Consumer Protection:

Question: What consumer rights do Ontario buyers have if a business sells them an unfair or misleading deal?

Answer: In Ontario, consumer protection laws can help if a business uses unfair or misleading practices, including under the Consumer Protection Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 30, Sched. A, and related rules that may affect contracts and product quality, plus broader conduct review under the Competition Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-34. Common issues include deceptive claims, unfair practices, problems with required contract terms, and gaps between what was promised and what was delivered.  A paralegal at Access Ontario Legal Services can review your purchase details and explain next steps for dispute, refund, or other remedies in Ontario.  Call (905) 302-1851 for guidance on your situation.

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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: