This is an archive of news stories and research from the National Union of Public and General Employees. Please see our new site - https://nupge.ca - for the most current information.
Contract termination fees capped at $50 by Nova Scotia NDP.
Halifax (30 April 2012) - Residents of Nova Scotia will save a considerable amount of money the next time they need to cancel their cell phone contracts. John MacDonell, Nova Scotia minister responsible for consumer affairs, announced that it will introduce legislation to not only cap cancellation fees at $50 but also add more regulations for accountability and transparency around billing in the industry.
Similar legislation exists in Manitoba, Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador, while Ontario just announced last week that it will be tabling the same kind of bill in the future.
The legislation in Nova Scotia will make it a requirement for the cellular company to seek permission before increasing plan fees or making changes to other parts of contracts. It also requires service providers to supply more information about minimum monthly costs in contracts and in advertising and will restrict automatic contract renewals. Additionally, more infomation will have to be provided regarding cyberbullying by every company.
These rules will only apply to customers who sign up for contracts once the legislation is passed.
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE