Asks for Telus’ application to amend its general tariff to include the new charge be suspended
OTTAWA – The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) and National Pensioners Federation (NPF) are asking the CRTC to launch a consultation on the implementation of credit card surcharges by Canadian telecoms and broadcasting distribution undertakings.
In a letter submitted today to the CRTC, obtained by Cartt.ca, the two consumer advocacy groups point out surcharging “soon will become possible as a result of a 20 year legal saga”, and, referring to an application to amend its general tariff to implement such a charge that was submitted by Telus earlier this month, argue the telecom “has surfaced this major customer issue, which will, coming this fall, start to cut across many major customer spending areas.”
“Without arguing the issue, we note for the Commission that such surcharges could be introduced on all forborne telecommunications and broadcasting distribution services in Canada subject only to the notice requirements of the CRTC’s various consumer codes,” PIAC-NPF’s letter reads. “This could affect tens of millions of consumers. We also note that other incumbents could and can be expected to follow suit with tariff applications that will seek to allow surcharging on their still rate-regulated local exchange telephony services in their serving territories.”
PIAC-NPF argue Telus “has a tiger by the tail”. They say they do not intend “to suffer a repeat of the stealth policy shift that TELUS procured by removing paper billing on a flanker wireless brand and which the Commission eventually had to adjudicate for all TSPs and BDUs under a Notice of Consultation – and that only issued after a lengthy delay in deciding the Part 1 regarding TELUS’s paper billing and the actual shifting of the practices of all such carriers in the meantime.”
As such, they are requesting Telus’s application to amend its general tariff so it can charge customers a 1.5% fee for credit card processing be suspended immediately and that the Commission issue a comprehensive Notice of Consultation on the issue of credit card surcharges.
Pointing out there have been an “astounding” number of comments (2,744 as of this evening) published on the CRTC’s website with regards to Telus’ application, PIAC-NPF say “consumers intuitively understand the enormity of this potential shift and are concerned with the potential costs in a stagflationary context.”
In consideration of the large number of comments submitted in opposition of Telus’ application, the CRTC informed Telus earlier this week it would not approve it on an interim basis but would make a decision on it within 45 business days of receipt of the filing.
