Door‐to‐Door scams continue to pose a threat to Canadian consumers and businesses. Door to door sales people can use high pressure tactics and can be aggressive in nature. Consumers may find themselves in a situation where they purchase a product or sign up for a service they neither need nor want.
Some common door‐to‐door scams reported to the Canadian Anti‐Fraud Centre include solicitations for a charitable donation, an investment opportunity or a service scam involving the sale or maintenance of an appliance.
Door‐to‐door sales rules can vary from province to province. For instance, on March 1, 2018, Ontario banned unsolicited, door‐to‐door sales of certain household appliances to better protect consumers from aggressive and misleading contracting at home. The new rules apply to air cleaners, air conditioners, air purifiers, duct cleaning services, furnaces, water filters, water heaters, water purifiers, water softeners, water treatment devices as well as bundles of these goods and services.
Know your rights, look up your Provincial and Territorial Consumers Affairs Office at www.consumerhandbook.ca – most Provinces and Territories have guidelines under their Consumer Protection Act (CPA)
Warning Signs ‐ How to Protect Yourself:
- Ask for photo ID, get the name of the person and the name of the company or charity they represent.
- Ask for a charities breakdown of where funds are allocated. Be sure to get it in writing.
- Never share any personal information or copies of any bills or financial statements.
- Research before you invest. Don’t sign anything and always read the fine print.
- If a contract is signed within the home you have a cooling off period. For example, in Ontario consumers have the right to cancel a contract for any reason within a 10 day cooling off period. For water heater contracts, there is a 20 day cooling off period.
- Know your rights. Look up your Provincial and Territorial Consumers Affairs Office at www.consumerhandbook.ca – most Provinces and Territories have guidelines under their Consumer Protection Act (CPA).
Visit www.antifraudcentre.ca under Fraud Types for additional information on these particular scams.
If you think you or someone you know has been a victim of fraud, please contact the Canadian Anti‐Fraud Centre at 1‐888‐495‐8501 or report online at http://www.antifraudcentre.ca
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