OTTAWA- 3 March 2020 – The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) and National Pensioners Federation (NPF) today lamented the unfathomable decision of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) not to require wireless carrier Koodo to provide customers with a paper bill.
“Consumers have the legal right to a paper bill. The Telecommunications Act clearly requires customers be provided with a paper bill,” said John Lawford, Executive Director and General Counsel at PIAC. “We cannot understand how the CRTC misinterpreted the law. This decision will cost millions of wireless, home phone and Internet consumers dearly in missed payments, inconvenience and chaos.”
Trish McAuliffe, President of NPF added: “Thousands of seniors do not use email or text and rely on a paper bill to remind them to pay for their voice telephone service. This means they will not even know they have a bill and may face credit problems and be disconnected.” She added: “We do not accept this decision.”
All telecommunications carriers in Canada are likely to follow the lead of Koodo, a TELUS brand, in this paperless approach. PIAC and NPF note that it has been reported that Rogers wireless (and FIDO brand) have already switched customers to electronic billing and Bell Mobility has promised to do so for customers except those without email or a home internet connection in 2020.
Added Lawford: “Consumers wishing to express their dissatisfaction should call or write their Member of Parliament and the CRTC.”
For more information, please contact:
John Lawford
Executive Director and General Counsel
Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC)
285 McLeod Street, Suite 200
Ottawa, ON K2P 1A1
jlawford@piac.ca
office: 1-613-562-4002 ext. 25
cell: 1-613-447-8125