PHONE companies are reaping millions of dollars by charging for dialling "freecall" numbers from mobile phones, consumer groups said.

Three lobby groups lodged a joint "super complaint" with the Australian Communication and Media Authority to stop mobile phone companies charging users for dialling 1800 numbers, which are free from a land line.

Many people are unaware that the number is treated differently from a mobile and that an eight-minute phone call from a mobile to a freecall number costs about $7.50.

Users are being stung for calls to crisis support service Lifeline and government agencies such as Veterans Affairs, Centrelink and Medicare.

Some phone companies are even double charging for 1800 numbers - billing both the business which received the call and the mobile customer.



Freecall numbers were introduced in 1997 to remove the financial barrier for contacting essential services.

But with more than twice as many mobiles than land lines in Australia, regulation had not kept up with technology, Australian Communications Consumer Action Network chief Teresa Corbin said.

"We're really concerned about vulnerable consumers who have to contact essential services and are being charged for it," Ms Corbin said.

"These people are counting costs in dollars and cents and they are usually on pre-paid so they know these calls are using up their credit."

ACCAN along with the Australian Financial Counselling and Credit Reform Association and the Australian Council of Social Services have jointly complained about the freecall charges to ACMA.

To make matters worse the practice is leading to cases of bill shock, with some providers excluding freecall numbers from "capped" plans.

"These numbers are listed in the fine print as one of the exclusions," Ms Corbin said. "You have to read the contract carefully to spot them."

There are now 24 million mobile phone services in Australia and Ms Corbin called on ACMA to find a resolution to the problem within 90 days.

A Telstra spokeswoman said land lines and mobile phones were different products and priced accordingly.

"As for pricing on 1800 and 1300 number this is an issue for ACMA," she said.

In the year to July 2009, Australians made more than 260,000 complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman about their telephone service provider.

Almost half related to billing and payment. ACMA could not be reached for comment.