Ottawa, February 1, 2016 – The Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS) announced today that VOIS, an Alberta-based telecom company, is continuing to ignore its obligations to its customers, the CRTC, and CCTS.

In October 2015 CCTS announced that VOIS had failed to refund $640 in fees it had improperly charged to a customer. CCTS had instructed VOIS to refund this money following an investigation of the customer’s complaint. In late November 2015 CCTS issued a Decision in the investigation of another complaint from a VOIS customer. In that case the customer was contacted by a collections agency demanding payment of $208 allegedly owing to VOIS. The customer denied owing any money, but paid the sum to avoid the possibility of a negative report on his credit bureau file, and thereafter filed a complaint with CCTS. Upon investigation, VOIS was unable to demonstrate that the customer owed it any money.

The CCTS Decision requires VOIS to refund $208 to the customer and correct any negative credit reporting that may have been made (see http://www.ccts-cprst.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/CCTS-Complaint-598243.pdf). VOIS has not done so. Service providers that participate in CCTS, like VOIS, are required to implement CCTS Decisions. CCTS has reached out to VOIS many times to remind it of this requirement and to encourage it to provide the refunds owing to both customers, yet VOIS has failed to do so, in violation of its legal and regulatory obligations.

As the telecom industry ombudsman, CCTS has a duty to bring to public attention the identities of service providers that are failing to meet their responsibilities.

-30-

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 us at: Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services Email: communication@ccts-cprst.ca Toll free: 1-855-512-9783 Twitter: @ccts_cprst Facebook: Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services