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You have rights. |
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Information about your local home telephone
services* |
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The Canadian
Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (the CRTC),
the federal body responsible for regulating your telephone
service, offers you this guide to help you to understand your
rights with respect to local home phone services regulated by
the CRTC. One of the CRTC's goals is for everyone in Canada to
have access to reliable and affordable local telephone service.
Your local phone service includes basic phone service and other
optional local services you subscribe to (for example call
answer, call waiting and call display). |
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The information
contained in this guide does not necessarily apply to cellular
phone service, voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service, or
local phone service offered by a competitive service provider. |
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Read on to find out
more about: |
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- Your right to local telephone service
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- Your right to choose a phone company
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- Your rights regarding deposits for service
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- Your rights when the phone company wants to cut off your
phone service
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- Your rights when you want to discontinue your phone
service
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- Your right to block outgoing long distance and 900 and
976 calls
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- Your additional rights if you are a person with a
disability
|
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- Your right to keep your information confidential
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- Your rights regarding unsolicited telephone calls
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- Your right to protect your privacy when calling or being
called
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- Your right to control access to your home
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- Your rights regarding the wiring and equipment inside
your home
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- Your right to detailed monthly billing information
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- Your right to register a dispute or complaint
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- Your right to participate in CRTC proceedings
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You will
find more complete information about your relationship with the
phone company in the "Terms of Service" section in the front of
your telephone directory (the white pages). You may also consult
your phone company, its website, or the CRTC to obtain further
information about your rights. Contact details for the phone
company are included in your telephone directory and your phone
bill. Contact details for the CRTC can be found at the end of
this guide. |
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You also have other
rights that apply to your telephone service and that do not fall
under the CRTC's mandate. These other rights include, for
example, those provided by the Personal Information
Protection and Electronic Documents Act, under the
jurisdiction of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of
Canada, or equivalent provincial legislation. |
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Your right to local
telephone service
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Everyone in Canada has the right to receive basic local
home telephone services, subject to certain conditions.
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You have the right to
receive the following basic services as part of your local
telephone service, where they are available: |
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- access to emergency services, for example through 9-1-1;
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- access to the operator and directory assistance;
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- access to long distance calling;
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- access to special features, such as call display
blocking;
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- access to message relay service, which is used to
facilitate communications with persons with speech or
hearing disabilities;
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- a copy of the white and yellow pages of the local phone
directory.
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These services may not
be available in all parts of the country but, where they are
available, the phone company must provide them. |
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When there is phone
service in your area and you have the required credit rating or
credit guarantees, or if you are required to pay a deposit (see
"Your rights regarding deposits" section), the phone company
must provide local telephone service to your home. There may be
instances where the phone company requires access to your
property in order to provide phone service to you. |
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You are entitled to pay
the initial connection charges over a period of up to six months
for local telephone service. |
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In areas where there is
no telephone service, there may be options to make phone service
available, if you agree to pay certain construction charges. If
local telephone service is currently unavailable in your area,
contact a phone company providing service in the nearest area
and ask them to quote you a price for providing phone service to
your home. You are entitled to pay any construction charges on a
reasonable instalment basis. |
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Your right to choose
a phone company
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When more than one phone company offers service in your
area, you can choose from whom to buy phone services, you
can switch phone companies or you may be able to buy some
services from one phone company and other services from
another.
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You have a right to
choose your phone company and to choose the services that you
receive from the phone company. You do not have to buy all of
your services from the same phone company. For example, some
customers buy their local telephone service from one company and
their long distance service from another. |
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You have the right to
change companies where more than one phone company offers
service in your area. You can also change the services you are
buying from any company (see "Your rights when you want to
discontinue phone service" section). |
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In most circumstances,
you will be able to keep your phone number when you change phone
companies, providing that you stay within the same local
telephone service area. When switching to a new telephone
company, you should consult with that company to see whether you
can keep your existing phone number. |
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Your rights
regarding deposits for service
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Your phone company may only ask for a deposit in specific
circumstances and there may be alternatives to paying a
deposit.
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The phone company may
ask you for a deposit if you do not have a credit history with
the company and you cannot provide satisfactory credit
information, you have a poor credit rating with the phone
company, or you otherwise pose a high risk of not paying your
telephone bill. |
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The deposit, where
required, generally does not exceed the total of three months'
phone charges from the company, including charges for local
phone service and any extra services you decide to purchase,
such as long distance service and optional local services. |
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The phone company must
inform you of the reasons for asking you to pay a deposit and
explain that there may be other options available. For example,
you can arrange for someone else, who has a good credit rating
with the phone company, to sign a contract with the phone
company, agreeing to pay your bill if you don't. This person is
called a guarantor. You can also have someone else pay your bill
for you. Another option is to get a letter of credit from a
financial institution. |
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You earn interest on
deposits that you have paid to the phone company. The amount of
your deposit and the interest you have earned will periodically
be shown on your phone bill. |
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The phone company must
periodically review the need to keep your deposit, or the
alternatives to the deposit. If the reasons that justified the
need for your deposit are no longer present, the phone company
must return your deposit, and any interest, to you promptly. |
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If you cancel your
service with your phone company, your deposit plus interest will
be returned to you, less any amounts that you still owe. |
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Your rights when the
phone company wants to cut off your phone service
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Your phone company can only disconnect your local phone
service in specific circumstances and after taking specific
steps.
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Circumstances when
your local phone service cannot be cut off
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Under no circumstances
can the phone company cut off your local phone service because
you have not paid for other phone services, such as long
distance, Internet or cellular services. |
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The phone company
cannot cut off your local phone service at one location because
you have not paid your bill for a different class of service at
another location, such as business phone service. Also, if you
are a guarantor who promised to pay someone else's bill, the
phone company cannot cut off your local phone service because
you have not paid that person's bill. |
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If you are unable to
pay the full amount that you owe for your phone services, you
have the right to arrange a reasonable payment plan with the
phone company. The phone company cannot cut off your local phone
service if you are willing to enter into, and honour, a
reasonable payment plan. You may also want to consult with your
phone company to find out what optional services you can
discontinue or block in order to reduce your phone bill (see
"Your right to block outgoing long distance and 900 and 976
calls" section). |
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If you believe that
some of the charges in your phone bill are incorrect, you have
the right to dispute them. You must let the phone company know
that you are disputing the phone bill and pay the part of your
phone bill that is unrelated to the disputed charges. The phone
company cannot charge you interest or cut off your local phone
service because you do not pay the disputed charges, unless it
has reasonable grounds to believe that you have disputed the
charges as a way to avoid or delay making a payment. |
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Circumstances when
your local phone service can be cut off
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The phone company may
take steps to cut off your local telephone service only in
limited circumstances, such as: |
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- when you owe the company more than $50 for your local
phone service, including local optional services;
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- when your local phone service charges have been past due
for over two months;
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- when you fail to provide or maintain a reasonable
deposit or an agreed upon alternative (see "Your rights
regarding deposits" section);
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- when you have failed to honour the terms of a payment
plan arrangement;
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- when you use, or allow someone else to use, your phone
for illegal purposes or to make annoying or offensive calls.
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Having your local phone
service cut off is a very serious matter. Consult your telephone
company's "Terms of Service" found in your white pages or the
CRTC if you would like to clarify when your phone service can
and cannot be cut off. |
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Steps the phone
company must take
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The phone company
cannot cut off your telephone service without providing
reasonable advance notice in order to allow you the opportunity
to pay outstanding bills, make payment plan arrangements, sort
out misunderstandings, or take other actions to prevent your
local phone service from being cut off. |
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The phone company must
first contact you and explain why it is planning on cutting off
your service. If the reason for ending your service is related
to outstanding debt, the phone company must also let you know
that you can enter into a reasonable payment plan, what the
reconnection charge will be, and the phone number of a company
representative you can talk to if you are disputing charges. If
the phone company cannot reach you by phone, it must provide
this information to you in a written notice to your billing
address, or by fax or electronic document. |
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If the situation has
not been resolved, the phone company must provide at least 24
hours' notice prior to cutting off your service, except in very
limited circumstances. |
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The phone company must
restore your local phone service when the reason the service was
cut off no longer exists. There may be a charge to reconnect
your phone service. |
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If the disconnection of
your local phone service was in error or otherwise improper, the
phone company must restore your service free of charge. Your
phone service will usually be reconnected during business hours
on the next working day. |
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Your rights when you
want to discontinue your phone service
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You can discontinue your phone service at any time.
However, there are conditions associated with ending your
phone service. In most circumstances, you will be expected
to provide the phone company with reasonable advance notice
that you wish to end your phone service.
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Before you cancel your
phone service, you should be aware of the minimum contract
period you have entered into with your phone company. Most
customers are subject to a one-month minimum contract period. |
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If you want to end
phone service after the end of your contract period, you will
only have to pay the charges incurred up to the date that your
service ends, provided that you have given your phone company
reasonable advance notice. |
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If you want to end
phone service before the end of your contract period, additional
charges may apply. |
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There are circumstances
when the rules regarding ending phone service are different,
such as when someone takes over a customer's phone service, if a
customer's home becomes uninhabitable for reasons beyond the
customer's control, or in the event of a customer's death. Since
these circumstances are very specific, you should consult your
phone company or refer to the "Terms of Service" found in your
white pages for more information. |
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Your right to block
outgoing long distance and 900 and 976 calls
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You can have outgoing long distance calls and 900 and 976
calls blocked. You have the right to have charges for calls
to 900 and 976 services waived by the phone company the
first time they are reasonably disputed.
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Your phone company can
set up your phone service so that long distance phone calls
cannot be made from your telephone. This long distance blocking
service is free, and there is no monthly charge. |
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Where available, 900
and 976 services are pay-per-call services that connect you to
live or pre-recorded information such as chat lines, sports
scores, or weather forecasts. You have the right to block
outgoing 900 and 976 calls from your telephone. You will not be
charged the first time you set up 900 or 976 call blocking
service, and no monthly charges apply. There may be a maximum
charge of $10 each time you decide to deactivate or reactivate
the blocking service thereafter. |
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Responsibility for
900 and 976 calls
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You have the right to
reasonably dispute 900 and 976 charges. The phone company will
waive these charges from your bill the first time they are
reasonably disputed. The phone company may offer to provide you
with 900 and 976 blocking service and if you do not accept this
service, you will be responsible for paying all future 900 and
976 charges that appear on your bill. |
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Your additional
rights if you are a person with a disability
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There are certain services available for persons with
disabilities, some of which may be provided at a discount or
free of charge.
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If you are registered
with the phone company as having a disability, you may be able
to receive certain services, such as: |
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- message relay service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week, at no charge;
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- a 50% discount on basic long distance charges for calls
within Canada made by a registered user of a
Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD); and/or
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- free directory assistance.
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A customer who is blind
or has a visual impairment has the right to receive billing
statements, bill inserts and other billing information in an
appropriate alternative format. This could be in Braille, large
print, electronic version, or in another format that is agreed
upon between the customer and the phone company. |
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Speak to your phone
company to find out about these and other available services and
equipment that are specially adapted to meet the needs of
persons with disabilities. |
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Your right to keep
your information confidential
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Except for your name, address and listed telephone
number, all the information that the phone company has about
you is confidential.
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The phone company may
not give out personal information, other than your name, address
and listed telephone number, unless you expressly give them
permission to do so. There are however a few exceptions to this
rule. The phone company may give out your confidential
information without your express permission when it has a legal
obligation to do so, as well as for very specific purposes
associated with your phone service. The specific purposes for
which your phone company may give out your confidential
information without your express permission are listed in the
"Terms of Service" found in your white pages. |
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You, or a person acting
on your behalf, always have the right to access your
confidential information. You also have the right to review any
phone company records regarding your telephone service. Specific
conditions may apply. |
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Your rights
regarding unsolicited telephone calls
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There are rules in place to help you reduce the number of
unsolicited calls that you receive.
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Ways to reduce
unsolicited calls
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You should be aware
that the phone company may make your name, address and listed
telephone number available to telephone directory publishers.
The telephone directory publisher can, in turn, provide your
information to organizations which could lead to unsolicited
telephone calls to your home. |
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In order to reduce
unwanted telephone calls, you may subscribe to a non-published
number service. This service will remove your name, address and
telephone number from the telephone directory and from directory
assistance. A charge of no more than $2 per month will apply.
Alternatively, you may specifically request that the telephone
directory publisher not sell or distribute your information to
any other parties. |
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Subscribing to a
non-published number service or requesting that your information
be removed from the lists given out by publishers of telephone
directories may not be enough to stop unsolicited telephone
calls. Other rules do exist to protect you from unwanted
telemarketing received by means of unsolicited: |
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You have the right to
complain to your phone company, or the CRTC, if a telemarketer
does not comply with any of the following telemarketing rules.
The telemarketing rules listed below are under review by the
CRTC and may be subject to change. Contact the CRTC directly for
up-to-date information on the telemarketing rules. |
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Automated calls make
use of equipment that stores and dials telephone numbers
automatically and can include a pre-recorded message that is
played when the phone is answered. Automated calls cannot be
used for the purpose of solicitation. This includes automated
calls made on behalf of a charity, calls requesting that you
hold until an operator is available, or calls referring you to a
900 or 976 number. |
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Automated calls are
only allowed when there is no attempt to solicit, for example if
you are called for public service reasons, for emergency
purposes, to collect on an overdue account, or to participate in
research. Such calls are only permitted from 9:30 a.m. to 8:00
p.m. on weekdays, 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays, and noon
to 5:00 p.m. on Sundays. There are no hour restrictions,
however, if the automated call is made for public service
reasons. |
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Automated calls must
start with a clear message telling you who is calling, including
a mailing address and a local or toll-free telephone number.
Automated calls must display the number where the call is coming
from or an alternate contact number. |
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When live telemarketers
contact you, they must identify the person or organization that
they represent. The telemarketer must, if you request it,
provide the name, address and telephone number of a person whom
you can contact. Telemarketers are required to display the
number where the call is coming from or an alternate contact
number. |
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There are no hour
restrictions on live telemarketing calls. |
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If you do not wish a
telemarketer to contact you again, you have the right to request
that the telemarketer place you on its "Do not call" list. Your
name and number must be removed from that telemarketer's calling
list within 30 days of your request. Telemarketers are required
to maintain your name on their "Do not call" lists for 3 years. |
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A fax from a
telemarketer must identify the person or organization on behalf
of whom the fax is sent, including the name, address, telephone
number and fax number of a person whom you can contact. The fax
must display the number where the call is coming from or an
alternate contact number. Telemarketing faxes can only be sent
on weekdays between 9:00 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. and on weekends from
10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. |
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If you do not wish to
receive a telemarketer's faxes again, you have the right to
request that the telemarketer place you on its "Do not call"
list. Your name and number must be removed from that
telemarketer's calling list within 7 days of your request.
Telemarketers are required to maintain your name on their "Do
not call" lists for 3 years.
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Your right to
protect your privacy when calling or being called
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You can protect your privacy when calling or being
called.
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Protecting your
privacy when making telephone calls
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If you don't want
someone you are calling to see your name and telephone number on
a call display system, you can make use of call blocking
service. The person you are calling will see an empty screen or
a message such as "private number". Call blocking service is
provided free of charge when used on a per-call basis, by
dialling a specific set of numbers before making the call.
Automatic call blocking service on all your outgoing calls may
also be available, but monthly charges may apply. Various social
service agencies and certain subscribers may be able to receive
automatic call blocking free of charge. |
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Call blocking may not
effectively protect your identity when making international
calls. For international calls, you may wish to use another
method, such as having the operator place the call for you. Some
charges may apply. |
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Protecting your
privacy when receiving telephone calls
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If you are being
harassed by persistent and/or threatening phone calls, and
believe that legal measures are necessary, you may use call
trace service. Call trace service allows the phone company to
provide the caller's telephone number to the police. You are
responsible for informing the police of your situation and your
call trace request. Charges may apply for using call trace
service, up to a maximum of $10 per month. |
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Other optional
services, such as call display which will allow you to see the
name and/or number of the caller, may be available to help you
protect your privacy. Contact your phone company, or refer to
your telephone directory, to find out more about these services,
including any charges that may apply. |
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Your right to
control access to your home
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You have the right to control access to your private
property.
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Your phone company can
request permission to enter your premises during reasonable
hours in order to perform various services, such as installing,
inspecting, repairing or removing its facilities or equipment.
Your phone company is required to get permission before it is
allowed to enter your home, except in cases of emergency or
legal power. The phone company representative must show you a
piece of company identification upon request. |
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Your rights
regarding the wiring and equipment inside your home
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You have choices when it comes to the telephone equipment
and wiring inside your home.
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You have the option of
purchasing or renting a telephone or other equipment from your
phone company. You can also purchase telephone equipment from
anyone else that sells such equipment. The telephone equipment
must comply with Industry Canada technical specifications. |
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Most customers are
responsible for the telephone wiring inside their homes. If you
need telephone wiring inside your home installed, repaired or
maintained, you can either hire a contractor or the telephone
company to do it, or you can do it yourself. If you live in a
rental property, you should speak with your landlord to
determine who is responsible for the inside wiring of your
residence. If you have multi-line service, or if you are without
a telephone jack, the phone company is responsible for the
wiring inside your home. |
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You may be entitled to receive refunds when there are
problems with your phone service, billing errors, or
directory errors.
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Refunds for service
problems
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You have the right to a
refund for the period in which you experienced any technical
problems with your telephone services, as long as they are not
related to your wiring or equipment. To be eligible for a
refund, you must inform the phone company of the service
problem. In general, you don't have to ask for a refund if the
problem lasts for 24 hours or more. However, to ensure a timely
refund, you should specifically request it from your phone
company. |
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Refunds for billing
errors
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You should inform your
phone company if you notice that your telephone bill includes a
charge that should not have been billed or that was overbilled.
You have the right to receive a refund for any billing error as
long as you report it within a set period of time. Billing
errors for recurring charges, such as monthly local telephone
service, must be disputed within one year, while billing errors
for non-recurring charges, such as directory assistance charges,
must be disputed within 150 days of the date of the bill. Any
refund that you receive for a billing error should also be
credited with interest. |
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Refunds for
directory errors
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If there is an error in
your telephone directory listing or your listing has been
omitted, you may be able to receive a refund if you have paid
any charges for the listing. |
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If the error relates to
your phone number, you have the right to have your incoming
phone calls referred to your correct telephone number free of
charge. This service will be provided until an updated directory
is made available. Number referral service will also generally
be provided if the phone company changes your telephone number
for whatever reason, for a limited period of time. |
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Your right to
detailed monthly billing information
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You have the right to receive a detailed billing
statement every month.
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The phone company must
provide you with a monthly billing statement which details what
local and optional services you subscribe to, and how much you
are paying for each service. |
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The prices for some of
the services that you receive may change over time, and the
phone company does not necessarily have to notify you before it
decides to change them. If you have concerns about an item in
your billing statement, contact your phone company or the CRTC. |
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Your right to
register a dispute or complaint
|
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You have the right to dispute charges and to file a
complaint about the service you receive. There are processes
in place to assist you if you are having difficulties
getting service or answers from your phone company.
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You have the right to
dispute any telephone charges on your billing statement that you
believe are incorrect. If you dispute a telephone charge, the
phone company will investigate your claims, and will make the
results of its investigation available to you. The phone company
cannot consider the charges that you are reasonably disputing to
be past due, but you are required to pay the undisputed portion
of your bill. |
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As a general rule, the
phone company cannot threaten to suspend or cut off your local
phone service over any amounts that you are reasonably disputing
(see "Your rights when the phone company wants to cut off your
phone service" section). |
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Various scams and
frauds exist that may affect your telephone service and could
lead to additional charges on your phone bill. You are
responsible for keeping yourself informed and protecting
yourself against various scams and fraud. For more information
about known scams and fraud, contact your phone company. |
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You also have the right
to complain to the phone company if you have any problems with
the service you receive. If you have a dispute or complaint, the
first step is to speak to your phone company. If the
representative handling your call cannot resolve the problem to
your satisfaction, you can ask to speak to the service manager
or a supervisor in the customer service department. |
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If you are still not
satisfied with the answer you are getting, you can contact the
CRTC. The CRTC will ask the phone company to respond to your
concern shortly thereafter. You should receive the phone
company's response within 20 working days of the CRTC's request.
If the CRTC is not satisfied with the phone company's response,
it may investigate the matter further. |
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If you wish to register
a complaint, or want to find out more about your rights in
general, you can contact the CRTC by: |
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- Telephone (toll-free): 1-877-249-CRTC (2782)
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- Telephone for TDD users (toll-free): 1-877-909-2782
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- Facsimile: 1-819-994-0218
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- CRTC Internet address: www.crtc.gc.ca
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- Mailing address: CRTC, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0N2
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Your right to
participate in CRTC proceedings
|
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Any interested person or association may participate in
CRTC public proceedings, or may submit comments or concerns
to the CRTC.
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Any person, or group of
persons, can participate in public proceedings held by the CRTC.
You can find out about upcoming proceedings through official
CRTC announcements which are available from any CRTC office and
the CRTC's website at www.crtc.gc.ca. The CRTC may also
communicate important information through billing inserts in
your phone bill. You may contact the CRTC at any local office to
find out more information: |
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Central Office Les Terrasses de la Chaudière Central Building 1 Promenade du Portage Gatineau, Quebec J8X 4B1 Tel: 819-997-0313 TDD: 819-994-0423 |
Nova Scotia Metropolitan Place 99 Wyse Road Suite 1410 Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B3A 4S5 Tel: 902-426-7997 |
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Quebec 205 Viger Avenue West Suite 504 Montréal, Quebec H2Z 1G2 Tel: 514-283-6607 |
Ontario 55 St. Clair Avenue East Suite 624 Toronto, Ontario M4T 1M2 Tel: 416-952-9096 |
Manitoba 275 Portage Avenue Suite 1810 Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2B3 Tel: 204-983-6306 TDD: 204-983-8274 |
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Saskatchewan Cornwall Professional Building 2125 11th Avenue Suite 103 Regina, Saskatchewan S4P 3X3 Tel: 306-780-3422 |
Alberta 10405 Jasper Avenue Suite 520 Edmonton, Alberta T5J 3N4 Tel: 780-495-3224 |
British Columbia 580 Hornby Street Suite 530 Vancouver, British Columbia V6C 3B6 Tel: 604-666-2111 TDD: 604-666-0778 |
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* The rights summarized in
this guide are for informational purposes only and do not
represent a complete list of your rights. The information
contained in this guide may also be subject to change. This
guide does not change or add to any existing rules or laws. In
the event of any inconsistencies between this guide and any
existing rule or law, the existing rule or law will prevail. |