CRTC bans 30-day wait to cancel cable, Internet, phone
Effective Jan. 23, companies may no longer require advance notice, the commission says in its first decision following the Let's Talk hearings.
Canadians should have an easier time cancelling their cable starting early next year.
The Canadian Radio and Television Commission (CRTC) has announced a decision that consumers will no longer have to give advance notice if they want to switch television, Internet or phone service providers.
This is the first decision to come out of the CRTC’s Let’s Talk TV: A Conversation with Canadians hearings on the future of television that were held earlier this year. It decrees that consumers will no longer have to give 30 days’ notice if they want to cancel a service.
The order goes into effect on Jan. 23, 2015. It’s hoped the move will allow consumers to better take advantage of a competitive marketplace.
The 30-day cancellation provision was a source of many consumer complaints. Thursday’s ruling follows a similar order applying to cellphone services that has been in place since December 2013.
The Let’s Talk public hearings started on Sept. 8, and included consumer groups and industry representatives is a discussion of ways to improve services for consumers.