When shopping for expensive items such as home furnishings, it’s important to know good consumer practices to ensure you get the deal you bargained for. It pays to do your homework, understand contracts and stay on top of any problems you might encounter with delivery or payment terms.
Review the following tips to ensure you make a worthwhile investment and protect yourself if things go wrong.
Quick Tips
- Shop around. Don’t rush into anything. Go to a few different stores to compare quality and prices. Talk with friends and family about their experiences with similar merchandise.
- Deal with a reputable business. While discounts, sales and bonus offers may be tempting, consider the quality of the item first. Ask about store policies for delivery, refunds, exchanges and deposits.
- Look at floor models and displays. Inspect the item closely – test sofas and mattresses, check stitching, touch the wood and open drawers. Decide what colour of wood you want or fabric you prefer. Find out if assembly is required and whether or not the store will have someone do it for you.
- Speak with a sales representative. Discuss what’s available in terms of style, colour and materials. Talk about payment and delivery options before you sign a contract.
- Read the contract carefully. Don’t sign until you make sure any verbal promises appear in the contract.
Your Rights
- If the company fails to deliver or begin performing its obligations within 30 days of the date in the agreement, you can cancel at any time before delivery or commencement of performance. But you lose the right to cancel if you agree to accept delivery or allow the company to perform its obligations after the 30-day period. If the agreement has no date, the 30 days run from the date the agreement was signed. Again, you lose that right if you accept delivery or permit the company to perform its obligations after the 30 days.
- Consumers are also protected against unfair business practices such as deceptive promotional and sales tactics. If an unfair practice has occurred, you can rescind the agreement within one year. One way to do this is by sending the seller a registered letter. If that doesn’t produce results, see our Need Help section.
- Referral selling is allowed. A salesperson is allowed to offer you an incentive for helping find other buyers, but the description of the incentive must not be false, misleading or deceptive.
- If you buy something in your home worth $50 or more, such as a vacuum cleaner from a door-to-door salesperson, you have special protection:
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- You have a 10-day cooling off period, during which you can cancel the contract for any reason and obtain a full refund.
- In addition to the name and address of the buyer and seller, a description of the item and price, delivery dates, delivery charges and the date on which goods are to be delivered must all be stated clearly on the contract.
Need Help?
- Review your contract. Before you sign, pay attention to any language explaining how to apply for a refund, exchange or credit if the goods you order are not available or not satisfactory. All terms should be clear, comprehensible and prominent.
- Call the company. If you speak with someone who can help you, be sure to take down his/her name and the time and date of the call for future reference. If you don’t think you’re getting anywhere by phone, then visit the company in person.
- Deal with the right person. Chances are, a sales clerk won’t be able to resolve a problem regarding a missed delivery or defective goods. Find the customer service representative or store manager — whoever has the authority to deal with your problem. If you’re not sure, ask. Be sure to note the time and date of your visit.
- One way to file an official complaint is to send the seller a registered letter. If that doesn’t produce results, see our Need Help section.
From Our Consumer Files
The case of the missing window dresserA number of consumers entered into a contract with a man who owned a drapery store. They ordered and paid a deposit for window coverings to be installed in their homes and never heard from him again. When they called to complain, they found out that he had gone out of business, leaving them without a refund for their deposits and without drapes.
The story began when consumers entered the man’s store to select window dressings. He would discuss the kind of window dressing they wanted and give them a quote. The shopkeeper then visited the consumers’ homes to take window measurements. Contracts were signed at this point; they included the total cost of the drapes, a 50 per-cent deposit, and the delivery and installation date. But, on that date, the man never showed up to install the window coverings.
After repeated missed installation dates, concerned consumers returned to his store and found that it was no longer in business. The ministry handled numerous complaints of this nature over a nine-month period until, one day, police caught the man loading a rental truck with goods at the rear door of his store. On that day, the man had convinced two more consumers to sign contracts and pay $500 each for window coverings.
An investigation revealed that the man had closed his business and had not filed for bankruptcy. He was charged and convicted under the Business Practices Act and ordered to perform 150 hours of community service and reimburse all of his customers, totaling approximately $4,800.
The case of the champagne-coloured sofa
A consumer bought a leather sofa from a furniture shop for more than $2,300. She and the salesperson agreed that the colour of the leather would be “champagne” and was given a sample. The woman promptly made a $600 down payment and used her credit card to pay the rest, arranging to have the sofa delivered to her home.
When the furniture was delivered, it was the wrong colour. The consumer sent it back the same day, notifying the company of the problem. The company promised that the returned sofa would be re-upholstered in the correct colour and delivered within three weeks. But three weeks later, the sofa didn’t arrive. At this point, the consumer decided she didn’t want the item anymore. She requested a refund, but the company was slow to respond. The ministry stepped in to mediate and the company agreed to reimburse the consumer in full soon after.
Buying home furnishing statistics
Annual Statistics 2004
Consumer Goods: Home Furnishings
| Complaint Type | Number |
|---|---|
| Written | 36 |
| Phone | 274 |
| Total | 310 |
Inquiries/Complaints:
- Failure to deliver goods on time;
- Inability to cancel contracts;
- Quality of goods;
- Warranty issues;
- Refunds and exchanges;
- Misrepresentations.
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