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Are There Laws to Protect Against Shady Dealings?
In Ontario, Transactions Between a Business and Consumer Are Governed By the Consumer Protection Act, 2002. Certain Provisions Require Fairness and Honesty In Dealings As Well As Providing Certain Warranty Regarding Quality.
In the world of commerce, and in particular matters of consumer transactions, the individual person as a purchasing consumer is often at significant disadvantage in business dealings, especially when such business dealings involve large corporations. To help balance the playing field, so to help ensure that individual consumers receive fairness during business dealings, consumer protection laws were put into place.
Without the protection of consumer protection statutes, consumers would be subjected to the common law and the age old adage of buyer beware or caveat emptor as such is known in Latin) and often referred to within historical legal precedents.
Consumer Protection
Common Issues Include:
Misrepresentations
Involves deceiving statements containing untruths or omissions.
Defective Products
Includes sale of goods, such as automobiles, with certain defects.
Improper Charges
Involves unfair demands for the payment of additional monies.
Unjust Delays
Includes the failure to deliver goods or perform services on time.
Contract Failures
Involves failing to use written contracts when legally required to do so.
Refund Failure
Includes the wrongful denial to allow product exchanges or returns.
The Law
The law contains many statutes that contain provisions providing protection to consumers including, among various others:
- The Consumer Protection Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, Chapter 30, Schedule A;
- The Competition Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-34; and
- The Sale of Goods Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. S.1.
In addition to the statute laws as above, and despite caveat emptor principles, the common law as ruled by judges also contains protections for consumers such as implied warranties requiring sellers to supply products appropriate for the intended purpose or for the performance of good work.