Bell Canada Pays huge Fine

The CRTC website reports:

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today announced that it has reached a settlement with Bell Canada over the company’s unauthorized telemarketing practices. The CRTC has issued a notice of violation, and Bell Canada has paid an administrative monetary penalty of $1.3 million to the Receiver General for Canada.

Between January and October of this year, calls were made to consumers who had registered their numbers on the National Do Not Call List (DNCL) or who were or should have been on Bell Canada’s internal do not call list. These telemarketing practices are contrary to the National DNCL Rules. The CRTC’s investigation found that the calls originated from independent telemarketers hired by Bell Canada to promote and sell its television, telephone, wireless and Internet services.

“All telemarketers must respect the wishes of Canadians who have registered their telephone number on the National DNCL or requested that a telemarketer include their number on its internal do not call list,” said Andrea Rosen, the CRTC’s Chief Telecommunications Enforcement Officer. “Even though the calls in this instance were made by third parties, Bell Canada must ultimately ensure that the rules are followed. We appreciate Bell Canada’s willingness to work with us to address our concerns.”

In a separate investigation, the CRTC also found that Bell Canada had used automated calling devices to communicate with its prepaid mobile customers without obtaining their prior express consent. Bell Canada has not admitted fault with regard to its use of automated calling devices. However, upon being made aware of the CRTC’s concerns, Bell Canada voluntarily undertook to:

* immediately cease making these types of calls, and
* make a monetary payment of $266,000 to the Institute for Information and Systems Engineering at Concordia University.

In addition, Bell Canada has undertaken to review its compliance policies to ensure ongoing adherence with the CRTC’s telemarketing rules. Some of Bell Canada’s improvements have already been implemented and further enhancements are forthcoming.