posted by mch

Yes, I changed my assigned GV number from a US number to a 403 number, then paid the $20 fee to make both numbers permanent.

The forwarding number on the account is unchanged, a US mobile phone number in area code 206.

I am Canadian, but live/work in the US, so having a GV account with both a Canadian and US number is convenient for me.

Thanks. I may look into this. My current setup is I have a US GV number that forwards to a 403 number. My Canadian cell is set to conditionally forward calls to my US GV number (only viable because I have unlimited US calling). But next year I may switch to a plan without US calling. If I can get my GV setup using a 403 number as it's main GV number, then I could forward VM to that number. Even better would be if I could use your method to assign a non-403 Canadian number as my GV number but I've not read anywhere that is yet possible.