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Rogers, Bell, and Telus sued by Canadian Competition Bureau for misleading ads

Rogers, Bell, and Telus sued by Canadian Competition Bureau for misleading ads

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Some of Canada's leading wireless providers are being sued by the country's competition bureau due to misleading ads promoting "premium-rate digital content."

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Canada's Competition Bureau has announced that it is suing some of the country's largest wireless providers a total of $31 million due to "misleading advertising." The bureau says that, following a five-month investigation, it found that Rogers, Bell, and Telus, along with the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association, were using misleading ads to promote the sale of "premium-rate digital content" such as ringtones and horoscopes — the problem was customers weren't aware of the costs.

"Consumers were under the false impression that certain texts and apps were free."

"Our investigation revealed that consumers were under the false impression that certain texts and apps were free," Commissioner of Competition Melanie Aitken said. The bureau is seeking $10 million in damages from each of the three carriers, along with $1 million from the CWTA. Additionally, the suit is looking for full customer refunds and a stop to the ads in question.