My daughter is a volunteer medical worker in Nicaragua.in November and December she called home to Oklahoma, USA. She stated that she had found a way to call home using her credit card (Dad's) that was cheaper than the phone card she had been using. The advertised cost would be "one Cordoba per minute". The current exchange rate is approximately 18 Cordobas to 1 Dollar. She made several phone calls home to the USA of about 20 min. Or less each. We were shocked when the credit card bill came and we were billed as much as $86.76 per call, for a total of $367.03. I was expecting $10 to $20, this was outrageous! My daughter would never have considered the call if she had know it was that expensive.
I immediately called the credit card and requested the charges be put in contest. They said they could not do that until I had contacted the company placing the charge. The gave me a contact number 866-390-3441.
When I contacted the company I was told that that rate was not for credit card calls. For credit card calls the rate is $10 connection charge plus $3.67 per minute with a minimum of 5 minutes. Then he said, "There is no way you would have known that unless you talked to the operator." Clearly this is set up to scam unsuspecting customers and make a one time only killing.
The company offered to give a token reduction to the bill. I said that I was going to place the charge in contest. He said if I were going to do that he would not give me the discount. This sounds like blackmail to me. After a little more conversation he said he would give a reduction which was equal to about half the bill. I said to give it to me. If this bill had been a legitimate charge I'm sure he would not have been so ready to cut the bill 50%. The credit card statement does show a credit.
To add insult to injury I just opened my home phone bill, and it shows a reverse charges call from Nicaragua that is basically $50 for a 5 min. Call.international Satelite Communications (an alias) is listed as the carrier.
If you do a web site search you will not find rates listed anywhere.
This appears to me to be a clear case of false advertising and unfair business practices.
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