Quebec judge ups claims cap in Rogers termination fee class action

Quebec’s Superior Court has granted an increase in the number of total claims payable from people Rogers Communications Inc. was ordered to compensate as part of a $26 million class-action lawsuit after they were charged abusive fees for terminating their contracts early. Collectiva, the claims administrator, indicated in a partial statement of account filed with the court in mid-June that it expected the number of approved complaints to exceed the previously-established ceiling of 7,731 claims. In a June 23 decision, Justice Martin F. Sheehan agreed Collectiva may pay out up to 11,000 complaints. In the partial statement of account, Collectiva indicated that due to the number of complaints it received by the May 31, 2021, deadline for the third distribution round, it would likely require an increase, suggesting the ceiling of 11,000 claims through its lawyers. It also said it appeared that the three claims distribution rounds generated an overall indemnity collection rate of approximately 56 per cent. At one point, Collectiva anticipated there could be almost 80,000 potentially eligible customers who did not submit claims and received permission from the court to launch a Facebook and text message campaign to try to reach a portion of those people through a March 12 decision from Sheehan. The class action suit began several years ago, and after it’s done paying out all approved claims, Collectiva estimates there will be a net balance of over $7 million not distributed. Those who are compensated get $42.70, $102.86, or $327.91, depending on the service they had and if they made a claim by the end of May. According to Sheehan’s June 23 decision, Collectiva received just over $20.5 million to make up the settlement fund, in addition to credits made directly by Rogers. Collectiva had additionally submitted an invoice for $32,552.37 for its fees and disbursements, which Sheehan granted it approval to pay itself out of the settlement fund -- with the right to send an additional invoice for the claims that have yet to be processed. As for the money left undistributed, Sheehan asked the lawyers representing the claims group to request submissions from L’Association québécoise de prévention du suicide, La Fondation Tel-jeunes, Centraide, and Les œuvres de la Maison Dauphine to support their arguments for receiving some of the unclaimed money as third party beneficiaries.

Quebec judge ups claims cap in Rogers termination fee class action

Brief | July 9, 2021

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Quebec judge ups claims cap in Rogers termination fee class action

Brief | July 9, 2021

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