CCTS records a 12% decrease in complaints
Ottawa (May 12, 2020) – The Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS) reports today in its Mid-Year Report a 12% decrease in the number of complaints it received from Canadian telecom and TV customers between August 1, 2019 and January 31, 2020, following a 44% increase for that same period last year.
The main contributors to the decline were Cogeco, Bell and TELUS (Cogeco -75%, Bell -26% and TELUS -7%). Complaints about Fido and Rogers increased by 29% and 6% respectively.
“We’re pleased to see that customers are increasingly able to fix their problems directly with their service providers, and we’re here to help those customers who are not able to do so,” notes CCTS Commissioner Howard Maker. “It’s clear that companies and organizations across the country are dealing with unprecedented challenges at this time and we’re all working hard to meet the demands.”
Canadians complained most often about their wireless service, followed in order by internet, TV and local phone. The most frequently-raised concerns were “disclosure issues”, the majority of which involved a mismatch between what the customer was expecting and what they received, followed by disputes related to the accuracy of amounts billed (“incorrect charges“).
The CCTS also reports that violations of The Wireless Code declined by 25%. The most common Code violation involved the failure by a service provider to give the required notice before disconnecting their service.
“These pre-pandemic statistical results indicate that some service providers are paying attention to the issues brought to us by their customers and adjusting the way they do business,” continued Mr. Maker. “This is a step in the right direction.”
The CCTS administers all four of the CRTC’s codes of conduct, including the new Internet Code, which took effect on January 31, 2020.
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