My daughter made a 3 minute call to the US from the CDG airport in Paris using a credit card. The price on the phone was marked 1.50 euro per minute. When I got my credit card the charge was for $55.89! When I called to complain I was told that 1.50 Euro was for coin calls only even though there was nothing to indicate that the price would be different. The company is called Network Operator Services (though I don't think their name is anywhere on the phone) and they have phones all over the world. Anyway, I'm disputing this with my credit card company but I don't want anyone else to go through this hassle.

What phone? A pay phone? Does she read French well enough to have understood the charges?

Hi MD,

Your daughter was not the first person to be caught by one of the independent phone services.

Also beware of independent ATMs. They charge fees that the bank ATMs don't.

Does one avoid this by buying a phone card? or finding a different public phone? or... ?

Buy a phone card and you will avoid this rip-off.

This is commonplace. Never use a service where you have to enter your credit card number to make a telephone call. The costs can be shocking. This is not so bad as some stories I have read.