An Ontario Superior Court judge has cleared the way for a landmark class action alleging Bell and Telus cheated millions of customers through prepaid cellphone billing practices. Blacklock's Reporter says the lawsuit, more than a decade in the making, claims the telecom giants unfairly rounded up calls by the minute, costing subscribers millions.Justice Edward Morgan ordered a three-week hearing to examine evidence against Bell Mobility Inc. and Telus Communications Co., noting both companies used “the same accounting approach” despite operating independently. Lawyers for the plaintiffs are seeking at least $520 million in damages on behalf of 7,000,000 customers.The case dates back to 2014, when it was certified under the Consumer Protection Act. .Plaintiffs claim Bell and Telus “engaged in the undisclosed practice of ‘rounding up’ calls to the next minute,” meaning a call lasting one minute and one second could be billed as two minutes. The plaintiffs argue this practice accelerated depletion of prepaid minutes and triggered additional charges prematurely.“When Bell and Telus agreed to provide a certain number of ‘minutes’ of cellphone time, what did that mean?” Justice Morgan wrote in certifying the case. “Was it minutes of actual cellphone use or something else?” .He added that questions about whether the companies were entitled to round up and whether customers received the minutes they paid for could be answered collectively.The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) does not regulate cellphone pricing but introduced a Wireless Code in 2013 requiring plain language in contracts, minimum 30-day notice for changes, and no-fee cancellations.The court has not yet set a date for the hearing, but the case could set a precedent for how telecom companies bill prepaid customers and the rights of millions of Canadians who say they were overcharged.
