The CRTC is beginning its inquiry into sales practices by telcos.

TORONTO • The telecom industry is beginning a five-day hearing to evaluate whether wireless, internet and TV providers use aggressive or misleading sales tactics — and whether new rules are needed to eliminate bad behaviour in the name of consumer protection.

On Monday, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission begins its public inquiry into telecom sales practices, a proceeding the federal government ordered it to undertake after a CBC investigation raised questions about dubious sales tactics.

The articles quoted staff, mostly from BCE Inc. and some from Rogers Communications Inc., who said they felt pressure to use unsavoury strategies in order to meet sales targets. The companies have condemned the described tactics, insisting they are unsanctioned, atypical incidents that don’t reflect their commitment to customer service. Yet consumer groups say the anecdotes point to systemic problems.

Should the CRTC determine misleading or aggressive sales tactics are employed, however, telecoms could be in for more regulation.

The government asked the regulator to consider strengthening codes of conduct or to create new consumer protections in an industry where the variety of products and services can lead to confusion.

In preparation for the hearing, the CRTC hired Ipsos Public Affairs to conduct public surveys and focus groups of vulnerable groups such as seniors, people with a disability and those who speak minority languages. The results weren’t particularly positive for the telecom industry.

Forty per cent of Canadians reported having sales experiences that they considered aggressive or misleading, according to the online opinion survey. Those included pushy or insistent salespeople who “wouldn’t take no for an answer” and false or misleading deals, such as promises not to raise prices that were then raised.

Other Canadians reported telecoms pushing a product or service they were not interested in (55 per cent) or offering discounts where the terms wind up different from what was originally offered.

Canadians typically vent to friends and family about these frustrations (48 per cent), with only a quarter changing providers and just eight per cent complaining to the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-Television Services.

The research found that Canadians are more concerned about the cost of telecom services and the protection of their personal information than they are about sales practices.