Government’s proposed “Policy Direction” to CRTC means lower prices, more protection for consumers in Internet, Wireless
OTTAWA, February 27, 2019 – The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC), today hailed yesterday’s announcement by the Hon. Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) of a proposed new “Policy Direction” to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) that should lead to lower prices, affordable access and more consumer protection for Canadians buying Internet and wireless services.
“The Government has signaled with this Policy Direction that it wants the CRTC to change course and put consumer interests first,” said John Lawford, Executive Director and General Counsel of PIAC. “We applaud the Government’s acknowledgement that consumers need affordable access to the Internet, whether at home or on the go, and that consumer protection and increased competition are essential to achieve this goal” he added.
For more information, please contact:
John Lawford
Executive Director and General Counsel
Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC)
(613) 562-4002 ×25 (work)
(613) 447-8125 (cell)
jlawford@piac.ca
CRTC Report on Telecom Sales Practices Vindicates Consumer Concerns
OTTAWA – The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today released its Telecom Sales Practices Report to the Federal Cabinet, vindicating the public’s concerns that too many Canadians have suffered misleading, aggressive and unsuitable telecom sales practices at the hands of major telecommunications providers and firmly stating that such practices are unacceptable and must change.
The Fair Communications Sales Coalition, whose members include the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC), ACORN Canada (ACORN), National Pensioners Federation (NPF) and Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP) today heralded the Report as a milestone for consumer protection in Internet, home phone, television and wireless sales that should improve Canadians interactions with companies
“Consumers told us that they were being misled, oversold and treated aggressively when they interacted with their telecom and TV service providers, whether at the door, on the phone, in a store or online,” said John Lawford, Co-Counsel to the FCSC. “We are extremely pleased that the CRTC believed those consumers and mapped out how to help,” he added.
The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) had earlier requested for a public inquiry into reported inappropriate, aggressive and potentially misleading sales of telecommunications and related services. An inquiry was eventually conducted as a result of the intervention of the Federal Cabinet. The CRTC issued a “Notice of consultation – Report regarding the retail sales practices of Canada’s large telecommunications carriers” over the summer of 2018, asking for public’s input on their experiences with telecom sales. An online survey was also conducted, followed by a public hearing in October 2018.
Wanda Morris, Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer of CARP, already looks forward to the promise for seniors of improved interactions with telecommunications and TV providers: “It will take some work to implement the CRTC’s suggestions but we urge the Federal Government to endorse this report and to ask the CRTC to finish the job of restoring the public’s trust in how they are sold these essential services.”
For more information, please contact:
John Lawford
Executive Director and General Counsel
Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC)
(613) 562-4002 ×25
jlawford@piac.ca
www.piac.ca
Wanda Morris
Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer of CARP
(416) 607-2470
wanda@carp.ca
PIAC Supports Keep Me Posted, a Campaign for Protecting the Consumers’ Right to Choose Paper or Digital Communications
UPDATE: PIAC has resigned from Keep Me Posted, effective 9 November 2020.
PIAC has joined a global advocacy campaign, Keep Me Posted (KMP), working for the right of every consumer to choose, free of charge, how they receive important information from their service providers – on paper or electronically.
PIAC has actively advocated for consumers’ right to receive bills and statements in paper format, free from any fees. In its 2014 report, “How to Pay the Piper: A Primer on Additional Charges to Consumers in Canada for Paper Billing,” PIAC called for the elimination of fees for paper statements and billing, finding that Canadians are paying between $495 and $734 million annually in fees for monthly bills and statements in paper formats to the banking and communications services industries (phone, TV, home internet and wireless).
More recently, PIAC, along with National Pensioners Federation (NPF), filed an application with the CRTC regarding Koodo Mobile’s discontinuing the provision of paper bills. PIAC and NPF raised concerns about the negative implications of electronic-only bills on vulnerable and low-income consumers, including persons with disabilities, senior citizens, consumers living paycheque to paycheque, and others who cannot avail themselves of e-billing services because of lack of resources. PIAC and NPF noted that if paper bills are eliminated, consumers will be forced to retrieve and pay their bills online or simply go without. The 2018 CRTC Communications Monitoring Report indicated that only 65.2 % of households in the lowest income quintile use home internet.
PIAC continues to advocate for consumers’ right to receive paper bills, without any fees; and extends its support to the KMP campaign, promoting consumer choice in this regard. Find out more about this campaign at KMP’s website.