The people vs. the phone giants; how to keep track of your subscriptions: CBC’s Marketplace cheat sheet | CBC News

Miss something this week? Don’t panic. CBC’s Marketplace rounds up the consumer and health news you need.

Want this in your inbox? Get the Marketplace newsletter every Friday.

Here’s why Canadians have higher cellphone bills than other countries

Wireless mobile plan costs around the world

Cellphone users in Ireland, France and Australia react to cost-per-gigabyte price differences in Canada.

The industry tells us it’s because of Canada’s vast space and sparse population, and because of costly operating margins.

But a Marketplace investigation has found those claims aren’t able to explain the lower cellphone bills found in other countries, or even between some provinces.

Marketplace compared costs of cellphone-related tasks in Canada to costs in Australia, Ireland and France, and found the cost in those countries was much less, even in Australia where the population density is similar. 

For example, scrolling Instagram for five minutes would cost about half a cent in France, while it would cost 20 cents in Canada. Downloading a half-hour show from YouTube would cost eight cents in Ireland and $1.03 in Canada. Downloading an entire season of Wednesday from Netflix would cost about $1.62 in Australia and $10.22 in Canada. (All prices are in Canadian dollars based on the Dec. 1, 2022, exchange rates.)

Critics say a lack of competition is what’s keeping Canadian prices so high. When it comes to the competitive landscape in Canada, most Canadians do have more than one option when choosing their wireless provider, perhaps even a budget-friendly brand. But Rogers, Bell or Telus actually own many of those value brands.

Marketplace found that in provinces where there is an additional major regional competitor that wasn’t owned by Rogers, Telus or Bell (or had only recently been acquired), prices offered by the big three were cheaper. 

Bell, Telus and Rogers would not do an on-camera interview with Marketplace when asked about pricing and competitive tactics. Bell and Rogers instead deferred to the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) for comment.

The CWTA told Marketplace in a statement that it “simply costs more to operate wireless networks in Canada than most other countries,” noting that Canada has a relatively small population density that makes it harder to recover costs. Rogers added that prices for wireless data have decreased over the past six years. Read more

Marketplace goes deeper into phone competition in Canada, and gives you tips on how to lower your own bill in our latest investigation. Watch “The People vs. The Phone Giants” on Friday at 8 p.m., 8:30 p.m. in Newfoundland, on CBC TV and CBC Gem.

Sunwing has received 7,000 complaints about holiday travel disruptions

If you had your dream vacation turned into a nightmare this holiday season, you’re not alone.

Sunwing has received 7,000 complaints from customers unhappy with the airline’s performance over the holidays.

Sunwing executives told MPs on the House of Commons standing committee on transport, infrastructure and communities Thursday that the airline cancelled 67 flights between Dec. 15 and 31, in part because of staff shortages. Sunwing president Len Corrado said the airline struggled after the federal government declined its request to hire 63 pilots as temporary foreign workers.

Members of Parliament questioned airline executives and airport authorities Thursday about the travel chaos that erupted during the holidays.

Hundreds of air passengers were stranded over the holiday season after airlines cancelled or delayed flights, largely due to a major storm that hit much of Canada around Christmas.

Even though the House of Commons isn’t sitting right now, MPs on the transport committee met Monday and unanimously supported calling witnesses to discuss the travel debacle.

Executives from WestJet and Air Canada also testified, but Sunwing, a smaller airline that offers flights to southern destinations, faced the brunt of MPs’ questions Thursday. 

If you’re hoping your complaint can be resolved through the Canadian Transportation Agency, you’ll probably have to be patient. It’s grappling with a backlog of over 30,000 passenger complaints. Read more

Watch out for monthly subscription bills that might be slipping through your budget

Food subscriptions, TV subscriptions, music subscriptions — they’re convenient and quick to sign up for, but just as easy to forget about.

Here are some tips on how to stay on top of those subscription fees — and what to do when you just can’t find the unsubscribe button.

• Pore over your monthly credit card statements, say experts.
• Try a subscription management app like MySubscribe, Mint, and Bobby, which have all emerged in recent years.
• If all else fails, call your credit card company and ask for a chargeback, when a bank transfers money from the merchant’s account back to the client. Too many chargebacks and the company gets flagged. Read more

What else is going on?

There’s been a second home in Toronto listed for sale without the homeowner’s knowledge
Fraudsters impersonated homeowners with fake documents. Now people are questioning whether the real estate industry is doing enough to verify identities.

An investigation into a Calgary daycare alleges multiple instances of physical and emotional abuse
The police are now investigating, and Alberta Children’s Services issued a notice for the cancellation of the facility’s licence.

Bell isn’t donating 5 cents per text on Let’s Talk Day anymore
Instead, the company says it will donate $10 million to charities that support mental health, more than the telecom has donated any other year. 

Marketplace needs your help

Did you plan your dream holiday vacation only to have an airline totally ruin it? Maybe you were trapped in paradise, or maybe your trip was cancelled altogether. We want to hear your story. Write to us at [email protected].

We’re on the hunt for greenwashing claims! Have you seen a product or service that makes environmentally friendly claims, only to find out they were too good to be true? Maybe that carton wasn’t actually compostable, or perhaps that “low emissions” claim didn’t hold true. We want to hear about it. Reach us at [email protected].

Catch up on past episodes of Marketplace on CBC Gem.