Can I ask interviewer to repay me for phone call?

[Based on the OP's most recent edit, this doesn't seem like it was a scam call. But I'm leaving this answer here in case someone else has a similar question.]

I'd like to suggest a second possibility.

This interview could have just been a scam. Some scammers trick people into calling back a premium international number so that they get a cut of the money.

See International Telephone Number Scams.

In which case, don't be surprised if the job never materializes (despite what they promised you during the interview), or if they try out additional scams on you.

So would it be acceptable -- and not unwise -- to politely ask him to cover the cost of my half of the interview call?

I agree that the charge you got is very high for one phone call, and I think that anybody would be surprised by such charge.

I also noticed that you returned the call and (given the lack of you mentioning it) the interviewer didn't see it as a problem or mention "hey Shawn, are you ok with you calling us back? This is an international call and you may be charged other rates"... this suggests that the interviewer was not aware that such a charge could happen to you.

However, if we look at it bluntly, this was a mistake from your part (not paying attention to the call being international and not knowing your phone service fees/coverage), so asking them to pay you may be a bit unwise or not recommended.

Still, I think this experience is something worth mentioning or at least making this company aware of. You most surely learned your lesson now, but chances are this company is unaware of the consequences their phone calls can have (what if future/past interviewees suffered the same thing as you did?).

On a side note, this wouldn't have happened if the call would have been on Meets/Zoom/Whatsapp/Telegram/etc. that use VOIP technology and where the cost of a phone call is "absorbed" by the data plan/usage your cellphone/internet has.

Ooooo this is a tough one.

My initial thought is this: Whilst it is a lot of money, ultimately - you want the job.

And asking for the company to pay for something before they have even decided if they want to hire you is a good way to colour the perception of you before you have started.

Imagine if you asked them to pay for something like a Suit or transportation to get to the interview - something where you are out of pocket for the cost of attending the Interview - it wouldnt fly.

That Said

As you pointed out, it is a lot of money, it is also a cost that the company was willing to pay (they called you).

This would be something that maybe I would ask after you have either been rejected or approved for the position, so as to not influence the decision.

It may lessen your chances of getting anything, but it is worth a shot. You could always justify the delay due to when you recieved your phone bill.

To Conclude

It is is a lot of money, but you dont want to bias their decision to hire you by asking for costs

For the sake of perspective:

I was once in a situation where I was relocating between cities a couple of hundred miles apart. I was given an interview at a company in my destination city which the employer wanted to conduct in-person. They paid my travel expenses (flight and taxi) for a same-day round-trip to bring me on-site. Depending on company policy, it would not be unreasonable for an employer to cover expenses beyond what might be incurred for a normal daily commute. Recruiting is often an expensive undertaking for a company; reimbursement of a $129 phone charge would be a trivial item for a business seeking quality talent.

I feel it is an unfortunate learning experience. Waiting for them to call you back would be wise financially, but calling them shows that you have an interest in them.

1. Asking them to pay for something they themselves may have already paid or to pay a lot less because it was covered in their contract with their communication provider is unlikely to happen;

2. The person over the phone may not have the authority to expense outside of budgeted money, it will require some effort on both your and their ends to fill an expense form with proof (your phone bill). If you are not an approved supplier, either they or you will need to fill another form to open an account so the money can be tracked by accountants;

3. Asking something that is outside of the norm can be perceived as a red flag during the recruiting process: "Is this person disorganized?", "Is this person difficult to work with?", etc. It can affect the chance to be hired.

129$ is a lot of money, personally, I would be more comfortable to inquire about it after the position is official and after I received my first contract, so that the supplier account will already exist and the contract will already be given.

Some say "we do not get if we do not ask"; you can try and ask them. Your chance probably increase:

1. if the company is smaller or lean;
2. if you can tap into their "organizational values" or mission.

Good luck!