The British Columbia government is making changes to its consumer protection laws to stop predatory sales and protect people from unfair business practices.
The amendments to the law were introduced in the legislature on Tuesday that would ban direct sales on high-cost items such as air conditioners and furnaces, as well as give a clearer path for people to cancel their contracts and force notification requirements for automatic subscription renewals.
The government said in a statement that the proposed changes will also modernize the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act, with the aim to promote contract fairness and strengthen consumer rights.
Attorney General Niki Sharma said in the statement that people in B.C. have faced unfair contract terms and predatory sales practices on everyday items.
Sharma later told reporters at the legislature that provincial consumer protection laws haven鈥檛 been updated since 2004 and the marketplace has evolved significantly since then.
鈥淏ritish Columbians have been hit with hidden fees and unclear contracts for far too long. These amendments will better protect people from unfair business practices in an increasingly complex marketplace.鈥�
With the changes, the province is aiming to improve remedies for consumers around refunds, returns, and cancellations, particularly for online orders, she said.
鈥淚 know this causes a lot of frustration to people,鈥� she said.
If the legislation passes, she said contracts with businesses could no longer prevent consumers from leaving reviews or joining class-action lawsuits.
鈥淚 know it鈥檚 been in the news a lot, but it鈥檚 always heart wrenching when you hear stories of seniors or vulnerable people who have very high-pressure salesmen come to their doorstep and force them into contracts for very overpriced items, sometimes without even a guarantee of it being delivered.鈥�
These practices are abhorrent and the province will make sure that it doesn鈥檛 happen anymore, she says.
B.C.鈥檚 seniors鈥� advocate Dan Levitt says many older residents live on fixed incomes and are cautious of their spending, and the changes would reduce the chance that seniors buy products or services they don鈥檛 need or can鈥檛 afford.
The changes, if approved, would require businesses to provide important contract terms up front, including improved policies for renewing or cancelling services as well as return and refund policies.
