First, for family or shared plans, the account holder must, by default, be the one who consents to data overage and data roaming charges beyond the established caps ($50 and $100 per month, respectively). The CRTC has published a Notice of Consultation to examine whether device financing plans are in compliance with the Wireless Code, and how to ensure these plans could comply with the Code: Have a look at recent letters that were sent: CRTC will examine recent 36 month wireless device financing plans. The CRTC told CBC News that it couldn't comment on an ongoing issue. "They just have to put [phones] in cages and take precautions.". Rather than speculate on hypotheticals, the focus here is to explain the new process and how it might affect availability. The Wireless Code, simplified. That's because the telecom giant will only unlock phones free of charge for current and former customers. Use up to 100% of your allowed monthly usage during the trial period. The consumer advocacy group believes the telecom regulator should explicitly state that cellular providers must unlock any phone free of charge from their network. If you are still unsatisfied, contact the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services: P.O. Freedom Mobile supported unlocked phones in the 2017 CRTC hearing. Train-Fraser says she contacted Bell several times to unlock the phone, but the company couldn't confirm she had once been a customer. The Wireless Code, simplified. Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Mobile devices unlocked free of charge, upon request, and all newly purchased devices unlocked. With the new CRTC Wireless Code coming into effect on December 1st, 2017, Canadian cell phone carriers are now banned from charging a fee for unlocking any phone and all new phones must be sold unlocked.. Want to know how to unlock your cell phone in less than 2 pages? Rogers made no mention of in-store robberies. The longer-term goal is to free up the market enough to foster more competition. But their submission to the CRTC is short on numbers and details. ", Sophia Harris covers business and consumer news. In 2014, service providers were required to report on their implementation of the Wireless Code. CRTC bans cellphone unlocking fees, orders all new devices be unlocked. Barnhardt was surprised last week when Bell initially said it wouldn't do the job for free because she had never been a customer. As well, updates to the trial period will allow customers who are unhappy with their service to cancel their contract within 15 days and return their device in near-new condition at no costs, as long as they have used less than half their monthly usage limits. Copyright © 2020. It explains your consumer rights and the rules your provider must follow. A network unlock is a safe procedure, and has no bearing on your device’s performance or stored content. Oakville location part of Whole Foods poppy ban, Oakville has most new cases of COVID-19 today as…, Burlington operated sport facilities will start…, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 Canada License. Shortly after free unlocking came into effect, the consumer group said it received complaints that Bell was refusing to unlock phones for people who had a second-hand Bell-locked phone but weren't a Bell customer. If you are a customer of a specific carrier, you must unlock the device through them. She finally did get her phone unlocked for free, but only after CBC News asked Bell about the issue. It could be referring to Verizon, which is, Bell offers free phone unlocking for all following protests, Shortly after free unlocking came into effect, the consumer group said, CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. Comments are welcome while open. While they appreciate the Code, they told us loudly and clearly that it could be more effective. The industry-wide 15-day trial period, which allowed customers to return the device within that timeframe (without any damage, of course) has been bolstered. By submitting a comment, you accept that CBC has the right to reproduce and publish that comment in whole or in part, in any manner CBC chooses. Previously, most carriers were charging a flat $50 fee to unlock a device locked to their respective networks, regardless of whether the customer was on contract or not. In addition, all newly purchased devices must be provided unlocked from that day forward. "We need to protect our employees from criminals with guns.". By February, Bell changed its policy to include non-customers. With a locked phone, they would have to pay their service provider to unlock it for them before they were able to use a new SIM. "If I hadn't talked to [CBC News], I'd be sitting here with a locked phone," she said. Bell said it's in full compliance with CRTC regulations, but is reviewing PIAC's complaint. By submitting a comment, you accept that CBC has the right to reproduce and publish that comment in whole or in part, in any manner CBC chooses. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. Highlighted. Bell suggested the recent wave of phone thefts could be the result of a U.S. crackdown. . There may be certain restrictions, like LTE not working in a certain place because the local carrier uses it on a different band, but you can always look it up before you take off. RC toys & vehicles make a great gift idea! Here's what we found: Each year the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS) reports publicly on all consumer complaints related to the Wireless Code. You can also learn more about why the CRTC created the Wireless Code in 2013 and what changes were made as a result of a review of the Code in 2017. Either it’s already unlocked out of the box, or instructions are included to tell you how to do it. No need to worry about affecting phone performance, either. 15 mins talk time, even if you are on hold with THEM (which he was) results in paying an extra fee for them to “buy back” the brand spanking new phone..in other words..$$$$$$$$$ for nothing, not bad for a company that makes monthly between him and his wife ~$200 monthly for the past 10 years or so. Then nobody used it for more than a year, until her 13-year-old daughter needed a phone for her plan with Koodo, owned by Telus. Persons with disabilities: You can return your cellphone within 30 days, without penalty, if you are unhappy with your service. More often than not, it’s a matter of typing in a numerical code when prompted. For family or shared plans, the account holder must, by default, be the one who consents to data overage and data roaming charges beyond the established caps ($50 and $100 per month, respectively). To ensure Canadians with disabilities have a reasonable opportunity to test their services, they will be able to use up to 100% of their plan’s voice, text or data during a 30-day extended trial period. Bear in mind there are no exceptions to this new rule. Also available in Langue des signes québécoise (LSQ) : Code sur les services sans fil et de vos droits à titre de consommateurs canadiens. Those reports list the types of complaints that have been resolved. You can’t just go to a competitor and have them do it instead. Because the telecom couldn't confirm this, it refused to unlock her phone. Bell declined to comment further and explain how it reached that conclusion. ", Sophia Harris covers business and consumer news. Cancelling a contract after two years incurs no additional fee, and the details of your term must be given to you in plain language with no fine print. In rare cases, they can refuse to unlock your phone, but they can’t charge you for it. Shortly after CBC News contacted Bell about Train-Fraser's situation, she says the company finally granted her request, and chalked it up to a "misunderstanding. The key to this new rule isn’t simply the fact that you can go in and get your current phone unlocked free of charge, it’s also that new devices sold after that date must be unlocked too. In the past, telecoms often provided their customers with phones locked to their network and then charged them a fee — typically $50 — to unlock a device if a customer wanted to switch service providers. The CRTC also made clear that in all instances, the caps apply on a per account basis, regardless of the number of devices associated with the account. There is a reason I do not deal with Rogers, and the CRTC really needs to stomp on ISP/Telecom providers as they obviously cannot watch the way they run themselves, i.e, very stiff fines and a legal right to revoke their licensing or something along this line.
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