Consumer Protection:

Question: 1) What Ontario consumer protection rights can I rely on if a business contract, pricing, or product fails to match what was promised?

Answer: 2) If you’re a consumer in Ontario and a business contract, pricing, or product fails to match what was promised, Civil Litigations Paralegal Services can help you understand your rights under the Consumer Protection Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 30, Sch. A, and related consumer protection rules that may apply to unfair practices, required contract terms, and implied warranties for acceptable quality and fit for purpose in common law.   They can also help you organize evidence, assess potential next steps, and communicate with the other side so you can pursue a practical resolution without unnecessary delay.   For assistance with consumer transaction disputes across Ontario, call (416) 229-1479 to speak with a paralegal at Civil Litigations Paralegal Services today.

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: