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No receipt needed for Microsoft class-action claims; A work-from-home tax break: CBC's Marketplace Cheat Sheet – CBC.ca

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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.

Have you spent most of the year working from home? A tax break might be coming your way

If you were sent away from the office back in March to work from home, it’s likely you’ll qualify for a new tax deduction. According to new rules from the Canadian Revenue Agency, those who worked from home more than 50 per cent of the time over a period of at least four consecutive weeks as a result of the pandemic will be eligible for a deduction. Those who qualify will be able to claim $2 for each day they worked from home during that period, up to a maximum of $400. Read more

The CRA has come up with a new way for Canadians to claim a tax deduction for working from home. (Submitted by Sandy Mangat)

You won’t need a receipt to benefit from this class-action lawsuit

If you bought any PC versions of Microsoft software between 1998 and 2010, you might be eligible for compensation. And depending on the size of your claim, you won’t even need a receipt. The lawsuit alleged that Microsoft and Microsoft Canada were involved in a conspiracy to illegally increase prices for the company’s products. Microsoft agreed to a settlement — capped at $517 million — but denies any wrongdoing and has not admitted liability. Read more

One of the largest class-action settlements in Canada could be worth money in your pocket. 2:21

These nursing homes have the highest COVID-19 death rates in Ontario 

Not all for-profit long-term care homes in Ontario are equal when it comes to COVID-19, according to a new Marketplace investigation and data analysis. The analysis found that both Southbridge and Rykka homes had higher death rates than other for-profit homes in the province. Read more

Protesters gather outside Hawthorne Place Care Centre in Toronto on May 31, 2020. The home is owned by Rykka Care Centres, a nursing home chain with one of the highest COVID-19 death rates in Ontario. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press)

Amazon opens pickup depot in Iqaluit, promising dramatically faster shipping

The new partnership with Canadian North will cut delivery times for Amazon Prime members from two to three weeks, down to three to five days. Many Iqaluit shoppers have come to rely on the company, which offers items like non-perishable food, toothpaste, tampons and deodorant at significantly lower prices than local brick-and-mortar stores, with prices driven up by shipping costs, staff wages and power bills. But as Iqaluit Coun. Kyle Sheppard acknowledged, those who lack a credit card, bank account, or the spare money for a Prime membership still won’t be able to benefit from the deal. Read more

Back in the fall, Marketplace investigated where Amazon returns really end up.

Hidden cameras and secret GPS trackers reveal that some products sent back to Amazon Canada are being liquidated by the truckload and even destroyed or sent to the landfill. 11:27

What else is going on?

Canada Post moves up parcel delivery deadlines amid unprecedented holiday demand
Canada Post delivered a record 1.1 million parcels last weekend.

Tight controls on COVID-19 vaccine may limit queue-jumping for the well connected
The NHL came under fire following a report it was looking to buy doses of the vaccine.

Ontario retirement homes push for mandatory COVID-19 testing for caregivers, support workers
Number of retirement home outbreaks up by 70 per cent since September, regulator says.

Federal sickness benefit payouts don’t match spike in COVID-19 cases
Government anticipated 4.9 million workers could need sick leave, but fewer than 250,000 have received benefits so far.

These deli meats been recalled due to a possible Listeria contamination
If you have any Compliments brand Montreal-style smoked meat or Levitts brand corned beef and New York-style pastrami in your fridge, check the dates.

Happy holidays from Marketplace

It’s been a year unlike any other and we’re grateful for the support from our viewers.

Thanks to your tips, we’ve been able to do what we do best all year long.

Over the past few months, Marketplace has investigated what happens to Amazon returns; the crisis in long-term care homesappliance repair rip-offs; the virtually unregulated trade of puppy imports; fighting for airline refunds during the pandemic; racism in the oilsands; pandemic price gouging; and the best and most effective face masks for keeping you safe from COVID-19.

We’ll be back in the new year with new stories and new investigations.

Happy holidays!

-The Marketplace Team

Marketplace needs your help

Did you get COVID-19 and experience symptoms longer than expected?

Some long-haulers say they have spent thousands of dollars on post-COVID care, while others tell us physicians didn’t believe them.

We’re looking at long-haulers to better understand how Canadians are coping with the disease and what supports they believe could help. Share your experience with us by taking this questionnaire.

Catch up on past episodes of Marketplace any time on CBC Gem.

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Telus prioritizing ‘most important customers,’ avoiding ‘unprofitable’ offers: CFO

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Telus Corp. says it is avoiding offering “unprofitable” discounts as fierce competition in the Canadian telecommunications sector shows no sign of slowing down.

The company said Friday it had fewer net new customers during its third quarter compared with the same time last year, as it copes with increasingly “aggressive marketing and promotional pricing” that is prompting more customers to switch providers.

Telus said it added 347,000 net new customers, down around 14.5 per cent compared with last year. The figure includes 130,000 mobile phone subscribers and 34,000 internet customers, down 30,000 and 3,000, respectively, year-over-year.

The company reported its mobile phone churn rate — a metric measuring subscribers who cancelled their services — was 1.09 per cent in the third quarter, up from 1.03 per cent in the third quarter of 2023. That included a postpaid mobile phone churn rate of 0.90 per cent in its latest quarter.

Telus said its focus is on customer retention through its “industry-leading service and network quality, along with successful promotions and bundled offerings.”

“The customers we have are the most important customers we can get,” said chief financial officer Doug French in an interview.

“We’ve, again, just continued to focus on what matters most to our customers, from a product and customer service perspective, while not loading unprofitable customers.”

Meanwhile, Telus reported its net income attributable to common shares more than doubled during its third quarter.

The telecommunications company said it earned $280 million, up 105.9 per cent from the same three-month period in 2023. Earnings per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 was 19 cents compared with nine cents a year earlier.

It reported adjusted net income was $413 million, up 10.7 per cent year-over-year from $373 million in the same quarter last year. Operating revenue and other income for the quarter was $5.1 billion, up 1.8 per cent from the previous year.

Mobile phone average revenue per user was $58.85 in the third quarter, a decrease of $2.09 or 3.4 per cent from a year ago. Telus said the drop was attributable to customers signing up for base rate plans with lower prices, along with a decline in overage and roaming revenues.

It said customers are increasingly adopting unlimited data and Canada-U.S. plans which provide higher and more stable ARPU on a monthly basis.

“In a tough operating environment and relative to peers, we view Q3 results that were in line to slightly better than forecast as the best of the bunch,” said RBC analyst Drew McReynolds in a note.

Scotiabank analyst Maher Yaghi added that “the telecom industry in Canada remains very challenging for all players, however, Telus has been able to face these pressures” and still deliver growth.

The Big 3 telecom providers — which also include Rogers Communications Inc. and BCE Inc. — have frequently stressed that the market has grown more competitive in recent years, especially after the closing of Quebecor Inc.’s purchase of Freedom Mobile in April 2023.

Hailed as a fourth national carrier, Quebecor has invested in enhancements to Freedom’s network while offering more affordable plans as part of a set of commitments it was mandated by Ottawa to agree to.

The cost of telephone services in September was down eight per cent compared with a year earlier, according to Statistics Canada’s most recent inflation report last month.

“I think competition has been and continues to be, I’d say, quite intense in Canada, and we’ve obviously had to just manage our business the way we see fit,” said French.

Asked how long that environment could last, he said that’s out of Telus’ hands.

“What I can control, though, is how we go to market and how we lead with our products,” he said.

“I think the conditions within the market will have to adjust accordingly over time. We’ve continued to focus on digitization, continued to bring our cost structure down to compete, irrespective of the price and the current market conditions.”

Still, Canada’s telecom regulator continues to warn providers about customers facing more charges on their cellphone and internet bills.

On Tuesday, CRTC vice-president of consumer, analytics and strategy Scott Hutton called on providers to ensure they clearly inform their customers of charges such as early cancellation fees.

That followed statements from the regulator in recent weeks cautioning against rising international roaming fees and “surprise” price increases being found on their bills.

Hutton said the CRTC plans to launch public consultations in the coming weeks that will focus “on ensuring that information is clear and consistent, making it easier to compare offers and switch services or providers.”

“The CRTC is concerned with recent trends, which suggest that Canadians may not be benefiting from the full protections of our codes,” he said.

“We will continue to monitor developments and will take further action if our codes are not being followed.”

French said any initiative to boost transparency is a step in the right direction.

“I can’t say we are perfect across the board, but what I can say is we are absolutely taking it under consideration and trying to be the best at communicating with our customers,” he said.

“I think everyone looking in the mirror would say there’s room for improvement.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:T)

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TC Energy cuts cost estimate for Southeast Gateway pipeline project in Mexico

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CALGARY – TC Energy Corp. has lowered the estimated cost of its Southeast Gateway pipeline project in Mexico.

It says it now expects the project to cost between US$3.9 billion and US$4.1 billion compared with its original estimate of US$4.5 billion.

The change came as the company reported a third-quarter profit attributable to common shareholders of C$1.46 billion or $1.40 per share compared with a loss of C$197 million or 19 cents per share in the same quarter last year.

Revenue for the quarter ended Sept. 30 totalled C$4.08 billion, up from C$3.94 billion in the third quarter of 2023.

TC Energy says its comparable earnings for its latest quarter amounted to C$1.03 per share compared with C$1.00 per share a year earlier.

The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 95 cents per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:TRP)

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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BCE reports Q3 loss on asset impairment charge, cuts revenue guidance

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BCE Inc. reported a loss in its latest quarter as it recorded $2.11 billion in asset impairment charges, mainly related to Bell Media’s TV and radio properties.

The company says its net loss attributable to common shareholders amounted to $1.24 billion or $1.36 per share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with a profit of $640 million or 70 cents per share a year earlier.

On an adjusted basis, BCE says it earned 75 cents per share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of 81 cents per share in the same quarter last year.

“Bell’s results for the third quarter demonstrate that we are disciplined in our pursuit of profitable growth in an intensely competitive environment,” BCE chief executive Mirko Bibic said in a statement.

“Our focus this quarter, and throughout 2024, has been to attract higher-margin subscribers and reduce costs to help offset short-term revenue impacts from sustained competitive pricing pressures, slow economic growth and a media advertising market that is in transition.”

Operating revenue for the quarter totalled $5.97 billion, down from $6.08 billion in its third quarter of 2023.

BCE also said it now expects its revenue for 2024 to fall about 1.5 per cent compared with earlier guidance for an increase of zero to four per cent.

The company says the change comes as it faces lower-than-anticipated wireless product revenue and sustained pressure on wireless prices.

BCE added 33,111 net postpaid mobile phone subscribers, down 76.8 per cent from the same period last year, which was the company’s second-best performance on the metric since 2010.

It says the drop was driven by higher customer churn — a measure of subscribers who cancelled their service — amid greater competitive activity and promotional offer intensity. BCE’s monthly churn rate for the category was 1.28 per cent, up from 1.1 per cent during its previous third quarter.

The company also saw 11.6 per cent fewer gross subscriber activations “due to more targeted promotional offers and mobile device discounting compared to last year.”

Bell’s wireless mobile phone average revenue per user was $58.26, down 3.4 per cent from $60.28 in the third quarter of the prior year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:BCE)

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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