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CBC:CRTC Improves Safeguards for 1-900 Users March 30, 2005 -- Ottawa -- The maximum per-minute fees that 1-900 psychic and betting hotlines can charge callers are being drastically cut as part of new safeguards announced by Canada's broadcast regulator on Wednesday. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission said it is introducing better protection for callers of services that typically include adult entertainment, chat lines, lines for horoscopes, soap opera updates, games of chance, trivia games and sport scores. Among the changes, the CRTC reduced the maximum rate that a 1-900 service provider may charge for calls to psychic lines from $10 to $6 per minute. Providers of games of chance services must tell consumers if there are other ways of playing the game that do not involve calling a 1-900 number. The maximum charge for a call is also being reduced from $25 to $5 per call. The regulator has also clamped down on the practice of 1-900 content providers prolonging calls to increase charges. Providers are prohibited from using programs that use repetitive scripts, long holding periods, excessive wording or long downloading features. The CRTC also announced that consumers must receive clear and complete information on charges at the outset of a call. Bills for 1-900 services must now fully describe all charges plus the time, date and duration of the call. The 1-900 content providers as well as telephone companies must also waive all "reasonably disputed charges" for first-time disputes, the CRTC said. The commission also clarified that telephone companies cannot cut off or threaten to cut off service for consumers who fail to pay charges for 1- 900 services. Copyright (C) 2005 CBC. All rights reserved |  |
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