On Thursday, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) fined VOIS Inc., a Calgary-based telephone, internet and television service provider, $15,000 CAD for being expelled from the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunication Services (CCTS).
The fine stems from a 2016 case in which VOIS had its CCTS membership revoked after failing to cooperate in an investigation in which the company was the subject of six complaints. After concluding its investigation, the CCTS determined that VOIS did not provide affected customers with the remedies it had determined they were entitled to.
Per the Telecommunications Act, all Canadian telecom providers are required to be members of the CCTS as a way of ensuring that Canadian consumers can have their grievances addressed.
To ensure future compliance, the CRTC says it’s looking into whether it should fine VOIS Inc an additional $25,000. The Commission is also considering fining the company’s director, Harpreet Randhawa, $5,000.
“The CRTC takes the protection of Canadians very seriously. By refusing to cooperate with the CCTS, VOIS failed to honour a fundamental requirement of the complaints process to the detriment of its customers,” said Jean-Pierre Blais, chariman and CEO for the CRTC. “We will not hesitate to hold service providers who do not comply with the rules accountable, as demonstrated today.”
Thursday’s episode marks the first time the CRTC has fined a telecom provider for failing to comply with the Telecommunications Act in a case not related to telemarketing.
[source]CRTC[/source]
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