Rant: Calling Home Bank in North America put on hold while call collect

I found two strange charges on my US credit card and think it's compromised so I called visa
and they were quick to answer and had no problems shutting the card down and re-issuing a new one.
Took 5 minutes.

But then they told me I have to call my home bank (another number) to file a dispute on the charges so
they can remove the charges.  I called them twice.  The first time I had went through the automated system
and then had to wait over 10 minutes of there stupid song that looped over and over with a message every 30 seconds
"your call is important to us, the reps are all busy on other lines so please wait blah blah blah" all the while I'm on
a phone card calling collect.

I tried again 1 hour later and this time waited for 23 minutes and still nobody got to me, just the dumb song looping
and the message telling me everyone is busy please wait for the next available ...your call is important to us blah blah....

I just waited 35 minutes of collect calling and this always happens when I have to call any service back in North America...
I don't know why they make us wait this long, especially when the call is not free for us and we are paying by the minute...

The internet used to pay by the minute, and now it's unlimited....why is calling still so old fashioned and charging us so expensive
rates for doing nothing but being put on hold for 35 minutes!??  You'd think in 2019 by now we'd have unlimited or free long distance calling like how the internet is unlimited usage.

If your bank has an 800 number use skype its free.

If not then use the calling code 00345 or 1688-4949, works from cell phones too.

Flat rate unlimited calling is called Skype.

About $50 a year for the number and $4 a month for unlimited calls to Canada.

I pay per-minute to other countries.

Any VoIP app will do the trick for you. I use one called OTO and it has worked well for me over the years.

*edit* I'll add that before using OTO that I used Skype because it gave you a number that could be called from your home country as well as making cheap calls. Unfortunately, it was rarely if ever used for incoming calls so I switched to OTO which makes calls completely free as it only uses data from my phone's plan.

Also, I don't think you're using the term 'collect call' correctly. A collect call is when the receiver of the call accepts to pay for the charges.

You don't use Skype?  I buy credit and use it up as I need it.  Calling a 1 800 number or a local number in Canada or America to speak to friends and relatives or my bank or whatever works out to about 2 cents a minute?  It did.  Rates may have changed a bit, but I think is still the same.  I've used it for years.  I don't call home enough though to buy the monthly plan which is also an option.  I buy 20 or 30 thousand won of credit once a year or so and it's all I need.  I usually use facebook messanger to type messages to my mom, sister, some friends back home, etc.  I only call occasionally.  My 88 year old grandma does use facebook on the computer but it's easier to call her and my dad uses e mail but no facebook.  So, I got to call home sometimes.  Anyways, always an option.  Also, RBC bank also puts you on hold like forever.  So, might as well use the cheap calling. 

Flat rate unlimited calling is called Skype.

About $50 a year for the number and $4 a month for unlimited calls to Canada.

I pay per-minute to other countries.

Ooh. I didn't know that. I've always loaded $25 on and set it to auto recharge. But I think I use about $75 a year calling to Canada. I guess that probably works out to the same as what you pay. But it'd be kind of nice to have a Skype number, too.

Also yeah - use Skype, for real. It's cheap-as-free.

Flat rate unlimited calling is called Skype.

About $50 a year for the number and $4 a month for unlimited calls to Canada.

I pay per-minute to other countries.

Ooh. I didn't know that. I've always loaded $25 on and set it to auto recharge. But I think I use about $75 a year calling to Canada. I guess that probably works out to the same as what you pay. But it'd be kind of nice to have a Skype number, too.

Also yeah - use Skype, for real. It's cheap-as-free.

I have a US number and a UK number.

People pick up the phone and call me back at a much higher rate than when I called from a Korean phone number.

Also, a +1 xxx yyy yyyy format number allows me to fill out web forms!

Flat rate unlimited calling is called Skype.

About $50 a year for the number and $4 a month for unlimited calls to Canada.

I pay per-minute to other countries.

Ooh. I didn't know that. I've always loaded $25 on and set it to auto recharge. But I think I use about $75 a year calling to Canada. I guess that probably works out to the same as what you pay. But it'd be kind of nice to have a Skype number, too.

Also yeah - use Skype, for real. It's cheap-as-free.

I have a US number and a UK number.

People pick up the phone and call me back at a much higher rate than when I called from a Korean phone number.

Also, a +1 xxx yyy yyyy format number allows me to fill out web forms!

Cool. I didn't know that. When I call people from my pay-as-you-go kind of Skype subscription, they just see a random number on their call display. I've never had anyone call me in Korea on my Korean number. People usually just message me and then I call them. I'll have to look into it.

If you have a google voice number, on a computer you should be able to go to google hangouts and make phone calls to NA. There's a google voice extension that might have to be installed.

But it doesn't work trying to use it through a phone. Before, it only worked for me if I was connected through a US VPN but lately it's just worked. Obviously, you'll need a headset or microphone.

I remember being able to buy international calling cards for 10,000 won that were good for about 12 hours of call time to Canada. I used to drink and dial all the time.

Nonetheless, when you get that automated voice jive immediately press "0" that should bypass all the jive and hook you up with a human.