The Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services Inc. (CCTS) is an independent organization dedicated to working with consumers and service providers to resolve complaints about telephone and internet services. Its structure and mandate were approved by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).
The CCTS handles complaints about most telecommunications services provided to individuals and small businesses, including home phone, wireless, Internet, and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services.
To ensure that the CCTS’s services are available to you, the Commission requires all phone, internet and other telecommunications companies that offer services within the mandate of the CCTS to become participating service providers.
How do I complain to the CCTS?
If you have a complaint about your telecommunications services, you should first try to resolve the issue with your service provider. If you can’t reach an agreement with your provider, contact the CCTS.
What can the CCTS do?
The CCTS will review any complaint you submit, to ensure that it falls within its mandate. If it does, the CCTS will first ask your service provider to try again to resolve the problem with you directly. The CCTS will also help you reach an amicable resolution acceptable to both you and your service provider.
If the complaint remains unresolved, the CCTS will conduct an investigation to determine whether your service provider has reasonably followed the terms and conditions related to your service.
If the CCTS finds that your service provider has not done so, it can recommend a resolution of the complaint. This can include correcting any errors that were made (e.g., billing errors), or recommending that your service provider provide you with an explanation, apology or monetary compensation up to $5,000. If the recommendation is not accepted by both parties, the CCTS can issue a binding decision.
The CCTS also publishes an annual report in which it discusses the types of complaints it receives, how these complaints were resolved and trends that may warrant further attention. You can find the CCTS annual reports on its website.
Who participates in the CCTS?
As noted, telecommunications service providers that offer services within the mandate of the CCTS are required to be participating service providers. At present, there are more than 200 participating service providers of the CCTS. If you choose to obtain telecommunications services from one of these participating service providers, you will be able to contact the CCTS in the event of a dispute. If you contact the CCTS with a complaint and your service provider is not already a participating service provider, they will be required to join the CCTS in order to resolve your complaint.
You should also be aware that the CRTC has required the following companies to participate in the CCTS, but that they have not yet complied with this requirement:
- Adeste Global Managed Networks Inc.
- Lions Gate Internet, doing business as Imagen Communications Inc.
- Tollfreeforwarding.com
Source: http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/info_sht/t1049.htm
