The CRTC has made it easier to cancel a cable subscription, by banning telecom companies from requiring customers to provide 30 days’ cancellation notice to cancel their cable, internet or landline telephone service.
The policy change is the first to be issued following the CRTC’s “Let’s Talk TV” hearings, which included a public hearing that began on September 8, 2014, on the future of television.
Canadians have expressed frustration with these policies in their complaints to the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS).
It is set to go into effect on January 23, 2015. The change will give cable consumers more flexibility when it comes to canceling their service as they won’t have to pay an extra month’s subscription or provide an advance notice.
It is common for the telecommunications industry to have a 30-day cancellation policy, however, it is a policy that consumers are (for obvious reasons) very opposed to.
According to the CRTC it has “made it easier for individuals and small business customers to take advantage of a competitive marketplace by switching service providers.”
It was a decision focused on ensuring that Canadians benefit from a dynamic marketplace.
The CRTC posted a news release, in which it said:
“We understand the frustration many Canadians feel about having to give 30-days notice, even at the end of a contract term, to change their television, Internet and telephone service providers. Some consumers end up paying two companies for the same service as they transition from one provider to another. In a dynamic marketplace, it should be easy for Canadians to switch providers given that service plans and offers are constantly changing. Today’s decision ensures that this is a reality for television, Internet, and telephone, as well as wireless services.”