The Financial and Consumer Services Commission, (FCNB) in the province is out with its Top Consumer Lessons for New Brunswickers from the past year.
Warranty issues, direct sellers and lenders headlined the top consumer complaints the Commission received in 2018.
“Direct sellers is a big one and lenders, whether online or in-person,” says Alain Doucet, a Senior Compliance Officer with FCNB. “Direct selling is door-to-door stuff, someone who comes to your home attempting to sell a product.”
For those hearing the pitch at their door step, Doucet advises you’ll want to make sure the person selling the product or service is licensed.
“We license the vendor, which is the company, (direct seller) and we license all of their sellers. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, be vigilant and don’t feel pressure to opt into a contract if you’re not sure.”
According to the Commission, some common best practices New Brunswick consumers can apply across their purchases is to read contracts and estimates carefully and be sure you fully understand the terms of a contract before you commit to a purchase or agree to pay for a service.
This includes understanding your cancellation rights, and being sure to ask up front if you will have to pay for installing or uninstalling the product.
Other tips include shopping around to compare pricing and services to decide which will best suit your needs, that includes comparing warranties, something Doucet adds most consumers don’t remember to think about.
Online is where several consumers have ran into problems, with FCNB advising caution when signing up online for free samples, newsletters or for updated products from online companies. Doucet says some consumers have reported being invoiced or charged to receive free samples after unknowingly signing up for a subscription service.
“There was a specific company out of Europe. They would send either a make-up product or something similar and then 14 or 15 days later, they, (the consumer) would receive an invoice in the mail saying ‘pay this amount or we’re sending you to collections.'”
FCNB staff investigate consumer complaints relating to financial and consumer protection legislation in the province. They also provide advice and direction to the public on how to resolve their complaints, while educating consumers and businesses on their rights and responsibilities.
In that case, Doucet says the Consumer Product Warranty and Liability Act is a good place to start for consumers who don’t know their rights.
“The Act is there to be used to go back to the dealer or distributer to negotiate. If that doesn’t work, they could find some legal representation, go through small claims court, or use the Act to back them up.
But not all inquiries or complaints received by FCNB fall under the legislation for which it is responsible. When FCNB receives a question that is outside its scope of regulation, staff do refer the question or complaint to the appropriate agency.
For those unsure in the moment, Doucet cautions consumers, “If it’s too good to be true, it probably isn’t.”
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