Glossary of Terms

Below are some terms used throughout the report and their definitions.

Accepted complaint

A customer complaint received during the year and which falls within the CCTS’ mandate.

Alleged breach

When a customer claims that a service provider failed to perform an obligation under one of the four CRTC-issued codes of conduct the CCTS administers (the Deposit and Disconnection Code, the Wireless Code, the Television Service Provider Code and the Internet Code) or when a CCTS staff member identifies a potential code breach based on the details of a complaint. Each breach references an individual section of the code. As a result, more than one alleged breach may be recorded in a complaint.

Assessment

The CCTS assesses the information the customer has provided to determine if, based on the mandate, the complaint can be accepted.

Closed complaint

A complaint that was accepted and then subsequently closed. The CCTS may close the complaint for various reasons, including any of the following:

• The service provider has made an offer to resolve the complaint that the CCTS thinks is fair and reasonable based on the specific circumstances of the complaint.
• The complaint was found to be without merit.
• After filing the complaint, the customer either withdrew it or failed to provide the information the CCTS needed to conduct the investigation.
• The complaint should more properly have been brought before another agency, tribunal or court.

Concluded complaint

A complaint that the CCTS accepted and was subsequently resolved or closed. On rare occasions, complaints can lead to the CCTS issuing a formal Recommendation or Decision. A complaint concluded in this reporting period may have been accepted during the previous fiscal year.

Confirmed breach

When the CCTS can confirm, based on its investigation, that a provision of a CRTC-issued code has been violated.

Customer not cooperative

When a customer files a complaint but fails to provide the information the CCTS needs to complete its investigation. In this situation, following multiple attempts to obtain the required information, the complaint is closed.

Decision

A Decision is issued if either the customer or the service provider rejects a CCTS Recommendation. The party rejecting the Recommendation must set out its reasons and the Commissioner will reconsider the Recommendation and issue a Decision. The Commissioner may confirm the original Recommendation or, if the Commissioner concludes that there is substantial doubt as to the correctness of the Recommendation, may modify the Recommendation as appropriate. A Decision is binding on the service provider but not on the customer. The customer may reject it and pursue other remedies.

Further investigation not warranted

When the CCTS determines, after inquiry, that an investigation or a further investigation is not necessary because the CCTS determines that the service provider has reasonably performed its obligations to the customer.

Investigation

The CCTS analyzes the evidence provided and uses this analysis to either suggest ways in which the complaint might be resolved amicably or, if it cannot be, to rule on the merits of the complaint.

Issue

A specific concern raised in a complaint by the customer. A complaint can contain more than one issue. For example, a customer may complain that their invoice contains a billing error and that the unpaid balance resulted in a service disconnection. This would be considered one complaint that raises two separate issues.

No breach

When the CCTS investigated an alleged breach and concluded that the service provider did not breach the code provision in question.

Out of mandate

Complaints about products, services or issues that the CCTS cannot investigate are considered to be “out of mandate.”

Pre-investigation

The initial stage of the CCTS’ complaint-handling process where the CCTS refers the complaint to the service provider to provide another opportunity to resolve the complaint. The two parties have 30 days to resolve the issue before it is referred to the investigation stage.

Recommendation

A Recommendation is issued when the complaint was fully investigated but the service provider has not made an offer to informally resolve the complaint, or if the offer is not found to be reasonable based on the specific circumstances of the complaint. The CCTS can make a Recommendation requesting that the provider take specific actions to resolve the matter.

Resolved

The complaint was resolved by the CCTS to the satisfaction of both parties.

Service provider offer is reasonable

When the service provider makes an offer to resolve a complaint and the CCTS determines that the offer fairly resolves the problem based on the specific circumstances of the complaint. In this situation, the complaint is closed even if the customer does not agree that the offer is reasonable.