Axsit in breach of obligations to customers

Ottawa, July 5, 2016 – The Commissioner of Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS) announced today that Axsit, a telecom service provider based in Mississauga, Ontario, is in breach of its obligations to customers and CCTS.

Axsit offers VOIP phone service to residential and home office customers. It is required by the Canadian Radio-television Communications Commission (CRTC) to participate in the complaint-resolution processes established by CCTS. Axsit joined CCTS in April 2013. In January 2016 CCTS received a complaint from an Axsit customer. Axsit had billed long distance charges to the customer, for calls which had actually been made fraudulently by a third party. Following an investigation, in May 2016 CCTS issued a Recommendation calling upon Axsit to refund the disputed amounts to the customer. Axsit didn’t respond to the Recommendation, meaning, under the CCTS Procedural Code, that it was deemed to have accepted it. Axsit is therefore required to honour the Recommendation.

Yet despite repeated reminders from CCTS of its regulatory obligations, it has not yet done so. CCTS will continue its efforts to have Axsit compensate this customer. CCTS is also publicizing this information in order to fully inform present and prospective customers of Axsit’s default in its responsibilities to its own customers and its failure to comply with its regulatory obligations.

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About the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS)

Since July 2007, CCTS has provided consumers with an independent and impartial mechanism for the resolution of complaints about deregulated local and long distance telephone services, as well as wireless service and internet access. This includes billing errors, compliance with contract terms and commitments, service delivery, credit management and collections issues. Visit our website at www.ccts-cprst.ca.

For more information: Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS), communication@ccts-cprst.ca, toll free: 1-855-512-9783