Canadians complaining about wireless less, experiencing fewer unexpected charges: research

Canadians are complaining less about their wireless service and fewer consumers are receiving unexpected charges in their monthly wireless bill, according to wireless code research commissioned by the CRTC. The report, conducted by market research company Kantar and published on July 29, found 22 per cent of Canadian cell phone users experienced bill shock -- a surprisingly high bill -- in the past year, compared to 25 per cent in 2019. That dip was more modest than the decline in data overage fees -- with 59 per cent of consumers saying they had not experienced overage fees in the past 12 months, compared to 52 per cent in 2019. For those consumers who experienced bill shock, 66 per cent reported an amount of greater than $50 on top of their usual monthly bill. The report stated the differing rate of the drops in overage fees and bill shock suggested that many Canadians “may not fully understand their contracts or how to manage other fees and services in a way that prevents bill shock,” despite having greater success managing their data. The telephone survey of 1510 Canadians also found 17 per cent of Canadians had made a complaint about their wireless service in the past 12 months, the equal lowest result since 2016, and three per cent lower than last year’s result. In the report, Kantar suggests the nine per cent decrease in complaints from 2014 -- a year after the wireless code came into effect -- shows that it’s having a positive impact for consumers and suggests the decrease over the past 12 months reflects the decrease in data overage charges. The report also shows fewer than half of Canadians recall the wireless code, with 47 per cent either clearly or vaguely recalling it, an eight per cent decrease compared to 2019’s results. The report suggests that reduction may be due to “an ebb in media coverage over the past year.” In a phone interview, Public Interest Advocacy Centre counsel John Lawford said the wireless code was generally positive for consumers but the report showed that “nobody knows this thing is in place or how to explain what their rights are.” “We’ve said it takes effort to keep it in the public consciousness. The should be spending more on general awareness at least and the CRTC probably should be too. I know they have stuff on their website, but they should be doing more active promotion of these things,” Lawford said. The survey is considered a non-probability sample, and does not contain a margin of error.

Canadians complaining about wireless less, experiencing fewer unexpected charges: research

Brief | August 5, 2020

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Canadians complaining about wireless less, experiencing fewer unexpected charges: research

Brief | August 5, 2020

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