When Santa Claus would tell you a story by phone (but not for free)

The kids wanted to hear Santa Claus tell them a story, but their parents didn't want to hear about the eventual bill.

In 1986, a new service allowed children to dial a number to hear a recording featuring the voice of the man in red.

He told the story in French to children dialling in from Quebec, while those in Ontario heard an English version.

The problem with the service?  

It was not a gift from Santa

It wasn't free, and not all parents were aware of that — including a couple whose son had inadvertently racked up $40 in charges from the phone company.

While a Quebec consumer group complained to a regulator about the issue, Bell Canada said it had sent customers a flyer with details about the service and its accompanying charges.

"We had no legal obligation of doing that, but we did ... and I think we've acted pretty responsibly in this case," said Andre Chapleau, a spokesperson for the phone company. 

But Bell said it would consider waiving charges for any customers who were legitimately unclear about how it worked.