Advertisement

Telus to rebate $7.34M to wireless customers over ‘misleading’ texts

A Telus employee speaks to customers at a Telus Mobility sales location.
A Telus employee speaks to customers at a Telus Mobility sales location. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese

OTTAWA – Telus has agreed to rebate millions of dollars to current and former wireless customers, reaching an agreement with the Competition Bureau over its participation in misleading premium text message services.

The federal agency says Telus will issue rebates of up to $7.34 million over false or misleading representations in advertisements for services that sent trivia questions and ring tones through texts.

Financial news and insights delivered to your email every Saturday.

Telus is the second Canadian wireless company to rebate customers for the texts. An agreement was reached with Rogers Communications earlier this year, while legal proceedings are still outstanding against Bell and the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association, the industry’s trade group.

Telus advertised the premium texts in pop-up ads, apps and on social media.

The move comes after the Competition Bureau launched an inquiry in 2012 over certain third-party services that the country’s biggest wireless carriers billed customers without their permission.

Story continues below advertisement

Telus has also agreed to donate $250,000 for research on consumer issues.

Sponsored content

AdChoices