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Reminder: new rules to protect customers from sales of certain products in their home

Reminder: new rules to protect customers from sales of certain products in their home

Utilities Kingston is reminding customers, certain products and services, such as home water treatment systems, can no longer be offered or sold at your home (unless you initiate the transaction). This is in accordance with consumer protection rules.

We were alerted by a customer who responded to a solicitation, in the form of a scratch ticket left in the mailbox. To “claim the prize” meant a salesperson needed to attend the home for a presentation about water treatment devices. The owner was then pressured to sign a contract.

Customers should know that, if you sign a contract for a restricted product and service as a result of door-to-door marketing or due to misleading marketing materials left at your home, the contract will be considered void and you can keep the goods or services without obligation.

As of March 1, 2018, in accordance with the Consumer Protection Act:

  • Restricted products and services include furnaces, air conditioners, air cleaners, air purifiers, water heaters, water treatment devices, water purifiers, water filters, water softeners, duct cleaning services, or any good or service that performs or combines one or more of the above functions.
  • Businesses will be able to enter into a contract at your home if you contacted them ahead of time and invited them to your home for the purpose of buying or leasing one of the restricted products and services.
  • If you call for a repair, maintenance, an energy assessment, or any reason other than entering into a contract for one of these items and the business comes to your home, the business cannot enter into a new contract with you. They will only be able to leave information about the products and services they offer.
  • Once you have a written copy of the contract, you still have a 10-day cooling-off period to cancel a contract, for the restricted products or services, for any reason.
  • If you sign a contract, for a restricted product and service, as a result of door-to-door marketing or due to misleading marketing materials left at your home, the contract will be considered void and you can keep the goods or services without obligation.

If someone comes to your door to sell these products and services, don’t be afraid to shut the door and call Consumer Protection Ontario at 1-800-889-9768. If people refuse to leave your property or you become a victim of fraud through monetary loss, call Kingston Police at 613-549-4660.

Concerned customers can contact customer service at 613-546-0000, Monday to Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM.

Get more consumer awareness information from our website.