GATINEAU – Suitelife Vacations Club, which sells travel and vacation packages, has paid $20,000 in administrative monetary penalties as part of a settlement over violations of the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules, the CRTC announced today.
The company also agreed to end its previous telemarketing practices.
Acting on complaints submitted by Canadians, the Commission investigated Suitelife for alleged violations of the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules. It found that through third-party firms, the company made unsolicited telemarketing calls to Canadians who had registered their numbers on the National Do Not Call List. Suitelife had also failed to register with and subscribe to the List before the calls were made. Additionally, Suitelife's third-party telemarketers did not properly address consumers' requests to receive no further calls, reads the CRTC release.
In addition to paying administrative monetary penalties, Suitelife has committed to ensure future compliance with the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules and to implement a comprehensive compliance program that will include the development and implementation of a corporate compliance program; the appointment of an internal compliance officer to ensure ongoing adherence to the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules; an education and training program for employees; monitoring, auditing and reporting mechanisms; and disciplinary procedures.
To date, the CRTC's enforcement actions have yielded over $4 million in administrative monetary penalties, which are remitted to the Receiver General for Canada, and $741,000 in other payments.
