Consumer Protection:

Question: What consumer protection laws in Ontario apply if a corporation sells me a defective product or misrepresents contract terms?

Answer: In Ontario, Byfield Legal Services can help you understand and act on consumer protection rights when you buy from a corporation, including under the Consumer Protection Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 30, Sched. A, and related rules like the Competition Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-34, and the Sale of Goods Act, R.O. 1990, c. S.1, which can address issues such as misleading representations, contract requirements, and product/quality expectations, as well as common law implied warranties that may require the seller to deliver goods that are fit for the intended purpose  If you tell us what happened, we can review the facts and explain practical next steps to seek a remedy and protect your position in Ontario, call (289) 927-7365 for assistance.

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: