UPDATED: CCTS report finds Telus most complained-about service provider; billing issues ‘top of mind’ for customers

For the first time in its reporting history, the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS) found Telus Corp. to be the most complained-about service provider. According to its mid-year report, the CCTS accepted 11,909 complaints in the six months ended Jan. 31, 2025 — up by 12 per cent year-over-year. Of those complaints, the CCTS received 2,342 about Telus, a 62.9 per cent increase from the previous year’s 1,437. The report said the increase in complaints is “largely driven by issues about incorrect charge for monthly price plan, breach of contract, and regular price increase of monthly price plan.” When asked for comment, Telus’ senior vice president of customer service excellence, Terry Wells, said in a statement emailed to The Wire Report that “we acknowledge our complaint volumes increased during this most recent period, and take full responsibility for these results, viewing every interaction as an opportunity to learn and grow.” The statement added that the company has taken “immediate action” based on customers’ feedback and stated it achieved a 20 per cent reduction in complaints since January. Wells also said Telus remains focused on sustainable investment, technological advancements, and “long-term solutions” to improve the customer experience. Rogers Communications Inc., which was the most complained-about provider the past two years, moved to second place with 2,224 complaints, down from 2,820 – a 21.1 per cent decrease year-over-year. Shaw Communications Inc., which was purchased by Rogers in 2023, saw a stark increase of 194.3 per cent, fielding 1,145 complaints, up from just 389 last year. The surge put the company in the top five of all service providers tracked for the first time in five years. The report said Shaw’s increase was mostly driven by issues with rental equipment, changes to contracts, alleged breach of contract, and regular price increases of monthly price plans. Between Rogers and Shaw, the commission accepted 657 complaints from customers about increases to their TV set-top box rental fees. Of those complaints, 593 were about Shaw. Rogers’ flanker brand, Fido, also found itself in the top five, receiving 814 complaints, a 23.7 per cent decrease from last year’s 1,067. At its annual general meeting on April 23, Rogers’ CEO Tony Staffieri said the company’s new AI-powered tools “make it simpler for customers to find answers more quickly and for our agents to find solutions more efficiently.” BCE Inc.’s Bell Canada received 1,988 complaints, a 13.7 per cent increase year-over-year, landing the company third on the list of all service providers included in the report. The report said that the top five service providers– Telus, Rogers, Bell, Shaw, and Fido – make up 72 per cent of all accepted complaints. The CCTS said it concluded reviews of 11,331 of the total complaints, 85 per cent of which were categorized as “resolved.’” “That means that the customer and the service provider are satisfied with the resolution,” said Janet Lo, CCTS assistant commissioner, in an interview with The Wire Report. Each complaint can raise more than one issue, and of the 11,331 concluded complaints, 22,635 issues were raised. Wireless remains the most complained-about service, referenced in 50 per cent of all issues. TV services saw a sharp 49.4 per cent jump year-over-year, referenced in 15.9 per cent of all issues. “We report all of this to help the industry, service providers, and everyone in the public understand what kinds of trends there are,” said Lo. “This gives service providers an opportunity to consider what opportunities there might be to improve their customer service practices.” Across all services, incorrect charges for monthly price plans was the issue most commonly raised, with 2,897 total complaints. Lo said financial pressures some customers are facing could be contributing to the prevalency of billing issues. “We have seen customers facing some uncertainty overall in terms of their household budgets,” she said. “So that may be what’s causing billing concerns to be top of mind.” Further, allegations of breach of contract saw the largest year-over-year increase across all services, with a staggering 243.1 per cent jump. “It can be very difficult for consumers to clearly understand all the details in their contracts, they can be very complicated and complex,” said Lo, adding that the complaints typically stem from unclear contract information. As part of the complaints process, the CCTS requires customers to first try to resolve the issues directly with their service provider. If that doesn’t work, the commission can help mediate discussions between both parties. “When we speak with customers, we encourage them to be clear about what they expect, what the problem is, and how they would like to see it resolved,” said Lo. When the two sides are unable to reach a resolution, Lo said cases may go on to the investigation stage. At that point, the CCTS will investigate whether the service provider has met its obligations to the customer. It can also determine if there has been a breach in the provider’s code of conduct. The commission will issue investigative findings to both parties, outlining what the provider needs to do to fix the issue, if applicable. “We do have the authority to require providers at that stage to, for example, credit or refund a customer or reconnect a service that has been improperly disconnected,” Lo said. If a provider does not implement the commission’s findings, the CCTS will first work with the provider to bring it into compliance. If the provider is still non-compliant, the CCTS can expel it from participating in the commission. It is required by the CRTC that service providers participate in the CCTS. If they are expelled, they are referred to the regulator for further enforcement action. Lo said termination is “quite rare” and the report noted no providers were terminated this year. mcollins@thewirereport.ca

UPDATED: CCTS report finds Telus most complained-about service provider; billing issues ‘top of mind’ for customers

Regulatory |
By Maria Collins
| April 30, 2025

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UPDATED: CCTS report finds Telus most complained-about service provider; billing issues ‘top of mind’ for customers

Regulatory | By Maria Collins | April 30, 2025

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