Canadian Consumer Handbook 2006

Consumer Tips - Buying

Before You Buy

• Take advantage of sales, but always compare prices. Do not assume an item is a bargain just because it is advertised as one. Don't rush into an expensive purchase because the "price is only good today."
• If direct selling (sale that takes place in person, away from the seller's normal place of business, like door-to-door sales), check whether the company is licensed or registered at the local and/or provincial level.
• Contact your provincial or territorial consumer affairs office for any consumer information they might have on this type of purchase.
• Be aware of extra charges such as delivery fees, installation charges, service costs, and postage and handling fees. Add them into the total cost of your purchase. A complete directory of organizations is available at the end of this guide.
• Ask about the company's refund or exchange policy.
• Read the warranty. Note what is covered and what is not. Find out what you must do and what the manufacturer or seller must do when there is a problem.
• Never sign a contract without reading it. Don't sign a contract when there are any blank spaces in it or when you don't understand it. In fact, do not sign any document that you do not understand.
• Before buying a product or service, contact your consumer affairs office to see whether there are automatic cancellation periods for the purchase you are making. In some provinces and territories, there is a cancellation period for contracts for credit, dating clubs, health clubs, pre-need funeral and cemetery services, time shares, natural gas, electricity, and door-to-door sales (please also see the section on special contracts).
• Walk out or hang up on high-pressure sales tactics. Don't be forced or pressured into buying anything.
• Only do business over the telephone with companies you know.
• Be suspicious of post office box addresses. These might indicate that a business does not want to be found. If you have a complaint later on, you might have trouble locating the company.
• Do not respond to any prize or gift offer that requires you to pay even a small amount of money up front.
• Use unit pricing in supermarkets to compare what items really cost. Unit pricing allows you to compare the price gram-for-gram, kilogram-for-kilogram. As an example, bigger packages are not always cheaper than smaller ones.
• Use coupons carefully. Do not assume they are the best deal until you've compared the price you would pay with a coupon to the prices of competitive products.
• Do not rely on a salesperson's verbal promises. Get everything in writing.