Ottawa, July 31, 2015 – Today the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications (CCTS) issued a Decision regarding a complaint about Brama Telecom, a Toronto-based company that provides home phone, internet and TV services to residential and small business customers.
This Decision comes at a time when Brama is already in breach of its obligations both to customers and CCTS. In February and March 2015, Brama billed a customer eight times for its monthly service fees, instead of twice. Brama obtained the money via pre-authorized debit from the customer. Brama did not refund the over-charged amounts to the customer, who complained to CCTS. In our Decision, we are instructing Brama to refund the excess amounts billed.
The Decision is binding on Brama. CCTS also recently issued two Recommendations which Brama is required to implement, but has failed to do so, in breach of its obligations to those customers and CCTS. In one case, using pre-authorized payments, Brama took eleven payments from a customer over a two-month period, instead of the required two payments. In the other, it took the correct number of payments but in total billed more than the customer had agreed to pay. In each of these cases, CCTS issued a Recommendation that Brama compensate the customer for the amount over-billed.
Each customer accepted the Recommendation, and Brama failed to respond, which makes it binding under CCTS’s Procedural Code. The customers have informed us that Brama has failed to refund the amounts. As a CCTS Participating Service Provider, Brama has various obligations, including implementing Recommendations and Decisions, and it is in default of these obligations. In addition, Brama is in default of its obligations to CCTS by failing to provide all the information requested by CCTS in connection with these complaints, by failing to cooperate in good faith in CCTS’s investigation thereof, and by failing to make timely payment of amounts billed to it by CCTS. CCTS is required by its Procedural Code to make public any Decision that it issues.
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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. To schedule an interview with the Commissioner, or for more information, please contact: Paul Carlucci – Communications Officer Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS) Email: paul.carlucci@ccts-cprst.ca Toll free: 1-855-512-9783 Twitter: @ccts_cprst Facebook: Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services Aby Noel Administrative and Project Assistant Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS) Email: aby.noel@ccts-cprst.ca Toll free: 1-855-782-2924
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