Have a look. I tried to change the costume of a new BOff and I couldn't. It was FREE, but there was a window trying to charge me for it anyway.

It didn't do this before the patch...am I missing something?

Since even on the screencap, the game is charging you zero EC, I'd say the change was indeed free.

It wouldn't let me change it. I had to keep it standard. I don't know what the deal is.

I got the same thing. I tried to customise a Boff at the screen where you recruit them on to your crew, but it kept telling me that the changes required a special pack (I think it also mentioned CP even though everything I'd chosen was a free option). In the end I gave up, went to a tailor, and customised the Boff there.

This happened to me as well. I wasn't trying to use ANY c-store items on the boffs oufit... It just so happened the boff was Klingon so I thought that may have had something to do with it but I'm less than a week into this game and don't know much about that.

This is a long standing bug, when you get the Boff don't try to customize it, go to the tailor and do it there, it still will act like its charging you, but you shouldn't see an EC withdrawal. Something about the tailor program is goofy in that you can't do things in certain places. Just like you have issues making a new character with C store items...

the tailor system is one system that could really use an overhaul, but I don't think it will get what it needs

Everytime I've had this problem, it has been because I've tried to change the Boff's Rank to something he is not.

If he's a brand-new ensign boff and you try to assign him Lt. Comm rank (or anything but Ensign, really) on his costume, it will give you that message. Do not change his costume to reflect a higher rank until you have actually promoted him and see if that clears the problem up.