ARCHIVED - Telecom Order CRTC 2002-143

Telecom Order CRTC 2002-143

Ottawa, 9 April 2002

900 Service - New interim consumer safeguards

Reference: Bell Canada tariff notices 740 and 741 (National Services Tariff)

1.

On 28 November 2001, Bell Canada, on behalf of Aliant Telecom Inc., MTS Communications Inc. and TELUS Communications Inc. (the Companies), submitted tariff notice (TN) 740 proposing revisions to the 900-service agreements.

2.

The 900-service agreements define the business relationship between the telephone company and the service provider that provides the content of a message or any other service to callers through a specific 900 number. These agreements consist of the Accounts Receivable Management agreement, the Service Provider agreement and the Alternate Billing Arrangement agreement.

3.

The Companies proposed changes that involve:

• providing consumer protection for 900 services accessed via the Internet; namely, providing an announcement indicating that the caller must pay for the call unless the caller disconnects immediately, and providing an opportunity for the caller to click on an "I agree" dialogue box in order to proceed with the service;

• including additional information requirements that service providers must fulfil to ensure that customers recognize that they can be billed by a party other than the telephone company for a 900 service call;

• prohibiting "scratch and win" type frauds that generally involve individuals receiving game cards by mail indicating that the recipient has won a prize and must call a 900 number to obtain information on redeeming the prize, the value of which is less than the cost of the call; and

• reducing caller charges to $5 from $25 for games of chance whose primary purpose is to allow the service provider to realize a profit from the charges paid by callers to a 900 number.

4.

The Commission is of the preliminary view that the proposed changes are reasonable, as they provide additional consumer safeguards without unduly burdening the service providers.

5.

Accordingly, the Commission approves on an interim basis the changes proposed in TN 740.

6.

The Commission has issued Telecom Public Notice CRTC 2002-2 dated 9 April 2002seeking comments on the changes proposed in TN 740, the changes proposed in tariff notice 741 and other issues related to consumer safeguards associated with 900 service.

Secretary General

This document is available in alternative format upon request and may also be examined at the following Internet site: www.crtc.gc.ca