Changes to Ontario’s Putting Consumers First Act
In our last blog, we touched a bit on the recent changes to, Ontario’s Putting Consumers First Act. For a refresher click on the following link, http://dodicklandau.ca/changes-to-ontarios-putting-consumers-first-act/. If the new changes are approved there will be few things that you, as a consumer should be aware of.
Always use extreme caution when dealing with door-to-door sales representatives.
Home Inspections
Once the new changes are passed, a home inspector’s license will be regulated in Ontario. This means that home inspections will only be legal if the inspector presents a government issued license.
With a home inspectors license controlled by the government, consumers are guaranteed to be dealing with a qualified inspector.
Putting Consumers First Act and Door-to-Door Sales
The new changes to Ontario’s Putting Consumers First Act will also influence door-to-door sales for certain home appliances. These home appliances can include furnaces, air conditioners, water heaters and water filters.
If the changes are approved, consumers will no longer have to feel threatened by door-to-door sales. The aggressive tactics used by door-to-door sales representatives will no longer be allowed.
The new changes also allow consumer-initiated contracts which are signed in home to have a 10-day cool-off period. This allows the customer to have 10 days to “cool-off” and think about their purchase. During these 10 days the consumer can change their mind or cancel the contract without reason.
Changes to Financial Services
There will also be changes to the Collection and Debt Settlement Services Act, the Consumer Protection Act and the Payday Loans Act.
The current rules of these Acts do not do affect third party collection agencies. These are agencies that purchase debt from the initial collection agencies. The new changes will extend the power of these Acts to include third-party collection agencies.
New changes to the Collection and Debt Settlement Services Act will directly affect collection agencies. These new changes allow administrative penalties to be given to an individual or entity that goes against the new regulations of the Act.
We are Licensed Insolvency Trustees that have extensive experience in addressing financial issues and challenges such as those noted above as well as all the questions you may have, including managing credit.
Feel free to email us at info@dodicklandau.ca, call us at 416 736 4357 (HELP), or fill out the contact form on this website, to book a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our debt solutions’ experts.
Make an appointment today, and we will provide some solutions specifically tailored to your situation. We look forward to assisting.