Billing for Toll free Numbers. ( $6.33 for minute) ?

[YeePee]

I was billed when I tried to call the Govt. toll free number. What I did was to try to use the call forward option with Chatr (*21* <no> # ) . I call forwarded my Chatr phone to a 1-800 ( Federal Gove number ) and it worked. But for 3 minutes I got a hefty bill for 20 dollars. .. Does this happen to any one ?

YeePee

[e-smile]

hi YeePee, i found out last saturday that chatr charges $6.81 to anyone who uses a calling card (which is not your case, but hear me out).
this is how it happened, i dial *611 and get "rogers" csr instead of chatr, hung up, dial again, and again i get rogers. dial *225# and my balance went down from $14.15 to $0.53. dial *611 a third time, get to chatr csr and the rep asked me if i tried to use a calling card, because if i did, chatr charges $6.81 NON-REFUNDABLE to who ever do. i told her what i did, she checked the log and told me it shows 11611 as the number dialed by me and that is why the charge. she realized this was an error on their part and credited me the money back. good, but ... since last saturday i have been trying to get chatr to, either include this "hidden charge" on their web site so subscribers are aware of what it might cost them to be with this company, or at least send me an email with the info. the csr's have scaleted and always came back with the same answer: "we will not do it". i was trying to get something in writing before posting a warning here because in the past my integrity has been question because i am new to the site. unfortunately, doesnt look like i will be getting any written notification of this hidden charge from chatr. the only thing left for me is to say is: IF ANYONE WITH CHATR USES CALLING CARDS, CALL CS AND ASK ABOUT THE $6.81 HIDDEN CHARGE, they will confirm what i said.
unfortunately, after 6 months of nightmare services with wind and now "this" from chatr, i guess is going back to 1 dolar a day unlimited incoming and CALLMEBACK service for me ... (smile)

[YeePee]

Hi E-Smile

My mistake ,It was 6.81 per minute not 6.33 . I corrected the heading ..

I called 1 888 242 2100 which is Citizenship and Immigration Canada ,not a calling card...

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/contacts/index.asp

They still bill me at $6.81 Per minute.


Be careful with Chatr Wireless folks, they exist just to kill the new players and once they go away ( Rogers hope so ) they will kill their plan..
If you are call Toll free numbers do not sign up forChatr. You will get the billing shock of your life .. Ever heard about charging $6.81 per minute ??even in 80's I never heard about that kind of a charge..

[simon726]

I was considering switching with Chat-R (I commonly use to call toll-free numbers), but judging by the toll-free nightmares - I have to decided some alternate options.......

[me815]

Try to call this toll free number to see if they charge you when calling their own toll free number or not

1-800-485-9745

http://www.chatrwireless.com/web/cha...abel=ContactUs

but seriously, if they didn't say they will charge for calling toll free number anywhere on their Chatr website then we can always dispute and get the money back...

[lmcjipo]

I find charging extra for toll free numbers to be outrageous since the owner/company of the toll free number pays all extra or long distance charges. Calling a toll free number should cost the same as calling a local number... in some cases, it even costs less to call a toll free number than it does a local number (payphone, VoIP, etc.).

I've stayed at some hotels where local calls were free yet they charged extra for calling a toll free number which doesn't make any sense to me... or they charged 1 rate for local calls and a higher rate for toll free calls.

[computergeek541]

I used Chatr for a couple of months and routinely called toll free numbers. I was never erroneously billed for these calls. If you are billed for these types of calls, call customer service to have the charge corrected. You are not supposed be charged anything extra if you are in a Chatr zone.

[YeePee]

As e-smile and myself mentioned we got refund the first time but were warned that this is a one time refund and will be charged from now on. Try calling a toll free number you normally use like a Govt . call center etc. and see if it appears as a charged call in your bill.

YeePee

[simon726]

I went to discuss my case with Chat-R on their facebook page and they told me that I should have not be charged for toll-free numbers, but if I'm having issues - I have to call their customer care representatives for guidance and advice.

[Cmag]

I was billed when I tried to call the Govt. toll free number. What I did was to try to use the call forward option with Chatr (*21* <no> # ) . I call forwarded my Chatr phone to a 1-800 ( Federal Gove number ) and it worked. But for 3 minutes I got a hefty bill for 20 dollars. .. Does this happen to any one ?

YeePee

I'm not on Chatr (using Virgin Mobile, but looking at my options), so I can't say for sure, but the fact that you call forwarded to a number that may be in another area code, even though it's a toll free call via normal dialing, is more likely the cause of such a bizarre charge. If a number is in the 416 and we forward it to a 1-800 number based in Halifax, Vancouver, or elsewhere, aren't we essentially roaming in the other area code when the call goes through?

Just wondering, is there a particular reason why you call forwarded to the number instead of dialing directly? I don't doubt Rogers, or any of the other providers, aren't capable of this kind of screw-up - I know they all do it on a regular basis. I'm just trying to figure out if there's logical explanation besides the general incompetence or greed that we tend to point at when these kind of things happen. In any case, I hope they reversed the charges for you.

[HC - NO "i"]

Folks,

The issue related to Toll-free / the "star" numbers is more technical rather than policies. It is all about the switches and exchanges that handle the numbers along the route. So it seems to me there are two possibilities...

a) Rogers has got some "bugs" when setting up the SOC for these types of calls on Chatr.

b) There are many toll-free numbers are handled by the incumbent / regional telcos' exchanges rather than Rogers e.g. Bell in ON and QC, Bell-Aliant in the Atlantic Canada, TELUS in BC and AB, MTS-Allstream in MB and SaskTel in SK, etc. Certain newly assigned pool of Chatr numbers may have yet to be updated by the local exchanges, which would route the calls to the those toll-free numbers without the right tariff accordingly.

Though I cannot 100% certain, I would not hesitate to put my pointing finger to b). BTW, try to find out if your Chatr number could not be reached by some callers from other providers e.g. Bell, TELUS, etc. If so, it is a tell-tale sign.

YeePee,

Greetings.

Regarding call forward / divert to a toll-free number... Hmm, I think it is not necessarily treated as local call at all even you manage to call forward to one successfully. Some operators like at&t specifically barring call forward to toll-free numbers.

[Fortissimo]

IMHO, sure Toll Free calls are not the same as local calls. And thus Chatr should have to provide a written rule in order to charge extra for it, similar to what they charge for LD rates. If they say they won't provide a written rule, how do you know they don't change the rate to $68.10 tomorrow and $681.00 the following week?

[Perry]

why would you call forward to a 1-800 govt number. This thread makes no sense.

You were not just dialing a 1-800, so your thread title is misleading.

[stangri.bc]

Yeah, forwarding to the number you wanted to call doesn't sound credible.

On another note, I was hit with the same rates when I dialed #730 -- it is a free number on any other network I've used (traffic status radio in Vancouver, I always call them to report a speed trap).

[83snickersee]

dialing 800 numbers outright is no extra charge. I was kinda hesitant after seeing this thread but I tried recently and can confirm that there is no extra charge.