Bell Canada – Collect Calls Class Action Settlement (Quebec)

Case name:

Collect Call Fees Charged by Bell Canada (Quebec)

Quebec Superior Court file #:

450-06-000001-176

What this case was about:

The Plaintiff alleged that Bell Canada failed to disclose collect call rates to their recipients and that these rates are abusive. Bell denies any wrongdoing or liability in this matter. The parties have agreed to a settlement agreement which you can consult below.

Authorized Class:

All natural persons in Quebec who have received and paid the charges associated with one or more local or long distance collect calls processed by Bell Canada between September 25, 2014 and September 30, 2022 inclusively, other than calls made from provincial correctional facilities located in the Province of Ontario using the Offender Telephone Management System (OTMS).

and

All legal persons, partnerships and associations or other groups not endowed with juridical personality in Quebec who have received and paid the charges associated with one or more local or long distance collect calls processed by Bell Canada between September 25, 2014 and September 30, 2022 inclusively, other than calls made from provincial correctional facilities located in the Province of Ontario using the Offender Telephone Management System (OTMS), and who did not invoice the charges to a third party (such as, but not limited to, a client, an organization or legal aid).

Terms of Settlement:

Without admission of any kind, Bell Canada will pay $1,000,000 to fully and finally settle this action for the purpose of avoiding further costs and putting a final end to this litigation and to all related claims. This amount will be distributed on a pro rata basis among the class members entitled to an amount, after deduction of Class Counsel fees and other disbursements, costs and expenses to administer the settlement, subject to Court approval.

Who can receive money?

The class members who received and paid the charges associated with one or more long distance collect calls will be eligible for a refund, to be paid on a pro rata basis, of the charges for long distance collect calls processed by Bell that appear on one of their invoices in the period between September 25, 2014 and September 30, 2022 inclusively.

To obtain a refund, class members entitled to an amount must submit a formal claim form and a copy of their invoice on which any such charges appear. A second notice will be published after the Court’s approval of the settlement to inform of the claims period during which the class members entitled to an amount will have to submit the claim form and the required documentation to benefit from the settlement.

This is a summary. Please read the detailed notice and the Settlement Agreement (available below) for more information.

Status:

The Superior Court will hold a hearing to approve the settlement on February 27, 2023 at 9h30 in room 1 of the Sherbrooke Court house located at 375 King Street West, Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1H 6B9, or via TEAMS:

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