Ontario bans door-to-door sales people as of March 1st

ONTARIO — Knock, knock. Who’s there?

Effective March 1 certain salespeople selling contracts must call in advance and be invited into your home to come to your door.

It better not be a door-to-door salesperson if you’re one of the many no-no’s on Ontario’s new list of banned door-knockers.

As the warm season gets underway, the province is reminding homeowners that as of March 1, 2018, Ontario has banned unsolicited, door-to-door sales of certain household appliances to better protect consumers from aggressive and misleading contracting at home.

So says a new government release.

Businesses will only be able to enter into a contract in the consumer’s home if the consumer has contacted the business ahead of time and invited them into their home for the purpose of entering into a contract.

Contracts that are in violation of the new rules relating to door-to-door contract solicitation will be considered void, and consumers will be able to keep the goods and services with no obligations.

The new rules will apply to:

If you have a pushy salesperson at your door who won’t go away, call the police immediately to rid yourself of the pests and to alert neighbours and friends of potential scam artists.

Air cleaners

Air conditioners

Air purifiers

Duct cleaning services

Furnaces

Water filters

Water heaters

Water purifiers

Water softeners

Water treatment devices

Bundles of these goods and services

In addition, businesses will be required to keep a record of how contact with the consumer entering the contract was made, and all contracts signed in the home for these goods and services will also have a 10-day cooling-off period, allowing consumers to cancel the contract for any reason without penalty.

Protecting consumers is part of Ontario’s plan to create fairness and opportunity during this period of rapid economic change. The plan includes a higher minimum wage and better working conditions, free tuition for hundreds of thousands of students, easier access to affordable child care, and free prescription drugs for everyone under 25 through the biggest expansion of medicare in a generation.

 

QUICK FACTS:

Door-to-door contracts have been among the top complaints received by the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services.

Ontario is the second province in Canada to restrict door-to-door solicitation and contracts.

If a consumer calls for a repair, maintenance or any other reason, businesses will only be allowed to leave information about the products and services they offer, unless the business has a written contract in place with the consumer and secures the consumer’s approval in advance of the visit to solicit a contract for the restricted goods or services.

Businesses will need to keep a record of how contact with the consumer was made and provide consumers with clear information about their rights.

 

QUOTE:

“These new laws will ensure that people aren’t being taken advantage of through unsolicited door-to-door contracting. We have heard from many consumers, ‎including many seniors, who are being taken advantage of at their doorsteps. Our government is taking steps to protect Ontario consumers and provide them with more protection against aggressive and misleading door-to-door contracting tactics so that they can enjoy peace of mind in their homes.”
 — Tracy MacCharles, Minister of Government and Consumer Services