Consumer Protection:

Question:What consumer protections can a paralegal in Ontario use to challenge unfair contract terms or a bad purchase from a corporation?

Answer:In Ontario, a paralegal at Byfield Legal Services can help you assess your purchase or contract using key consumer laws, including the Consumer Protection Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 30, Sch. A, and help explain your options like refunds, cancellations, or remedies tied to required contract terms and implied conditions/warranties under the Sale of Goods Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. S.1.  If a price or offering is misleading or involves prohibited conduct, they can also review related issues under the Competition Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-34.  For a quick next step, call (289) 927-7365 to discuss the facts and get a practical plan for protecting your rights as a consumer in Ontario.

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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.

Note: Please contact Byfield Legal Services by phone at: (289) 927-7365 to discuss any specific questions that you may have.

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: