MONTREAL – Customers of Bell Canada and Bell Mobility are suing for faulty late payment charges, the company said today.
In the final lines of its quarterly press release, it said: "On June 27, 2006, a motion to obtain the authorization to institute a class action in Québec was served against Bell Canada and Bell Mobility. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of all physical persons and companies in Canada that were billed late payment charges by Bell Canada and Bell Mobility despite the fact that customers allegedly paid amounts owing to Bell Canada and Bell Mobility to a financial institution, by Internet, by telephone or by cheque within the payment period indicated on their bills, and/or that suffered damages resulting from a payment allegedly made before the due date, and/or that were allegedly billed, in the case of Québec residents, interest at a rate higher than the legal rate."
The lawsuit has not yet been authorized as a class action.
"The motion seeks an order requiring Bell Canada and Bell Mobility to repay all late payment charges to the members of the class. In addition to the reimbursement of such amounts, the class action would, if authorized, also seek payment of damages and punitive damages by Bell Canada and Bell Mobility," adds the Bell release.
"Bell Canada and Bell Mobility intend to vigorously defend their position."
