OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Rogers Communications has made a $275,000 payment to the CRTC for its use of automated calling devices without consent.
The Commission said Thursday that Rogers was using these devices to notify its prepaid mobile customers of how they could purchase more minutes to avoid a service interruption. Automated calling devices are used to dial telephone numbers and automatically deliver a pre-recorded message. 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.
While not admitting fault, after learning of the CRTC’s concerns, Rogers voluntarily pledged to immediately cease making these types of calls to its prepaid mobile customers without obtaining their prior express consent; make a monetary payment of $175,000 to the École polytechnique de Montréal and $100,000 to the British Columbia Institute of Technology; and to review its compliance policies to ensure ongoing adherence with the CRTC’s rules relating to automated calling devices.
“This latest investigation reinforces our commitment to protecting the privacy of consumers and educating businesses about their responsibilities,” said Masood Qureshi, the CRTC’s senior manager of telemarketing regulation, in a statement. “We are pleased that Rogers is working to address our concerns and changing its telemarketing practices.”
According to the established enforcement process, the CRTC can discuss corrective actions with telemarketers, which may lead to a settlement that includes a monetary penalty or monetary payment. The Commission described the amount of Rogers’s payment as proportionate to its overall share of the prepaid mobile market.
To date, the CRTC has collected over $1.8 million in penalties on behalf of the Receiver General for Canada in addition to over $740,000 in payments to post-secondary institutions.
