Switching

Mrs. Lee, a TELUS customer, is enjoying an ice-cream cone at a summer fair when she's asked if she would like to enter a draw. She fills out an entry form for herself, and also for her brother Jack, her neighbour Sandra and her Aunt Winnie, thinking it will be a pleasant surprise if one of them wins the contest. Later, Mrs. Lee, her brother, her neighbour and her aunt are all surprised to find that their long-distance calling is now with a new long-distance company.

Today, there are many long-distance companies competing for your business. Some of these companies offer incentives such as coupons and contests as a way of attracting new customers.

Be aware that the fine print on some offers may contain language authorizing a new company as your long-distance provider. There are a number of ways you could inadvertently be switched to a new long-distance provider:

• You sign up for a store credit card but don't realize switching your long distance is part of the deal.
• You receive a cheque in the mail as a promotional offer and sign it to receive cash.
• You enter a contest for a prize or cash without realizing that by completing the entry form, you are authorizing a switch to a new long-distance provider.

Ways to protect yourself
Read any offer carefully, including the fine print, so you understand exactly what you're getting and thus avoid authorizing a switch you didn't intend. Take the time to check the facts. If something sounds too good, or too ludicrous, to be true, it probably is.

Verifying your long-distance provider
If you think you may have been switched, you can verify who your long-distance provider is by calling 1-700-555-4141 free of charge from the telephone line you are checking.

If you have been switched
We will be happy to switch you back to TELUS.

In BC, call us at 1-800-663-1440 (residential) or 1-800-665-0001 (business).

In Alberta, please call us at 310-2255 (residential) or 310-3100 (business). Both of these numbers are toll-free calls. If your call originates in Alberta, there is no need to dial the prefix '1'.

Take action
Please refer to our list of addresses and telephone numbers for agencies you may wish to contact if you have been switched.