{August 23, 2010}  VICTORIA, BC - Consumer Protection  BC wants to hear about the issues of BC consumers.  We have just posted a consumer survey on our website that gives members of the public the opportunity to share their experiences with us.

{July 15, 2010} VICTORIA, BC - These days, companies seem to be moving away from traditional punch cards and issuing pre-paid purchase cards instead.  We would like to remind consumers and businesses that in BC,  gift cards (a.k.a. pre-paid purchase cards or gift certificates) are not permitted have expiry dates or fees except in certain circumstances.

{July 12, 2010} VICTORIA, BC - Consumer Protection BC is seeking industry members and consumers to serve on our industry advisory groups.

{May 3, 2010} VICTORIA, BC - With Mother’s Day on Sunday, many of us may turn to the internet to purchase that perfect floral arrangement or unique gift for our moms.  Buying online lets you compare product prices and gives you the convenience of having that special item shipped right to her door.  With so many choices, it pays to be careful.

Here are 10 tips to ensure everything comes up roses when you make your online purchase this Mother's Day.

Fraud Prevention Month Case #4:

Melissa and Ryan recently bought their first home together. The house was a fixer-upper but it had a lovely garden and a big front lawn. Ryan had recently purchased some new gardening supplies and Melissa was eager to start tidying the yard. As the couple cheerfully got their tools outside to start, they saw a big white “Weed-Pros” van parked outside their home. A man in a coverall uniform smiled and as he approached Ryan and handed him a bill. The man explained that he was providing weed spraying services in the neighbourhood and sprayed their lawn as well. Ryan told the man he never requested this service and would not pay the bill. As the serviceman walked back towards his van, he told Ryan that if he didn’t pay, the bill would be sent to a collections agency.

Ryan and Melissa were concerned. They acknowledged that services were in fact provided, but Ryan certainly did not feel they were responsible for the bill. Nonetheless, Melissa was worried that by ignoring the bill, it would go to a collections agency and potentially affect their credit rating. Ryan was torn. He had plans to buy a pick-up truck to use during the home renovations and knew that a negative item on his credit report could really get in the way of getting his getting a loan, but he felt that what was happening to them was very unfair.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Fraud Prevention Month Case #3:
Jeremy really wanted to buy that second hand car.  The bright red T-Bird had black leather seats.   He had already thought of the perfect item to hang on the rear-view mirror.  He knew he didn’t have the money but had just seen an ad for guaranteed loans.  All Jeremy had to do was send in fifty dollars and he would get the money.   The ad looked pretty fancy and had a toll free number and it didn’t matter if Jeremy had bad credit, which he did.  It sounded like the perfect solution.  And he really wanted that car.

Jeremy decided to go for it and sent in his money.  It wasn’t long before he heard back from the company – he had almost qualified for the loan and just had to send in an additional payment to secure the loan.  He was so close to getting his car. He could already picture himself behind the wheel.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Fraud Prevention Month Case #2:
Bill lives alone. He likes people and they like him. One day, he had a knock at his door. He opened it to find two men standing there. They were in his area doing renovation work for one of his neighbours.  Did he have any work he wanted done at a great price?

Before Bill knew it, he had signed a contract to have an attached sundeck built at a cost of $15,000.00. He gave the men a personal cheque for the full amount, which they cashed at his bank the same day.
Bill then waited for his sundeck to be built…and waited and waited and waited. He kept calling the men wondering when they were going to build his sundeck. One of the men finally showed up several weeks later, spent two hours on the job nailing a few boards in place, and that was the last Bill ever saw or heard of the men.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Fraud Prevention Month Case #1:

Twenty-two year old Tanya loved her mother Bessie enormously. Theirs was a close relationship however in recent months, Tanya sensed that something was troubling Bessie. She was uncharacteristically withdrawn, secretive, and appeared depressed. Her mother also appeared to be getting a lot of mail, most of it strewn about the house. Tanya remembered how only a few months earlier Bessie appeared elated and happy and had remarked that “her ship was about to come in”.

The phone call from Bessie’s bank manager came out of the blue and shook Tanya to her core.  Bessie had withdrawn almost all of her savings in a very short period of time and the manager was concerned.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

{January 27, 2010} VICTORIA – Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General INFORMATION BULLETIN - As British Columbia prepares to welcome the world to the 2010 Winter Games, the B.C. Government, Better Business Bureau and Consumer Protection BC are reminding both International visitors and Canadian residents to be careful and do their homework before booking vacation rentals.

{July 15, 2009 } VICTORIA, BC – The Business Practices and Consumer Protection Authority (BPCPA) is warning consumers that the elderly continue to be a target of deceptive door-to-door salespeople and that those who feel that they have been victimized should contact the BPCPA. Expressing these concerns may lead to restitution for those who have been exposed to fraudulent activity.

<March 5, 2009> VICTORIA, BC – The Business Practices and Consumer Protection Authority (BPCPA) is urging consumers to be cautious about loan providers offering money with an advanced fee.  Many of the lenders guarantee the loan despite the applicant’s credit rating.