Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act

[SBC 2004] CHAPTER 2

Assented to March 31, 2004

Contents
Section
Part 1 — Definitions and Application
  Definitions
  Application of this Act
  Waiver or release void except as permitted
Part 2 — Unfair Practices
  Division 1 —  Deceptive Acts or Practices
  Deceptive acts or practices
  Prohibition and burden of proof
  Advertising
  Division 2 —  Unconscionable Acts or Practices
  Application of this Division
  Unconscionable acts or practices
  Prohibition and burden of proof
  10  Remedy for an unconscionable act or practice
  Division 3 —  Unsolicited Goods or Services
  11  Definition and interpretation
  12  Unsolicited goods or services
  13  Material change resulting in unsolicited goods or services
  14  Consumer's remedy if unsolicited goods or services
Part 3 — Rights of Assignees and Guarantors Respecting Consumer Credit
  15  Assignee's obligations
  16  Guarantor has same rights as consumer
Part 4 — Consumer Contracts
  Division 1 —  Definitions and Application
  17  Definitions
  18  Application
  Division 2 —  Direct Sales, Future Performance and Time Share Contracts
  19  Required contents
  20  Direct sales contracts
  21  Direct sales contract — cancellation
  22  Credit agreement respecting direct sales contract
  23  Future performance contract
  24  Continuing services contract — terms
  25  Continuing services contract — cancellation
  26  Time share contract
  27  Refunds by supplier on cancellation
  28  Return of goods by consumer on cancellation
  Division 3 —  Preneed Cemetery or Funeral Services, Funeral and Interment Right Contracts
  29  Definition
  30  Prohibition on solicitation
  31  Requirement for schedule of rates
  32  Requirement to give accurate information
  33  Prohibited charges respecting containers
  34  Funeral contract
  35  Preneed cemetery or funeral services contract —initial disclosure statement
  36  Preneed cemetery or funeral services contract
  37  Special provisions for right of interment
  38  Preneed cemetery or funeral services contracts —refunds on cancellation
  39  Preneed cemetery or funeral services contract — failure to provide services
  40  Money received under contract to be held in trust
  41  Funds exempt from seizure
  42  Restrictions on representationsrespecting right of interment
  43  Interment right contract
  44  Rights not held by interment right holder
  45  Refunds by supplier on cancellation
  Division 4 —  Distance Sales Contracts
  46  Disclosure of information
  47  Distance sales contract in electronic form
  48  Copy of distance sales contract
  49  Cancellation of distance sales contract
  50  Refunds by supplier on cancellation
  51  Return of goods by consumer on cancellation
  52  Consumer's recourse regarding credit card charges
  Division 5 —  General
  53  When goods and services supplied
  54  How to give notice of cancellation
  55  Recovery of refund
  56  Cancellation of preauthorized payments
Part 5
  57–105  Not in Force
Part 6 — Credit Reporting
  106  Definitions
  107  Consent for report
  108  To whom reports may be given
  109  Contents of reports
  110  Notice of denial of benefit or increase of cost of benefit
  111  Explanation
  112  False or misleading information
Part 7 — Debt Collection
  Division 1 —  Prohibited Debt Collection Practices
  113  Definition
  114  Harassment
  115  Disclosure to debtor
  116  Communication with debtor
  117  Communication with persons other than debtor
  118  Time of communication
  119  Cost of communication
  120  Collection from person not liable for debt or in excess of amount of debt
  121  Legal proceedings
  122  Removal, seizure, repossession and distress
  123  False or misleading information and misrepresentations
  124  Additional prohibited practices
  Division 2 —  Collection Agents and Debt Poolers
  125  Definitions
  126  Accounting for and payment of money collected
  127  Debt pooling
  128  Collection agent and bailiff fees and disbursements
Part 8 — Compensation Funds and Consumer Advancement Fund
  Division 1 —  Compensation Funds
  129  Definition
  130  Establishment and continuation of compensation funds
  131  Payments to compensation fund
  132  Claims against compensation fund
  133  Payments from compensation fund
  134  Assignment of rights
  135  Claimant must repay compensation fund formoney received from another source
  136  Contributor must repay compensation fundfor claims caused by contributor
  137  Powers and duties of director
  138  If administrative authority is director
  Division 2 —  Consumer Advancement Fund
  139  Establishment of Consumer Advancement Fund
  140  Payments from Consumer Advancement Fund
  141  If administrative authority is director
Part 9 — Licences
  142  Definitions
  143  Licence required
  144  Application for licence
  145  Licences
  146  Actions by director respecting licence
  147  Opportunity to be heard and reconsideration
  148  Trust account required by licensee
Part 10 — Inspections and Enforcement
  Division 1 —  Inspections
  149  Inspections
  150  Inspection powers
  151  Inspection powers — additional powers of director
  152  Inspection under warrant
  153  Records or things retained
  Division 2 —  Undertakings, Compliance Orders and Direct Sales Prohibition Orders
  154  Undertakings
  155  Compliance orders
  156  Direct sales prohibition orders
  157  Filing undertakings or orders in Supreme Court
  Division 3 —  Appointment of Receivers and Property Freezing Orders
  158  Receivers and trustees
  159  Order to freeze property
  160  Payment into court
  161  Notice filed in land title office
  162  Application to court respecting property freezing order or filed notice
  163  Application to court for disposition of property frozen
  Division 4 —  Administrative Penalties
  164  Administrative penalties
  165  Amount of penalty
  166  Notice of penalty
  167  Due date of penalty
  168  Enforcement of administrative penalty
  169  Revenue from administrative penalties
  170  Limitation period
  Division 5 —  Court Proceedings
  171  Damages recoverable
  172  Court actions respecting consumer transactions
  173  Notice to director
Part 11 — Administration
  174  Definition
  175  Director
  176  Inspector
  177  Administrative agreement withadministrative authority required
  178  Designation does not make administrativeauthority an agent of the government
  179  Power of administrative authority to set fees
Part 12 — General
  Division 1 —  Reconsiderations
  180  Definition
  181  Reconsideration by director
  182  Powers of director on reconsideration
  Division 2 —  How to Give or Serve Documents
  183  How to give or serve documents generally
  184  When documents are considered to have been received
  Division 3 —  Disclosure of Information and Evidence in Proceedings
  185  Confidentiality
  186  Publication by director
  187  Admissibility of parole evidence
  188  Certificate as proof of ministerial consent or appointment
Part 13 — Offences and Penalties
  189  Offences
  190  Penalty
  191  Additional penalty — Consumer Advancement Fund
  192  Compensation to consumer
  193  Limitation period
Part 14 — Regulations
  194  General power to make regulations
  195  Preneed cemetery or funeral services, funeral and interment right contracts
  196  Section Not in Force
  197  Credit reporting
  198  Compensation funds
  199  Licences
  200  Administrative penalties
  201  Authority in relation to regulations
Part 15 — Transitional Provisions, Repeals and Consequential Amendments
  202  Definitions
  203  Transitional — contracts
  204  Transitional — exemption from section 40 for Gardens of Gethsemani
  205  Transitional — trust accounts
  206  Transitional — claims under the Travel Assurance Fund
  207  Section Not in Force
  208  Transitional — licences issued under the former Acts
  209  Transitional — enforcement
  210  Transitional — persons acting under former Acts
  211  Transitional — regulations
  212  Repeals
  213–237  Consequential Amendments
  238  Commencement