The CRTC is pushing back on Rogers after the carrier (and its flanker brand Fido) told customers it’s adding a $5 monthly charge to their bills starting July 15, calling it a “Wireless Plan Rate Adjustment.”
In a letter dated June 23, Scott Hutton, the CRTC’s Vice-President of Consumer, Analytics and Strategy, wrote to Howard Slawner, Rogers’ Vice President of Telecom, asking the company to explain itself.
The issue comes down to the Wireless Code, which protects customers from having their minimum monthly charge changed during a contract without their consent. Hutton’s letter lays out that the minimum monthly charge is defined as “the minimum amount that customers will have to pay for wireless services each month if they do not use optional services or incur any additional fees or overage charges.” He also notes that this charge “cannot be changed by a service provider during the commitment period without the account holder’s or authorized user’s informed and express consent.”
Hutton gave Rogers until July 3 to respond, and he wants the company to answer whether it’s “imposing this new monthly charge during a customer’s ongoing commitment period,” covering both customers on longer-term contracts and those on month-to-month plans, and to describe when the fee would first show up on a bill. He also asked Rogers to explain how the charge is written into its contracts and whether it’s treated as part of the minimum monthly charge.
The letter was copied to Nanao Kachi, the CRTC’s Director of Social and Consumer Policy, and Guillaume Leclerc, Manager of Social and Consumer Policy.
This comes as the CRTC is already reviewing how to tighten up consumer protection rules more broadly, with a separate consultation underway on harmonizing its telecom and broadcasting codes.
Considering telecoms have been able to charge new SIM fees and device fees, despite the protest of the CRTC and its goal to get rid of wireless junk fees, we’re not sure what can be done here by the Commission.
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The big 3 have been squeezing Canadians for far too long. Recent activity by them in response to the CRTC changes is further proof of that. “Wireless Device Handle Fee” or now this “rate adjustment”. Who is actually dumb enough to fall for this? If you can, avoid them. Quebec has Videotron and they are expanding. Worth checking out. Their flanker is Fizz Mobile.
The two companies are closely affiliated through extensive business partnerships, network sharing agreements, and spectrum deals.
And freedom is apart of Videotron’s Quebecor Media inc
I switched to public mobile, $40/mo unlimited data, unlimited calls texts etc. Rogers for same service cost me $180/mo and they tried increasing the bill. Never again will I go with the major 3.
$180? No way.
I am on public mobile as well I pay 50 per month for 250 gigs of 5G data – unlimited everything else – grandfathered in from there most recent promo – if anyone is on public keep checking the change subscription spot in the app and eventually they will typically have a better plan to switch to with more data for the same price or less money with the same data.
Service is awesome – there is my referral code if anyone wants to save a bit of additional money. =RQZ9YX
Luigi the fucker, that’ll teach him.
you need serious help
They’ve also added the $7 fee to internet plans too. It’s clearly in retaliation to the canceling of the device fee.
What exactly is the role of “the commission “? Toothless!
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The commission is hand in glove w these fekkers
So can I not pay this fee in protest? Can I skip all the fees I don’t want? Rogers and all of them are criminals
no your services will be cut off. I work for Rogers. we will not hesitate to terminate your services.
Charging for SIM cards are allowed because it’s a product purchase. the CRTC can not stop the telecoms from charging for them
SIM cards are part of the rogers phone, and charging for them is illegal
Remember a few years back when an American company tried to come to Canada. The telecom companies complained to the government. I think it was T- mobile. The government needs to open up the Canadian market to foreign companies. It is the only way that we will actually have a competitive market.
What about Videotron and their flanker brand Fizz? Fizz is very competitive and works very well now.