Do you have an idea of the three codes that protect Canadian consumers in telecommunications? Don’t worry if you answer no: you are among the 76% who have never heard of it, according to a study by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) published earlier this year.
Posted at 5:00 a.m.
The document that The Press obtained from the federal agency also paints a highly accurate portrait of consumers, based on a survey and interviews conducted in November 2021. Rising popularity of cell phone plans with data, more frequent “surprise bills”, consumers who choose to leave their supplier more often are some of the findings.
The code ? What code ?
Established in 2013, the Wireless Code notably prohibits providers from imposing charges of more than $50 on their customers who consume too much data. In 2017, another code came to regulate television service providers: they must inform their customers of the existence of a basic package. Finally, since 2020, the Internet Services Code prohibits the imposition of a limit on so-called “unlimited” residential internet packages and makes clear display of prices mandatory.
Although these three codes have been notable wins for consumers, they remain largely unknown. In fact, 76% “say they don’t remember hearing anything about the codes”. This is an increase of 26 percentage points over the previous year. “This low awareness may have been caused by lower media coverage in 2021,” the report says.
Disappearing card
While 13% of Canadians used prepaid, or pay-as-you-go, cellular service in 2015, this proportion has steadily declined and reached 7% in 2021. Conversely, consumers are more likely than ever this year, at 94%, to take prepaid monthly packages.
Family or shared plans are on the rise: those chosen by 25% of respondents in 2015 are now at 33%.
Finally, wireless services with data are enjoying remarkable popularity, growing from 70% in 2015 to 88% in 2021. full speed followed by slowed down data – clearly have the wind in their sails: 21% claim to have taken one in 2021.
“Surprise charges” and excesses
Because consumers mostly used their internet connection at home, the pandemic had at least one positive consequence: 73% said they had never paid a charge for excess data in the past 12 months. They were only 51% in 2018.
No less than 19% of subscribers report having nevertheless received a “surprise bill”, that is to say a surprisingly high bill despite the requirements of the Wireless Code. For 62% of them, it was unforeseen additional costs between $50 and $500. Some 2% even report having had to pay more than $1,000.
The most frequent reason mentioned: excessive use of data, for 34% of them; 9% also explained this bill by trips abroad.
Complaints to the CCTS in dribs and drabs
Sign of increased competition, 20% of subscribers say they have changed wireless service provider. This rate was 16% in 2018. The most popular explanation, for 53% of these defectors, was the presentation of a better offer elsewhere. Only 13% were no longer satisfied with their original supplier.
We note that 77% found it easy to change supplier.
As for complaints, 16% of customers say they have filed one against their supplier. This percentage has been steadily declining since 2014, when it was 26%. The most popular reason in 2021: a quality of service deemed “inadequate”.
In 94% of cases, the complaint was only lodged with the supplier. In 2% of cases, after this mandatory first step, the complaint was forwarded to the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS). This federal agency reported receiving 17,003 complaints between July 31, 2020 and July 1.er August 2021.
With the collaboration of William Leclerc, The Press