TORONTO – 10-10 long distance company Yak Communications said today announced it has filed applications with the CRTC demanding that it force Telus to stop charging a long distance “access fee” of $2.95 a month.
Among the remedies Yak is seeking, reads its press release, Yak has applied for an order that consumers who have already paid this new fee be reimbursed by Telus.
Yak’s applications request that the CRTC return basic toll service to the regulated sphere and declare the new fee illegal, and that Telus reimburse customers that have already paid it, reads the release. In addition, Yak has asked that alternative providers like Yak be compensated for the extra call centre work load that has been created by the market place confusion, especially in respect of not making it clear that subscribers to long distance plans like Yak’s are absolved of the fee.
The fee, which was introduced by Telus in late November, is an extra charge for home phone users on Telus’ basic toll service. “Unfortunately, Telus’ communication to its subscribers has been unclear and there has been consumer confusion on who the charge applies to,” says the Yak release.
"Our phones have been ringing off the hook with customers who are angry and confused about this new fee," said Andrew Boone, Yak’s vice-president of marketing. "They have every right to be angry – this fee is completely unfair to customers, which is why we have taken it to the CRTC to have it removed."
Yak, in the meantime, has decided that subscribers to Yak’s long distance plan will not be charged the fee (though users of Yak’s dial-around offerings not on a plan, such as 10-10-YAK (925) will still be charged the fee by Telus).
Yak’s applications are supported by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC), which is also considering filing its own application with the CRTC to address this matter, added the release. "PIAC, together with the Consumers’ Association of Canada looks forward to the CRTC addressing the fact that Telus customers’ local phone rates have been improperly raised with this new charge," said John Lawford, in-house counsel to PIAC.
"Right now carriers are not allowed to unilaterally raise local rates but as this recent fee demonstrates, they are seeking to get around this by adding such "access" fees," added Simon Lockie, Yak’s Chief Legal Officer. "This is a very good example of why there needs to be more regulation in this area by the CRTC – to protect the consumers who need it the most."
