OTTAWA-GATINEAU – GoodLife Fitness Centres has paid a $300,000 fine after being investigated by the CRTC for its telemarketing practices.
The Commission said Tuesday that GoodLife had used automated calling devices known as robocalls to inform its members of new club openings and invite them to grand opening events without obtaining their prior express consent. The CRTC’s automatic dialing and announcing device rules prohibit telemarketers from using these devices to sell or promote a product or service unless a consumer has consented to be called by them.
In addition to paying the administrative monetary penalty to the Receiver General for Canada, GoodLife has agreed to immediately cease using automated calling devices for telemarketing purposes without obtaining its members’ prior express consent; organize a business education event with the CRTC at the Can-Fit-Pro Consumer and Wellness Show to foster compliance with the telemarketing rules; publish corrective notices in newspapers and on its website, and review its compliance policies to ensure on-going adherence with the CRTC’s telemarketing rules.
“We appreciate GoodLife’s cooperation during our investigation,” said Andrea Rosen, the CRTC’s chief compliance and enforcement officer, in a statement. “Telemarketers that inundate Canadians with unwanted phone calls are not engaging in a legitimate marketing practice. We expect the business community to follow the rules at all times, and we will vigorously investigate breaches.”
According to its enforcement process, the CRTC can discuss corrective actions with telemarketers, which may lead to a settlement that includes a monetary penalty or monetary payment. To date, the CRTC’s enforcement actions have resulted in over $2.1 million in penalties collected on behalf of the Receiver General for Canada and $740,000 in payments made to post-secondary institutions.
