Report on Misleading or Aggressive Communications Retail Sales Practices

This report is the result of the public process the CRTC held in response to Order in Council P. C. 2018-0685 (the Order in Council), in which the Governor in Council directed the CRTC to make a report on the use of misleading or aggressive retail sales practices by Canada’s large telecommunications carriers (the Service Providers). [...] Having considered the matter in depth, the CRTC finds that it is apparent that misleading or aggressive retail sales practices are present in the telecommunications service provider market in Canada and, to some extent, in the television service provider market.1 These practices exist in all types of sales channels, including in store, online, over the telephone, and door to door. [...] The CRTC also asked the Service Providers to answer specific questions related to the various sales channels they use, including in store, online, over the telephone, and door to door, and on the measures they have put in place to address misleading or aggressive sales practices. [...] The Order in Council noted that “aggressive sales practices include offering for sale to consumers telecommunication services that are unsuitable for them.” For the purpose of this Report, the CRTC adopts the description of aggressive sales practices provided in the Order in Council. [...] While the information provided by the CCTS in this proceeding was useful, Canadians’ general lack of awareness of the recourses available to resolve complaints leads to gaps in the information submitted by the CCTS, particularly as it relates to the overall prevalence of the issue.