The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) issued an enforcement advisory to the real estate industry after levying a $260,000 penalty to a Canadian company that 'unlawfully' provided real estate agents and brokers with access to the contents of the National Do Not Call List (DNCL).
As a reminder, brokerages whose agents call consumers to promote their services – through referrals, cold calling, etc. – must register with the National Do Not Call List. It is not acceptable to use third-party telephone directory services as a replacement for a subscription to the DNCL.
The CRTC takes violations of the National DNCL seriously. If individuals do not comply, an administrative penalty of up to $1,500 per violation ($15,000 for corporations) can be levied. Since the DNCL was created in 2008, the CRTC has issued over $5.7 million in monetary penalties.
For more information about the DNCL and members' obligations, consult the CRTC'sEnforcement Advisory, the Telecom Information Bulletin 2009-283, and CREA’s FAQs.
Re-published from CREA’s News2Me, February 2015.