Is there a limit to how much a collect call should cost? The answer might surprise you. Chris Olsen with what you need to know before you say "I accept."

Brenda Lee Giles's troubles with her phone bill started with three collect calls from Cuba from her son's girlfriend.

The total for just three 30-minute phone calls was close to $600, which pushed her total phone bill to almost $1,000.

"I was flabbergasted because of the cost," Giles said.

She called Telus and was told she was being billed by two other companies: Canopco and Clear View Communications.

"I called them and asked them about it and they said ‘That's our rate,'" Giles said.

That's a rate of between $5 and $9 per minute.

"I was devastated knowing I had to pay this $1,000 phone bill," she said.

She made arrangements to pay the bill off over the next year.

CTV News contacted Canopco and told them of Brenda's situation. The company acted quickly to reverse the charges. A spokesperson said Canopco encourages customers to ask questions about rates before placing a call or accepting one -- and to contact them directly if there is a dispute. Just ask for a supervisor.

Calls and e-mails from CTV News to the other company, Clear View, were not returned.

Giles wondered if there some legal limit to what companies could charge. CTV asked the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Servicers, Howard Maker.

"Our federal government has decided where there is competition there is no need for regulation or price capping," Maker said.

If there is no limit, CTV wondered why Canadian companies like Clear View and Canopco don't have to disclose their rates before you accept the call.

"There is no formal legal requirement around disclosure because there is no regulation," Maker said.

Giles believes they should be required to disclose rates and all fees.

"Absolutely, (to) give you the benefit of saying yes or no," she said.

Before you accept any collect call, ask who the company is and their rates. Finally, keep it short. It's always cheaper if you call back direct yourself.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Chris Olsen.