Text messages about Rogers class action lawsuit not a scam

Many Canadians received a textual matter content on tues near a division action lawsuit against Rogers, and if you're one of them, don’t panic — it’s not a scam. 

“It is legitimate,” said David Assor, an attorney with Lex Group, the firm behind the suit. 

A Quebec court has indeed authorized a nationwide class action lawsuit against Rogers — which also operates Fido and Chatr —  in relation to the major Apr. 19, 2021 outage. That means, the case is allowed to proceed.

Assor is the lead attorney behind the lawsuit. His team alleges that many Canadians suffered damages as a result of the outage: Some people may have incurred medical damages because they couldn’t access services like 9-1-1, while  others who depend on their phones for work — delivery drivers, for example — may have lost income. 

Rogers networks hit by widespread outages

For its part, Rogers pointed to the fact that it previously compensated affected customers for the day that they lost service.

As the case proceeds, here’s what Canadians need to know. 

The short answer is no. The text message includes a link with more information about the suit and a form where people can sign up for updates. 

That’s because those affected are already represented. Meanwhile, anyone who wants to opt out needs to do so by Nov. 23, 2025, according to Lex Group’s class action notice. 

"You don't need to do anything or pay anything to stay in,” Assor said.

Legal fees would ultimately be covered by awarded damages or Rogers would have to pay them, depending on what the court decides. 

The Superior Court of Quebec ordered Rogers to submit a list of phone numbers affected, and then a court-appointed administrator sent the texts, Assor said. 

If the class action is successful, then it's possible. 

The class action notice says compensation could include "a partial reimbursement of service or subscription fees, and/or other compensatory, moral and/or punitive damages."

Assor said documentation could come in handy and urged people to save proof of their losses, like receipts and other documents, if they still have it. 

“Sky is the limit with what we can agree on or negotiate,” Assor said.

Assor said he expects the case to last about two to three years, but every case is different.

For now, the case covers everyone in Canada, but Assor said Rogers is trying to get some provinces excluded. Rogers did not respond when asked whether the company is trying to limit participation in the suit.

Now, the lawsuit is forging ahead.

“One way or another, we'll find out whether we represent all of Canada or certain parts of Canada," Assor said. 

Those affected can sign up for updates on Lex Group’s website.

Anya Zoledziowski is a Peabody-winning multimedia journalist from Edmonton who's covered social and climate justice, Indigenous affairs, gender, politics and more, and has been recognized by several national and international awards. She’s currently pursuing her PhD in journalism studies.

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