Responding to an application submitted by Rogers relating to how disconnection rules apply to suspension, the CRTC replied by clarifying: Wireless carriers must notify their customers twice before disconnecting for failure to pay (via Cartt.ca).
As the clarification document published on the CRTC website emphasizes, the first notification must come at least 14 calendar days before disconnection, and the second, at least 24 hours before suspending the account.
The disconnection rules also say that carriers can disconnect a customer’s service only during certain time frames: on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m., or on weekends between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., unless the weekday or weekend precedes a statutory holiday, in which case disconnection may not occur after noon. The applicable time is that of the customer’s declared place of residence.
Prior to this ruling, the CRTC had taken into account data from CCTS revealing there were 86 breaches related to the notification requirements of the disconnection rules between August 1, 2014, and January 31, 2015.
“When a customer’s wireless service is cut off by the service provider, it matters little to the customer whether the provider calls it a ‘suspension’ or a ‘disconnection’”, said CCTS Commissioner and CEO Howard Maker. “Our interpretation reflects the intent of the Wireless Code – that customers should not lose their service without proper advance notice. We are pleased that the Commission has seen fit to support our interpretation.”
As a result, the regulator dismissed Rogers’ request that carriers be permitted to disconnect customers outside of the time frames indicated in the Wireless Code.
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