Bell Canada has been fined $1.3 million by the CRTC after the telecommunications company placed unsolicited calls in violation of national do-not-call rules.
From January to October 2010, Montreal-based Bell placed calls to Canadians who had their phone numbers either registered with the National Do Not Call List (DNCL) or with the company’s internal do-not-call list, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission said on its website.
A CRTC inquiry discovered that Bell had hired third-party contractors to work as telemarketers promoting Bell Canada Internet, TV, and phone services.
“All telemarketers must respect the wishes of Canadians who have registered their telephone number on the National DNCL or requested that a telemarketer include their number on its internal do not call list,” Andrea Rosen, the regulator’s Chief Telecommunications Enforcement Officer, said in a statement.
“Even though the calls in this instance were made by third parties, Bell Canada must ultimately ensure that the rules are followed.”
Bell said in a statement that while some independent telemarketers acting on behalf of the company were found to have violated both the CRTC’s and Bell’s own calling rules, “no violations were committed by any Bell-operated call centres.”
Bell said it has terminated its relationship with two telemarketers and suspended several others due to non-compliance with the do-not-call rules.
In addition to the do-not-call violations, the CRTC also accused Bell of nonconsensual robo-calling its prepaid customers.
In a separate investigation, the CRTC found that Bell Canada had used automated calling devices to communicate with its prepaid mobile customers without obtaining their prior express consent.
Bell said that while it believes using automated calling devices is in compliance with CRTC rules, it would nevertheless make a charitable donation of $266,000 to Montreal’s Concordia Institute for Information Systems Engineering “in response to CRTC concerns.”
Bell said it takes the do-not-call rules and the CRTC charges and fines seriously and will alter its policies for telemarketing and automated calling.
Industry Minister Tony Clement praised the penalty imposed on Bell, saying it is the highest since the DNCL was introduced in 2008.
In another action against telecommunications rule-breaking last week, the CRTC fined Calgary-based Xentel DM $500,000 after finding that its telemarketers had been making calls to people on the do-not-call list on behalf of non-profit organizations that were not registered charities.
To block unwanted sales calls, consumers can register their phone numbers with the national do-not-call list or file a complaint about a telemarketer by visiting www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca or calling 1-866-580-3265.
From January to October 2010, Montreal-based Bell placed calls to Canadians who had their phone numbers either registered with the National Do Not Call List (DNCL) or with the company’s internal do-not-call list, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission said on its website.
A CRTC inquiry discovered that Bell had hired third-party contractors to work as telemarketers promoting Bell Canada Internet, TV, and phone services.
“All telemarketers must respect the wishes of Canadians who have registered their telephone number on the National DNCL or requested that a telemarketer include their number on its internal do not call list,” Andrea Rosen, the regulator’s Chief Telecommunications Enforcement Officer, said in a statement.
“Even though the calls in this instance were made by third parties, Bell Canada must ultimately ensure that the rules are followed.”
Bell said in a statement that while some independent telemarketers acting on behalf of the company were found to have violated both the CRTC’s and Bell’s own calling rules, “no violations were committed by any Bell-operated call centres.”
Bell said it has terminated its relationship with two telemarketers and suspended several others due to non-compliance with the do-not-call rules.
In addition to the do-not-call violations, the CRTC also accused Bell of nonconsensual robo-calling its prepaid customers.
In a separate investigation, the CRTC found that Bell Canada had used automated calling devices to communicate with its prepaid mobile customers without obtaining their prior express consent.
Bell said that while it believes using automated calling devices is in compliance with CRTC rules, it would nevertheless make a charitable donation of $266,000 to Montreal’s Concordia Institute for Information Systems Engineering “in response to CRTC concerns.”
Bell said it takes the do-not-call rules and the CRTC charges and fines seriously and will alter its policies for telemarketing and automated calling.
Industry Minister Tony Clement praised the penalty imposed on Bell, saying it is the highest since the DNCL was introduced in 2008.
In another action against telecommunications rule-breaking last week, the CRTC fined Calgary-based Xentel DM $500,000 after finding that its telemarketers had been making calls to people on the do-not-call list on behalf of non-profit organizations that were not registered charities.
To block unwanted sales calls, consumers can register their phone numbers with the national do-not-call list or file a complaint about a telemarketer by visiting www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca or calling 1-866-580-3265.
