I think you are mixing up two things. You are discussing asking your rav, and the rav referring you to a different rav. Yes, this happens; it’s happened to me.
I am talking about someone who knows what his rav will say, so he doesn’t ask him, but rather asks a rav who he knows will give him a heter.
And yes, of course calling a random hotline for a life altering psak is ludicrous.