I was charged for 411 and taxi calls I never made

[maryg]

I'm a senior and rarely use my phone.  My bill is usually $28.  This month my bill was $49 because Fido says I called 411 and Taxi a few times.   I've never called 411 or for a Taxi so how did this occur?  If I hit a wrong button on my phone is there a way to block 411 and Taxi from being used?   This is ridiculous that I'm charged almost double and never received any extra service.  Or is this just cash grab from low income subscribers?

[BobC83]

First, I want to know how you're paying $28/mo. Is it a pure talk and text plan with no data? I'd love to have a sub-$30 bill again.

I had something similar happen to me a few months ago. I called customer service and spent about a half hour saying that I couldn't possibly have made that call. They eventually refunded the charge.

One of the things they'll ask you, if you complain, is your IMEI number from your phone, which is basically its fingerprint to identify it uniquely from every other phone in the world. You'll need to look at your phone's documentation to figure out how to find the IMEI, but if Fido determines that your phone didn't make that call, they'll give your money back.

[Marquesduarte]

No, Fido wil NOT credit you back for 411 charges. 

[Original_Lucy · Accepted solution]

Hello @maryg , strange calls on your phone is a concern for sure. If you didn't make these calls, is it possible someone else did? Have you looked in you phone app under recently called heading and checked for any call made in the last billing month? I don't believe that Fido would randomly charge you for calls that weren't made from your phone. 

Have you tried calling into fido at *611 from your phone to speak with an agent to look at your account?  I am pretty confident that a fido customer service rep would be able to  help you solve the issue. Take care

[yangli2004]

I had the same issue. It happened twice on my statements. The long distance calls to US numbers I nerve made. I can't find the number or calls on my phone app history. I definitely will transfer my number to other carriers. 

[FidoSaad]

Hey there @yangli2004!

Welcome to the Community

Do you perhaps make long distance calls using third party apps? If that's the case, we would suggest verifying your calling history on those apps to see if matches. It's important to note that these apps can switch to normal calls in some situations.

As mentioned by @Original_Lucy, you can reach out to us on these channels and we'll be happy to look into it. Also, to add on what @BobC83 said, we will only charge you if there is usage made while using your Fido SIM card. That is the only way we can track a communication to your device.

Cheers!

[yangli2004]

No, that phone is used by my wife. She doesn't use Line or WhatsApp. And she doesn't know the number at all. She rarely makes phone call these days. Most of the time she uses Wechat calls which just use WiFi data.  If it happened again, I will definitely transfer my number Thanks. 

[BobC83]

& @maryg : Before you transfer, there is an escalation procedure to get your money back. One of the Fido reps here will be delighted to post the link here, since, contrary to their assertions, I can't seem to find it easily.

What I do know is that, if Fido won't refund you, your next step is the CRTC https://www.ccts-cprst.ca/for-consumers/

I also advise notifying your member of parliament and/or preferred federal political party that this is happening to seniors.