Quebec City says it has heard consumer complaints about cell phone contracts, and has drawn up plans to do something about it.
Quebec justice minister Kathleen Weil introduced a bill Tuesday imposing contract regulations on the cell phone industry.
The bills says:
- three year cell phone contracts are too long
- contracts are to be standardized to allow consumers to compare plans and companies
- contracts have to be understandable, and give the consumer the full total of all he services he or she is signing up for
- it will be easier to get out of a contract that no longer works for the consumer
- companies will have to get written permission to extend a user's contract.
And more...
Gift cards are also covered under the bill. Expiry dates on gift vouchers would be disallowed.
Extended warranties are also targeted: merchants selling warranties will have to tell consumers what the manufacturer's warranty already covers.
The bill will not be law until the fall.
