PIAC reiterates demands for CRTC to impose paper billing rules

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) and National Pensioners Federation are repeating their request for the CRTC to require Canadian telecommunications companies to issue paper bills to customers. In their joint final reply to a consultation on paper billing, PIAC and the NPF demanded a number of new regulations from the Commission. In its filing, PIAC argued that paper bills should be made the “default” billing option for phone and internet companies. It also said that the CRTC should mandate companies to report customer complaints about electronic billing. PIAC also argued that companies should track and report data about the number of customers who are disconnected from phone or internet services after a migration from paper to e-billing. In its reply, Shaw Communications Inc. reported that disconnections stemming from billing changes are not an issue. “Responses to the Commission’s RFIs prove that migrations are well planned, well communicated, and well executed. Typically, service providers use multiple different communication channels in parallel to notify customers of an upcoming bill format change,” the company wrote, noting that for most companies, a large majority of customers were already using electronic bills. “There is also no evidence that electronic billing migrations have led to sizable increases in the number of customers who fail to pay their bills or in disconnections stemming from unpaid bills.” PIAC’s latest arguments came after the CRTC requested an array of information about Canadian telecom companies' billing practices, and specifically, information about companies’ approaches to moving customers from paper bills to electronic ones. In its final reply, PIAC wrote that this information about some companies’ billing practices showed a “dismissive attitude towards consumers, and the importance for them of paper billing.” “Instead, many show a ruthless emphasis on mandatory online billing, and clear disregard for consumer choice and needs.” PIAC went on to note that not all consumers — particularly seniors — are comfortable with accessing and paying their bills online, hence the need for easy access to paper bills. The advocacy group was particularly critical of Rogers Communications Inc., due to its practice of migrating customers to electronic bills, and only allowing customers to return to paper bills if they meet certain criteria for an exception. But PIAC also criticized the practices of companies like BCE Inc. and Telus Corp., which allow customers to return to paper bills on request after being migrated to electronic bills. “The option to switch back to paper bills appears to be an afterthought that merely gives a false impression of a consumer-friendly policy.” In a separate reply, the Forum for Research and Policy in Communications sided with PIAC, noting that the three incumbents (as well as Shaw and Cogeco Inc.) did not make customers aware of their paper billing options. The FRPC contended that this creates a paradox where companies effectively mandated electronic billing by withholding information from customers. “You must know to ask , but you must ask to know,” wrote FRPC. A number of companies pushed back on the calls for CRTC regulations around billing. In its final reply, Bell reported that it had received no complaints about its electronic billing policy, and that if the CRTC decides to intervene, it should only mandate paper bills for certain vulnerable groups. A reply from Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. noted that an “array of billing options” are available in Canada, and that customers who feel strongly about receiving paper bills are still easily able to obtain them. “SaskTel urges the Commission to resist the temptation to fix a problem that has not been shown to exist.” — Reporting by Tim Forster at tforster@thewirereport.ca and editing by Michael Lee-Murphy at mleemurphy@thewirereport.ca

PIAC reiterates demands for CRTC to impose paper billing rules

News | February 16, 2021

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PIAC reiterates demands for CRTC to impose paper billing rules

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