Rogers Broke Promise to Low-Income Applicants for Internet Service

A resident of Toronto Community Housing is suing Rogers for $100,000 over a claim that it broke a promise to low-income applicants for internet service. The carrier advertised that it would not run credit checks on low-income customers, however, they admitted that they did.

In various advertisements, Rogers explicitly said credit checks would not be required for customers to enroll in its “Connected for Success” program, which provides internet service for customers in low-income households for just $9.99 a month.

Abdullahi Hassan, the Toronto Community Housing resident, said that he is suing the company for $100,000 claiming a breach of contract. Hassan alleges that the credit check affected his credit rating and his heath. These claims have not yet been proven in court.

In a statement responding to the matter, Rogers spokesperson Samantha Grant said:

“It’s important to note that the only eligibility requirement of the Connected for Success program is residing in a rent-geared-to-income unit with one of our housing partners.”

Osgoode Hall Law School professor Allan Hutchinson said that the cable giant is treating customers poorly by promising one thing and doing something completely different. He said:

“They should not, first of all, be engaging in the practice they did — which is saying ‘we don’t do credit checks’ when they do. They really should put their hands up and say, ‘Yeah, we did do something that was inappropriate and we’ll change that for the future and extend to Mr. Hassan some kind of apology.’”

Internet access for lower-income communities is important because without it is really hard to get access to services. Additionally, no access can lead to children falling behind in school.

[via The Star]

P.S. - Like our news? Support the site with a coffee/beer. Or shop with our Amazon link. We use affiliate links when possible--thank you for supporting independent media.