Ottawa orders CRTC to investigate reports of 'aggressive' telecom sales practices

The federal government is ordering aninvestigation following allegations that Canada's largest telecommunications companies are using "misleading" and "aggressive" tactics to sell products and services.

Innovation, Science and Economic MinisterNavdeepBainshas ordered the Canadian Radio-television andTelecommunicationsCommission (CRTC) to investigate and report on the sales practices used by Canada's largesttelecommunicationcompanies.

The minister also called fora public inquiry to allow Canadians to voice their concernsand said the resulting inquiry report will have to propose potential solutions.

The call for inquiryfollows months ofCBCstories on the issue.

More than 200past and current telecom employees mostly at Bell and Rogers have come forward toCBC'sGo Public unitto describe intense pressure to mislead and lie to customers in order to hit unrealistic sales targets.

For example,a Rogers employee admittedto not telling mostly older customers about added fees, and to sneaking extra products or services onto a bill.

Hundreds of Canadian customershave come forward to complain aboutbeing charged prices that were higher than the ones they negotiated over the phone, or not receiving what a sales agent promised.

"Canadians have clearly expressed concerns. We've heard them loud and clear and we're taking action,"Bains told reporters Thursday.

The statement from his department called the reportedtactics "misleading and or aggressive."

"No Canadian should ever be misled or treated unfairly by a telecom corporation, especially those who are most vulnerable," he said.

The CRTChas until Feb. 28 to complete the inquiry and report.

Bains'officealso wrote to theCompetition Bureau to ask for itsassistance with the inquiry.

Earlier this year, theCRTCrejected a request from a consumer group to hold an inquiry into questionable sales tactics in the telecom sector,saying there was no need.

Rogers, Telus and Shaw have told CBC they would be open to participating in a public inquiry on sales practices.