Ontario bill challenges cellphone billing practices
Canadians pay the highest cellphone rates in the world, according to a recent report from UTR Global, a company that audits telephone usage for businesses.
This might explain why most of us are so unhappy with whichever company we’ve ended up with. Aside from rising prices, the most common complaints: inaccurate bills, inadequate customer service, and deceptive contract terms.
Not only are prices high across the board, but the big telecommunication companies repeatedly fail to make consumers aware of better pricing options, bill for service that has been disconnected or apply the wrong rate or plan when billing, UTR claims.
Good news though, users fed up with complicated and not-quite-right bills may soon have a saviour, thanks to a new bill that has been tabled in the Ontario legislature by Liberal MPP David Orazietti.
Sparked by similar Quebec legislation passed a few months ago, his bill would reduce cancellation fees, clarify contracts and make the costs of using a cellphone more transparent.
These new laws, for instance, would allow consumers to move more easily between competing cellphone providers, which could benefit the country's new, small wireless companies like Wind Mobile.
It’s not actually that original an idea. A few weeks ago, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission told cell phone companies to alert customers before they incur costly charges not covered by monthly plans.
Under its proposal, wireless companies would have to notify customers through voice mail or text alerts that they’re approaching or exceeding texting, voice or data plan limits.
Have you ever received the bill from hell? Was it resolved in your favour? Would improved disclosure and more regular reminders make any difference to you?
By Gordon Powers, MSN Money
Posted by: rob | Dec 13, 2021 11:36:23 AM
my daughter (she's 26) is on a disability pension, she is developmentally challenged. She came home last year pleased as punch that Telus had sold her a cell phone and a plan. I immediatly called them and went down to the store to speak with them because I knew the problems were about to start. They would do absolutely nothing even after i explained to them about her disability. I was told she had signed for a 3 year plan and we had to wait it out and get back to them in 3 years. I even contacted their head office who refused to speak to me because my daughter was over 18 years of age. Since then she has had phone bills well into the hundreds. Every month has been a headache trying to pay the bill. When this contract is up I will never have anything to do with Telus ever again and tell my story to everyone as a warning.
Posted by: cell phones problems | Dec 13, 2021 11:47:02 AM
Rob, I don't believe it's just telus. I have the exact same problem with Virgin and I've heard friends tell me their stories of high bills with different companies again. I think it's just cell phones. I believe we are all paying a high price for convenience.
Posted by: sympathetic | Dec 13, 2021 11:50:13 AM
Go to you local tv station and papers, they love stories like this. Or try Dale Goldhawk ...
goldhawk.live@rogerstv.com.
Posted by: Cliff | Dec 13, 2021 12:06:54 PM
I've known this for years, that Canadians pay the highest cell phone rates in the world plus have the worst customer service and service fees.
One of the worst fees that annoys me is pre-paid cell phone time. I have a pre-paid cell phone as my cell phone usage is very small and do not want a contract.
The complaint is that when you purchase cell phone time, it expires!. What gives with this. This is like the bank telling you that you have between 30 to 6o days to spending your money in your savings account or the bank takes it.
In other countries, pre-paid cell phone time does not expire. This is so in Germany and Russia as my wife has friends that live there. You buy a cell phone time care and there are no expiration times or dates. Unlike here in Canada, youo have between 30 to 120 days. The best one so far is 7-11 which expires in 1 year.
This practice of pre-paid cell phone time expiration should come to an end now.
Posted by: terry gauthier | Dec 13, 2021 12:27:51 PM
we had the same problem with solo mobile, virgin, and rogers. the phone don't last and we were stuck paying 400, and 900 dollars because the teenager could pay because of lost jobs. plus
the first month with virgin mobile the phone would not work and they would not give a replacement. we were stock paying 900 dollars to get out of the three years contract. They are all like that.
They even sell the cell phone to teenagers with no jobs. these companies make a lot of money that way and they don't care.
Posted by: Sandy | Dec 13, 2021 12:49:14 PM
I've been fighting with Virgin mobile since July of this year over incorrect bills, a cancellation in July which took until October to bill for,total lack of response for any problems after months of phone calls, emails and faxes, I only got a response for them after I filed a complaint with the CCTS, and even with that it took them a month to respond instead of the required 15 days. It's till ongoing and all I want to do is never hear from VIrgin mobile again.
Posted by: Darin | Dec 13, 2021 12:51:32 PM
There are some good plans from some companies out there but it is impotant to research the plans before you buy. Go online and search the company's website and make sure you read all the fine print. I have a plan from MTS in Manitoba which has the best coverage here and it provides 300 weekday minutes, free evenings and weekends starting at 6:00 p.m. on weekdays. Unilmited data, texting, and emails.It also has free incoming and outgoing calls to any MTS customer. It costs 73.25 per month everything included including taxes. It is important to think about your needs and try to get a plan that works for you. In the past i have delt with Rogers and Telus but i have found MTS has the best coverage and pricing. Their only downfall would be the selection of phones they offer.
Posted by: don | Dec 13, 2021 1:21:32 PM
I had a cellphone on contract for 3 years. Whne it was up Telus called and said we could go month by month and everything would remain the same. The only reason we paid monthly (70.00) was to avoid long distance charges in the summer when my spouse leaves for several months and used the phone little in the winter months. Flash forward 2 years and we recieved a 500.00 bill for the month of June. Imagine our surprise when they told us there was no long distance but we were paying 70.00 a month for no free minutes. (weekends and evenings had been free) Every minute was charged for. When we asked why we would pay 70.00 per month for no free evenings and weekends all they could say was to bad. I did not even know a package exsisted with a monthly fee and no free minutes! I pulled my bill from the summer of the previous year, when evenings and weekedns were free but it did no good. I paid up....and cancelled the phone.
Posted by: David Ramsay | Dec 13, 2021 1:26:21 PM
What an article? We all know Canadians have been paying more on their cellphones.
Posted by: Melissa | Dec 13, 2021 1:41:25 PM
I have been with Koodo for a while and with the exception of a broken casing for sliding phone (which they replaced, no questions asked), I have had no problems with the phone, the plan or customer service. I told them I only wanted to spend a certain amount each month, and I got precisely that. I have not paid over that amount and I have been with them over a year. I was with Rogers and Bell ... never again.
Posted by: avi | Dec 13, 2021 2:27:20 PM
hahahah,...it's not just the cell phone plans that us canadians get screwed by. Price of car , shoes , food ,...anyhtign you can immagine we pay more then any1 else. For gods sake quebec is a province and ppl are part of the most taxed in the world...i think it was after germany. One day some1 will come out and explode do somethign crazy and start a revolution.
the way our coutry is , we are scared of our gouverment where other coutries the gouvernment is scared of the people.
And let's not start the corruption we have here.
My best opinion is right to the regulators they will do somethign about it
Posted by: Shahid | Dec 13, 2021 3:45:47 PM
People (and I am wrong to call you or me as people, we are ignorant sheep), you are governed by the CORPORATIONS who run the government. It is their will that the common people who once were proud of personal liberties and high standard of living at very affordable rates should be screwed in every possible way and forced to pay back for all they had enjoyed so far.
Now, this plave -North America once known as the best place to live on earth- will soon become the old USSR, a country behind the iron curtain, with all your liberties taken away and you sheep being slaughtered by these corporations. It is your own doing, you have slowly let your hands got tightened and not speaking-up for the injustices the governments on behalf of these big conglomerates do. SO, shut-up and pay for your liberties you were so proud of.
Posted by: don | Dec 13, 2021 4:30:53 PM
Shahid: So when were you leaving Canada?
Posted by: Shahid | Dec 13, 2021 5:48:45 PM
Don.......so when are YOU leaving Canada?????
What makes you think that Canada belongs to YOU??
Posted by: don | Dec 13, 2021 7:04:03 PM
Nah...I am staying. Am happy enough here. Just wanted to remind you it is always an option to leave if a person is feeling to repressed :)
Posted by: Darwin | Dec 13, 2021 8:23:19 PM
To the MTS customer who feels they are the best of the worst. First, over $70 a month for a phone is ridiculous. I am a MTS customer because it is my only choice. I am constantly having to watch for changes that come along and bite me in the... Anyway, after signing my last contract and then being out of province and accepting some calls, I received a bill with some outrageous long distance charges. MTS used to charge a ridiculous 20 cents a minute, now they charge 35 cents a minute! I was only able to find out about this change after calling customer service. Accidently, the lady also told me to watch my over minutes because they had gone up to... 50 cents a minute!!! What the... Well, MTS has no way of telling you how many minutes you have used before billing you on your billing cycle (which the customer must remember when that is) and they do not roll over any minutes from a previous month. Recently, I was out of province and I had a breakdown. When I call out long distance, I always use a long distance 4 cents a minute card. In this case, CAA called me pack and had me on the phone for over 70 minutes (according to my phone bill). That was a $35 charge. Further to that, I was on the phone a lot because of the breakdown and the rest of the trip. I thought I may have exceeded the 350 minutes and sure enough, my bill confirmed. Most months I am around 100 minutes. I called MTS and raised the roof. In the end, they dropped all the extra charges, but that is also because of my past with them. I have a business line, home line, cell line, and an air card. I pay hundreds each month. As a note, a 'pay as you go' phone is about 30 cents a minute, MTS is charging their contract customers more than that at 50 cents a minute if they go over!
I submitted this all to CTV news, I also contacted the better business bureau, MTS advocates office, Ombudsmans office, CRTC, and others that I can't remember. Never heard from CTV and all the others said that was not what they were there for. Cell charges definately need to be made much more fair.
Posted by: Dee | Dec 13, 2021 8:24:48 PM
I have been with Koodo for about 18 months & pretty happy with them!! My only complaint is that since I had zero credit history in my own name after leaving a 20 year marriage - they STILL refuse to allow me a tab to purchase a better cellphone than what I could afford to buy outright when I first signed up with them. I have paid my bill every month on time. So I think that should qualify me for a newer phone on credit. I have a 35.00 tab now. At this rate it will be another 4 years before I qualify for a decent tab & a better phone as a result!! But other than this, I am getting EXACTLY what I asked for & not a penny more!! Which is far more than I can say of all my friends, who are with Bell, Virgin Mobile, Telus, etc... No one seems very happy!!
Posted by: Doug | Dec 13, 2021 8:27:08 PM
Sometimes I wish I could go back to the place you are at right now Don. Listen to Shahid, his words are as true as the adage, "ignorance is bliss". On second thought maybe you are better off in la la land.
Posted by: Richard | Dec 13, 2021 8:50:43 PM
Avi... my best opinion to YOU is to learn how to write before you complain about anything. I have never seen the English language butchered up as much as you did in your little 2-minute rant.
Posted by: Chazztbay | Dec 13, 2021 9:23:47 PM
Some of you people need to learn how to read. All those pieces of peper that they printed off and had you initial and sign when you got a phone or changed your plan were not just to keep papermakers employed. If you read them, people like Darwin would realize, when you leave your Local Calling Area and answer the phone it is long distance + airtime. There are many plans on a variety of networks for people to call across provinces or across the country but you need to know what your plan has and does not have. That is YOUR responsibility, not the phone company.
Granted our system could be better, with more competition but that doesn't excuse people from not knowing what they signed up for. Ignorance is not a defense.
I have 5 Cell phone lines and 4 iPad plans and my monthly bill is usually just under $750 a month and I know exactly what each one includes. If you cannot handle knowing what is on 1 or 2 lines, that is nobody's fault but your own.
Cell phones are a privilige, not a right. With that right comes some responsibility (unfortunately) for you people.