Calling 1-800 freephone numbers from Canada

[kofsw4]

I called some 1-800 and other freephone numbers while in Canada from my pay monthly Vodafone mobile recently expecting these to be included in my £6/day roam further allowances (Canada has the same country code +1 as the USA and these were mostly Candadian businesses) but Vodafone has charged me as if I had made calls to the USA (@ approx £2/min).

Is this correct? I have ended up with around £200 worth of calls that I don't think I should have been charged for.

Thanks

[Gemma]

@floorhead - We don’t want to lose you as a customer! I’ve searched for your email via the address you’ve registered to the Community with and nothing’s showing. Please let us know the reference from the auto reply email (it looks like #123456). If you’ve replied to the private message rather than emailing us via the link, then please resend us your details by following the steps from the private message @Mark sent.  

[floorhead]

@Gemma

it must not have worked the first time but I've just done it again:

#19938029

[isdoo]

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@nicholaszed wrote:

I'm sorry to tell you that 0800 numbers are only free in the country of origin,that is why you've been charged.

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Which is exactly what he did!  

Freephone numbers should be free in the country that you are in. 

[Andrew159]

Did this ever get resolved? I've seen the same issue from phoning Air Canada's toll free customer services number.

Vodafone insist it is a US number but this is the number Air Canada, a Canadian company is giving to customers in Canada that says it is toll free.

I'm addition to that it is not possible to use the equivalent number provided to UK customers because the number starts with 00800 which is apparently a long distance free phone number to the United States but which doesn't connect when phoning from abroad.

[Tash]

@Andrew159 As @TJ has provided above, toll free numbers wouldn't be classed as a standard landline or mobile number meaning there would be a charge for this.

If you use a Canadian landline this will mean the number you're trying to call is toll free and will prevent any further charges being generated on your mobile.

[Andrew159]

I think that's an interesting way for Vodafone to ignore the issue. I would be tempted to agree if calls to toll free numbers were charged in the US as well but they aren't. The USA and Canada are part of the North American numbering plan which assigns 1-800 and 1-888 numbers as toll free in both countries. Vodafone seems to treat all of those numbers as part of the USA regardless of whether those numbers are for Canadian or US companies. The correct thing to do would be to consider them part of the USA and Canada.

As for using a landline... No-one has a landline anymore and as a visitor I certainly don't have the ability to procure one.

[ToniCa]

Well, I can give a thumbs up to Andrew's post - so why can't I give a
thumbs down to Natasha's "remarkable" post?

[isdoo]

What a shame that Vodafone considers a freephone number to be chargeable. 

What a crazy idea! 

[LThomas999]

It is a shame and a disgrace. My wife's luggage was lost on arrival in Canada. She called the WestJet, A Canadian Company, number to locate her missing baggage. She had no way of knowing the call was routed to the US. At the end of it, the Vodafone bill was £528 charged a £3/minute. Ridiculous. Expecting £6/day and receiving a bill of £528 was more than a surprise. The person on the support line offered no assistance, alternative or reductions towing the company line.  A company without conscience.  

I'm posting this to warn others of this GAP and will post on other social media sites.

Currently buying out my contract is £670 which is less than my last invoice. It's cheaper to terminate the contract than continue.