A Metro Vancouver man was erroneously charged international calling fees by Freedom Mobile after a conversation with the BC 310 Mental Health Support hotline.
The province-wide program has two toll-free numbers that operate 24/7 and provide emotional support related to various mental health concerns and information on appropriate referral options for people in crisis. One of the two numbers doesn't require an area code and the other has a 1-866 area code which is a method used by many Canadian businesses to connect with a toll-free number that can be dialled without charging the caller.
Freedom Mobile customer Philip had a 20-minute phone call with the number that doesn't require an area code and a few days later received a nasty surprise. (To ensure his privacy, V.I.A. will not disclose Philip's last name.)
"I personally didn't know until I randomly checked my account as I couldn't call my family abroad," he tells V.I.A. over email. "I lost $33 for talking to the mental health hotline."
Philip posted about the charge on the Freedom Mobile Subreddit forum and found many other people had gone through the same experience.
A member of the Freedom Mobile Media Relations Team confirmed that "an unfortunate technical problem" led to the charge appearing on Philip's account. "The BC Mental Health and Wellness line is indeed toll-free, and the customer should not have been charged for their call," says the representative.
In a direct message exchange between Philip and Freedom Mobile, the cell provider blamed the lack of area code as the cause for the international charges. Stating: "I believe the charge occurred because 310-6789 was dialled rather than the 1-800 number itself."
Philip has the Freedom annual 50GB plan which should entitle him to unlimited talk and text within Canada so even if the B.C. call wasn't toll-free it still shouldn't incur international calling charges. He was issued a full refund but expresses concern over the issue happening to other people, especially those who, like him, may not know that an accidental charge is a possibility. He has submitted a report to the Commission for Complaints for Telecom‑television (CCTS) but has yet to hear back.
Freedom Mobile promises that they are taking the issue "very seriously" and say that their "teams are actively working to resolve it as quickly as possible."
"A permanent solution should be implemented within the next 24 hours," says the spokesperson. In the meantime, any person who calls the mental health hotline before the problem is resolved may contact customer support to have the charges erased.
"We encourage any person looking for help to seek it without worrying about call charges," says Freedom.
The BC Crisis Centre has also commended Philip for coming forward with this issue, saying, "no one else will have the experience you did. Thank you for letting us know, and for helping others avoid that stress."
