Consumers who use IOS Telecom pay phones have complained about the company’s astronomical fees. One consumer claimed he was charged $40 for a collect call that lasted less than five minutes. Another consumer claimed to use the payphone that offered the “Lowest International Rates” but was still charged an exorbitant rate of nearly $18 for a three-minute call. Inga Sibiga has filed a lawsuit to stop IOS Telecom from charging such high fees.
Inga Sibiga launches lawsuit against high IOS Telecom phone call charges
An attorney specializing in class-action lawsuits helped Inga Sibiga file a class-action lawsuit on behalf of Quebec consumers who have been charged more than five cents per MB after Jan. 8, 2010. Sibiga is hoping to secure a multi-million-dollar award for the class of customers. Until then, telecoms have been dropping their international roaming rates for consumers across Canada.
IOS Telecom charges high fees for calls made from public pay phones or hotel rooms
The rates for long-distance and local calls vary widely on public pay phones and can be quite high. It’s important to know what to expect before using a public phone, however. A recent case involving IOS Telecom involved a $60 bill, and King tracked down the provider, WiMacTel, which offers pay phone services to hotels, hospitals, universities, and colleges across the country. The company’s chief executive said the phone’s $1 rate included operator service.
Bell Mobility loses class-action lawsuit against Canadian carrier
A judge has ruled that Bell Mobility Inc. is liable to thousands of cellphone subscribers in Canada’s three northern territories for collecting high charges for 911 calls. The Northwest Territories Court of Appeal ruled that Bell’s service agreements were not adequately worded to allow it to charge its customers for such calls. In response to the ruling, residents of Yellowknife sued the Canadian carrier.
A lawsuit against the Canadian carrier was certified as a class action by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. It claims that Bell Mobility failed to disclose the information it collected about its customers in its privacy policies and did not request their consent. As a result, consumers were unable to opt-out of the practice. While this ruling may sound bad for Canadian consumers, the court’s decision is good news for other Canadians who have suffered from high phone call costs.
The ruling means that Bell will have to pay the plaintiffs’ legal fees, which will be determined in a separate trial. The judge accepted the plaintiffs’ estimates of damages and will now require Bell to make further disclosure. In total, plaintiffs believe they will be entitled to $3 to $5 million in damages. If the ruling stands, it could have a devastating effect on Canadian consumers
