Ottawa is reconsidering a ruling that will let Bell Canada charge for directory service even when it doesn't deliver.

Starting next month, people in Ontario and Quebec have to pay 75 cents to dial 411, regardless of whether they get the number they ask for.

But a consumers group in Ottawa, the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, is challenging the new policy.

And it's using a recently conducted test in its appeal to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.

In the experiment, Bell was asked for 100 phone numbers that were listed. According to the Centre, operators gave out the wrong number, or said the number was not listed, about 20 per cent of the time.

"Bell and its operators are making a lot of errors," says Philippa Lawson, a spokeswoman for the Centre.

"Not only are customers frustrated when they call Bell because they can't get the number when it in fact exists, but they're being made to pay for it," Lawson says.

Bell disagrees. It says its operators give out the correct information 94 per cent of the time.

The company says it needs to charge more money for directory assistance because it's losing more than $10 million a year on the service.

"I think it's just another example of Bell nickel and diming people," says Bill Gleberzon, a member of Canada's Association for 50 Plus. "I think it's unnecessary."

Gleberzon's organization represents about 400,000 Canadians over the age of 50 who use directory assistance a lot.