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Canadian Cable Company Shames Non-Paying Customers Publicly On Facebook (hothardware.com)

Posted by timothy on from the where-is-my-money-mr-mulrooney? dept.

MojoKid writes: If you've ever been late on paying a bill, it's unlikely that you ever thought that you were running the risk of being publicly shamed about your shortcomings. However, for a few unfortunate individuals, one Canadian cable TV provider doesn't see things quite the same way. Recently, Senga Services, which is located in Canada's Northwest Territories, decided to begin posting the names of customers that had overdue payments to its Facebook page. The initiative was spearheaded by company employee Jennifer Simons, who felt so strongly about her right to expose late bill payers, that she debated with those on a Facebook community page who thought she was in the wrong in doing so. Simons claims that public shaming has proven to be the most successful method of getting customers to pay up. Exposing someone's name and amount owed might be a gross breach of ethics, but Simons claims that it's not illegal. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada urged the company to pull the post outing these tardy customers, and the company has since obliged. The Privacy Commissioner is now mulling whether this issue is worth investigating further.

27 of 149 comments (clear)

  1. Can't wait for the aftermath. by CurryCamel · · Score: 2

    I predict we see an article on slashdot in about two months, telling us how many customers ended their contract with said company.

    My guess is 2%.

    1. Re:Can't wait for the aftermath. by PKFC · · Score: 5, Informative

      Yeah this is a town of 1200 people and they only got a highway in the 70s. NWT has its own scale of how sparse it is. The largest city, Yellowknife is about 25k people and likely at least a four hour drive from that town. If you think the duopoly everywhere else in North America is bad, try NWT

    2. Re:Can't wait for the aftermath. by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I predict we see an article on slashdot in about two months, telling us how many customers ended their contract with said company.

      My guess is 2%.

      This all seems so odd. Instead of public shaming, perhaps cutting off their service will get them to pay up? Jus' sayin'.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    3. Re:Can't wait for the aftermath. by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2

      Maybe they can't. Some countries consider phone service to be essential (especially for older people, but also so anyone can call the emergency services). Some consider internet to be essential.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    4. Re:Can't wait for the aftermath. by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Some consider internet to be essential.

      I suppose it would be mean to cut off some people's sex life

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    5. Re:Can't wait for the aftermath. by thegarbz · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I'm not sure about the last two since I've never heard of them (are they an American thing?) but insurance companies (at least in Australia) do not fall in that category as there is no incentive to stay and switching is just a phone call away. On top of that there are brokers who competitively bid them against each other.

      What was typical here is that insurance companies would not pass down savings on new plans to existing customers, so every year when the bill comes in the first thing you do is competitively bid. So far my car insurance was the only insurance that has lasted more than 2 years, and my current health care provider made me a nice offer last time round so they're approaching the 2 year mark as well.

      Compared to cable companies which will give you any combination of the following:
      - Cancellation fees
      - Cancellation delays
      - Service outage during switching providers
      - Aggressive discounting to make people stay.

      Or banks where you have things like:
      - Homeloan bundles and credit cards with fees waived.
      - Existing monthly debit transactions setup.
      - Friends who know your bank account number and may pay into the wrong one where you change.

      Swapping is non trivial for some services, but for insurance that's not been the case (at least not for me).

    6. Re:Can't wait for the aftermath. by pixelpusher220 · · Score: 2

      yeah, American 'thing'.

      Homeowners Associations (HOA) have been gaining ground in newer developments. I've lived without, with bad ones and with neutral ones. Without an HOA there's nothing really stopping your neighbor from painting their house polka-dotted...or putting in a chicken coup in the front yard. The downside is when it gets into what color your door knocker can be, or if you can even have one. When we replaced our windows, they had to be the exact same style.

      Insurance is worse. I'm sure you've heard of Obamacare...which doesn't effect the vast majority of people getting insurance. Most people get their insurance through their employer - so switching insurance really means having to quit your job. Bigger employers sometimes have a few options to choose from but you can only choose them once a year.

      Now you could go for private market insurance instead of from your job, but the catch there is that your company pays a good portion of the premiums and that benefit doesn't count as taxable, whereas paying for your own insurance your money is fully paying for it and was taxed already.

      --
      People in cars cause accidents....accidents in cars cause people :-D
  2. Wrong? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Am I the only one who thinks it's wrong to shame people as a form of punishment?

    1. Re:Wrong? by JustOK · · Score: 3, Funny

      You should be embarrassed for even thinking such a thing. Shame on you.

      --
      rewriting history since 2109
    2. Re: Wrong? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I'd go one step further...breach of contract. She disclosed client information to the public. That could get her fired, sued, and possibly arrested. Keep in mind the stories of hacked data that has been posted to the public....

    3. Re: Wrong? by Oligonicella · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Ignoring of course, the person not paying their bill broke contract first. Don't want to be known as a douche, don't act like a douche. No pity from me for deadbeats.

    4. Re: Wrong? by whopis · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Actually, failing to pay on time is probably a condition covered in the contract and therefor not a breach of contract. My guess is that they have clauses that allow them to charge late fees and interest on past due balances. There is likely an upper limit on how long that continues before it is a breach of contract, but I am certain there is a time period where the contract would still be in effect. And it sounds like she posted everyone who was late on bills.

    5. Re:Wrong? by KGIII · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Back home, in the village (maybe 1000 people that live in the village proper and year-round), there's a small store that's slightly more than a convenience store but less than a supermarket or the likes. It's a single floor, single room, affair with a potbelly stove where the old men eat donuts and drink coffee before going off to do what they do. They're joined there, in the morning, by the occasional woman and lots of men who work their trade jobs but stop in for a cup of Joe and a Sinker before going off to their trade jobs.

      The men, they gossip and prattle on like old women while, of course, thinking it is the ladies that gossip most. They stop in, often times, in the afternoon as well. Usually, it's later in the day when they come in off the ice from fishing or they stop there as it is a registered game station and they'll get their deer weighed and tagged. They keep a running total on the old chalk board that keeps count of the pounds taken and the number of "points." They have one for moose and bear and those too are tallied at the end of each season with a couple of side bets and maybe an official(ish) award handed out to the youngest child to get a buck that year or similar things.

      At this store, perhaps your quintessential store in such a place - I think many places have them, there's two counters. One is for food ordering where you can order hot and cold foods made in the "deli." They also have a variety of deli meats and cheeses in a display and a scale to weigh those products out. The counter, set aside for checking out and purchasing cigarettes and the porno magazines (as well as quick access for those getting gasoline) sits near the door and is not yet so modernized as to be out of place.

      Predominately, behind that checkout counter, is a board that displays any one of a few things. Affixed to that board, with old-style thumbtacks, are checks from a variety of customers. On these checks, facing frontwards, is a stamp that says Insufficient Funds or NSF (Non-Sufficient Funds). The name of the party is prominently displayed on the front of the check. More often than not, these checks don't stay on the board for very long and there are few repeats.

      Once in a while and when all is quiet, some theoretically anonymous person will meander in and notice the checks on the board and will simply pay them off. They've done this multiple times and without fanfare nor wanting of accolades. However, a few times, it seems that some noticed a trend and their names suddenly appeared on the board. This theoretically anonymous person has taken note and made it a point to exclude them and their checks remain posted. Eventually, those checks too disappear as, presumably, they were paid for by the original debtor.

      Conclude what you will but that is my observation on a very small scale where, I think, it's more pronounced and personal.

      --
      "So long and thanks for all the fish."
    6. Re:Wrong? by Krishnoid · · Score: 5, Funny

      The men, they gossip and prattle on like old women while, of course, thinking it is the ladies that gossip most

      I had to read until the end of your post, but then this line finally made sense. What else would you expect in a town where the women are strong, the men are good-looking, and all the children are above-average?

    7. Re:Wrong? by Fieryphoenix · · Score: 2

      What a shame.

    8. Re:Wrong? by bzipitidoo · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Depends on the creditor. Some debts I regard as a badge of honor. Anyone who manages to obtain vital medicinal pills that can be produced for under $1 but which have been priced at $750 each, on a "bill me later" basis, and then stiffs the pharmaceutical business by paying only $1 per pill, is a hero.

      Don't pay tolls of a private road that was public but which was sold far too cheaply to a private company in a sweetheart deal? Hero. Bonus points if you find out the license plate numbers of the offending politicians who made the sale, and charge the tolls to them. Also, don't pay the red light camera ticket. Maybe throw the notice in the trash, but now I think such things may be better used on a wall of shame, for shaming cities.

      And, ISPs? Well, let's see. Is Comcast a reputable business? How about AOL? I don't know of any US ISP or telecoms company that have not pulled some underhanded stunt to bilk the public. Maybe it's different in Canada, and this poor, poor ISP really is being cheated by the public.

      --
      Intellectual Property is a monopolistic, selfish, and defective concept. It is "tyranny over the mind of man"
    9. Re:Wrong? by KGIII · · Score: 2

      That was kind of how I was going for the retelling. ;-) Only it's Maine but similar in many ways. I also figured that I'd practice my writing skills and make it more interesting to read. My giant novellas serve a purpose and all that.

      Being, "from away" or "an import" has given me an outsider's view of things in rural NW Maine. I attracted quite a bit of attention when I moved in and, while I live quite a ways outside the village, it meant there were lots of rumors shared to me by my neighbor. Today they no longer give me a second glance, they'll have a drink with me at the bowling alley - except I no longer drink much alcohol, and they've stopped sneaking glances at me when I go into town. They even talk to me, invite me to various functions, etc... There's something to be said for small-town living.

      Now if I could just get them to stop asking me damned computer questions. One of the stupidest things I did was say, "Oh, sure, I can fix that for you. No, no I won't charge you a dime - it'll give me something to do!" But, live and learn... I kind of miss it. I've not been home in a while and probably won't be back until spring at the rate things are going.

      --
      "So long and thanks for all the fish."
    10. Re: Wrong? by mitgib · · Score: 2

      This is a key to properly handling a bad situation. I sell monthly service, and anyone who contacts me before the due date asking for an extension, no problem, and no questions asked, ask me after the service auto suspends for non-payment, I don't want to hear it until the balance due it settled.

      --
      Being a spelling & grammar Nazi is a sign you do not poses the intelligence to contribute to the conversation
    11. Re: Wrong? by sjames · · Score: 2

      This is a cable company, where "your call is very important to us" so you'll only be on hold for an hour before someone who almost speaks english answers your call and has no idea what to do with the information you wish to provide them.

  3. Wall of Shame by rmdingler · · Score: 2
    There was a corner store near here who placed hot check writers' names up on a wall of shame. Prior to posting a name, the store offered multiple chances to settle up

    I don't know if it helped recover any money from the deadbeats, but I recall pretty much everyone looking to see if they recognized any of the names.

    --
    Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

    Ernest Hemingway

    1. Re:Wall of Shame by olsmeister · · Score: 2

      Where I live, the government prints a page in the newspaper every year listing everyone who is late on their property taxes. Nobody has ever complained about it.
      As far as this company losing customers, I suspect the only "customers" they will lose are the ones who make the list - the ones who were not paying. I doubt they will care.
      My guess is the only reason this even made it onto the front page of /. is because it involved a cable company.

    2. Re:Wall of Shame by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 3, Informative

      There is a huge difference between naming an shaming someone on a bulletin board in a small local store, and doing so online for the whole world to see until the end of time. In terms of more traditional punishments, it's the difference between a thief being put in the stocks for a day, or being branded.

      --
      If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
  4. What could possibly go wrong? by jbmills101 · · Score: 2

    I predict that this employee will not be working for the company soon. I mean, what could possibly go wrong....... teehee

  5. Why not just disconnect? by jma05 · · Score: 2

    Seriously, how is this better than simply disconnecting or throttling down to say, 256 kbps (with perhaps intermittent redirects to pay-your-bill reminder pages) until the bill is paid? It shows more respect to customers. Is there a law in Canada that disallows this by classification as an essential service?

  6. Similar to shaming on opinion sites? by peter303 · · Score: 2

    Yelp and Trip Advisor are occasional targets of lawsuits by unhappy businesses. But the businesses have to prove both falsehood and harm and tend to lose most of these suits.

  7. A Cable Company? by mbone · · Score: 3, Insightful

    In my experience, people do not respect cable companies enough to be ashamed at being late paying them.

  8. I predict a massive doxing of Jennifer Simons by JoeyRox · · Score: 2

    I'm guessing she's going to get a very hard lesson in how internet justice works.