Comp Bureau probing Bell, requests CCTS docs via Federal Court

The Competition Bureau is conducting a probe to determine if Montreal-based national carrier Bell sold television, internet and home phone services using false and misleading methods.

The bureau launched its investigation last August and more recently filed an application to the Federal Court of Canada, The Globe and Mail reported. This all comes to light less than a couple of months that the CRTC released its report on unsavoury and misleading telecom sales practices.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) held its hearing regarding the issue in October 2018. The federal government directed the CRTC to investigate these high-pressure sales tactics after the CBC released an investigative report in January 2018.

“The bureau is examining potentially false and misleading representations made in connection with the promotion of Bell’s residential services, including home phone, internet and television sold separately or in bundles,” Jayme Albert, a spokesman for the bureau, said to the Globe and Mail on Wednesday, April 10th. “The bureau’s investigation is ongoing and there is no conclusion of wrongdoing at this time.”

With this particular case, the bureau is trying to get an order so Bell discloses records relating to sales practices that have been filed with the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS). The CCTS is an independent body that is in charge of handling consumer complaints about the industry.

Bell said in a statement to The Globe and Mail that it will “work with” the bureau.

The bureau has asked the CCTS for documents and went to court because the CCTS did not provide the documents voluntarily; the court filings were initially reported by Blacklock’s Reporter and The Wire Report.

The hearing is scheduled for Thursday, April 11th.

Source: The Globe and Mail