B.C. telemarketing company fined nearly $200K by CRTC

Marketise Solutions Inc. has been fined $198,000 by the CRTC for making telemarketing calls to people who have their numbers listed on the “National Do Not Call List,” and for working for commercial clients who aren’t properly registered or subscribed to the list. The do-not-call list allows consumers to register themselves as not willing to receive telemarketing calls. It requires telemarketers to follow a slate of rules about who they can and cannot contact and how they work with clients. According to the CRTC, Marketise’s clients included agents and brokerages in the real estate and mortgage industries in Canada looking to get contact information of people who might be interested in their services. In addition to calling people whose numbers were on the do-not-call list, Marketise was making calls for some clients who were not properly registered with the list’s operator or were not registered subscribers of the list, and the company failed to keep records of clients’ registrations and subscriptions to the list, the CRTC stated in a decision released Tuesday. The commission found Marketise committed 198 violations of the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules. The CRTC first issued a notice of violation against Marketise in July 2023. The company responded, arguing in September last year that it had not broken the rules. It also said it is no longer operating, which the CRTC found not to be the case based on corporate records, and that it had very little money, which the company did not provide proof for, the CRTC said. The CRTC noted it did not receive any complaints from consumers in this case. Marketise can apply to the CRTC for a review of the decision within 90 days. It could also file for leave to appeal with the Federal Court of Appeal within 30 days. Payment of its $198,000 penalty is due by Sept. 5. Earlier this year, the CRTC kicked off a consultation on tackling the persistent issue of nuisance calls plaguing consumers by making its voluntary call traceback process mandatory for all service providers offering voice services in Canada. The call traceback process would allow authorities to trace the origin of unsolicited calls that violate the Unsolicited Telemarketing Rules. While the process has been in place since fall 2021, participation has been voluntary, with only a limited number of service providers opting in.

B.C. telemarketing company fined nearly $200K by CRTC

Brief | | August 6, 2024

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B.C. telemarketing company fined nearly $200K by CRTC

Brief | | August 6, 2024

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