Consumer Protection:

Question: What consumer protection rights in Ontario can help me if a seller or company misleads me or won’t fix a defective product?

Answer:   Askew Paralegal Services helps Ontario consumers understand and enforce consumer protection rights when a business misleads you, sells an item that is defective, or fails to honour promised terms, so you know what to ask for and how to respond before a dispute grows.   Ontario consumer protection coverage can include the Consumer Protection Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 30, Sch. A; and related rules in the Competition Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-34; plus product sale rules under the Sale of Goods Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. S.1, and common-law implied warranties may also apply to ensure products fit the intended purpose.   If you are dealing with a purchase dispute, refund request, repair issue, unfair contract term, or misleading pricing, call (289) 439-4740 to book a free half-hour consultation and get clear next steps that fit your situation.

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.

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 buyer beware principles, the common law as ruled by judges also contains protections for consumers such as implied warranties requiring that sellers to supply products appropriate for the intended purpose or for the performance of good work.

Common Issues Include: