For those of you who aren’t part of our Facebook community, or who don’t always see what we are asked directly on Facebook, here are three questions we have had recently from consumers related to retail sales (and our answers!).
Mark Asks:
Why do some retailers ask for ID for returns with a receipt? How legal is it for them to scan or photocopy it? When a retailer has a return policy is it a legal contract with a consumer if the consumer meets the requirements?
Our Answer:
Hi Mark! It is legal for retailers to ask for ID when a return is being made. For more information, you can check out the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner who made a ruling on this subject.
Susan Asks:
Can a store turn away payment if you are paying using the old bills and not the new polymer ones? I understand $50 & $100 bills being refused but $20s and under?
Our Answer:
Hi Susan, my understanding is they can. If they wanted to only accept pennies as payment, they could potentially do that too. Retailers in BC are not regulated by Consumer Protection BC and can make those kinds of decisions based on how they choose to do business.
Joanna Asks:
In supermarkets, they always have sales such as 3 for $6 and the original price of the item was $2.50 each. What if I want only 1 and not 3, do they have to honour the sale price as $2 for the item? Or do I get 3 in order to get the sale price?
Our Answer:
Hi Joanna, it’s my understanding that stores can set their own prices and policies. I would ask the particular store before making the purchase so that you can make an informed decision.
We get lots of questions on Facebook from consumers. Our community is really engaged and often helps each other with answers. If you don’t like us on Facebook yet, what are you waiting for? Join the conversation here.
ADDITIONAL READING:
Dear Consumer Protection BC: vehicle questions
Dear Consumer Protection BC: referrals
Dear Consumer Protection BC: gift cards
Dear Consumer Protection BC: returns and refunds
I received a voucher for a free Apple phone in my Email. Apple has giveaways on 3 Facebook page’s. So I could not fill out the Address contact form so I contacted them. They told me They Do Not Have A Facebook Page. They are not giving these Item’s away. An Advertising company trying to get one to buy all these product’s has done it,,,Not them…Why are they allowed to scam the public like this???
Reguarding”” APPLE”” FACEBOOK PAGE’S. After contacting Apple over a winning voucher for an Apple 5s phone they informed me “They do not have any Facebook Page’s” It is a scam from an Advertising company and GOOD LUCK trying to collect…We do not give our product’s away..How do I get the Phone ?? I am upset..
Hi Kathy. I would recommend reporting this directly through Facebook so they are aware. Thanks for sharing this information so other readers can benefit from it.
I bought a couch at the brick when I received it it look different then the one I thought I bought. The couch I bought looked grey at the store and said it was grey. It was 5 inches higher then the store and brown.
I went back told you give me the wrong couch, they no we didn’t it’s the lighting here, then why would you sell it as grey when it isn’t. The I proceed to the kegs that they are higher then the one at the store, there conclusion was to take the legs from the store and replace on the one I got.well the ones from the store don’t fit the one I got. The solution is to give me the old one at the store because it’s lower but I am in the same problem with a brown couch not grey. I like to know if I can get a refund because it’s not the couch I thought it was.
Hi Dolores, thank you for your question – that sounds like a frustrating situation.
Retail stores are within their right to set their own refund and return policies, so you may want to find out what their policy says about returns. We typically suggest trying to work this out with the business directly, which it sounds like you’ve already tried to do. I would suggest trying to escalate the situation, if you haven’t already, to a manager or to head office (if they have one), explaining that this was not the couch you ordered. It would be a good idea to keep track of your communication with the business (dates, times, what was said), and if you can, try to provide proof that the one in the store was not the one you received (ex. pictures).
If you are unsuccessful going through the business for a resolution, your recourse would likely be through the courts. There’s a piece of law called the Sale of Goods Act. This is not an area of law we have authority over, so I can’t speak to it directly, however you may be interested in taking a look and seeing if any of it applies to your situation. The Sale of Goods Act is not overseen by any regulatory body, so your recourse in this situation would be through the courts. The Civil Resolution Tribunal can help with claims under $5000 and BC Small Claims Court can help you settle disputes of up to $35,000.
If you would like to speak to a lawyer beforehand, the Canadian Bar Association of BC offers a Lawyer Referral Service where you can speak to a lawyer for 30 minutes for approximately $25.
I hope this is helpful to you and best of luck!
The question Susan asked was not answered correctly from my law experience. A retail has to accept any Canadian currency, or it is treasinous. The exception is they must post on their door in plain site of the consumer that they no longer are accepting a specific bill. Eaxmple i have seen is; we do not accept old CANADIAN $100.00 bills, this is the only way they are off the hook Otherwise they must accept CANADIAN currency of all denominations any where in CANADA.
Hi Deane, thanks for sharing your opinion. It’s my understanding that businesses can set their own policies for what payment types they accept. Whether it be “debit and cash only” or otherwise. I would be curious to see what Canadian laws specify that – please feel free to share here if you can find that piece of legislation. Thanks!
I purchased a wooden dog bed frame from Winners that turned out to have an infestation of wood beetles. I identified this after spending almost $400 on vet fees for a skin rash that appeared on my dog after purchasing the bed.
Winners have agreed to refund the bed but will not compensate for the vet fees – is this reasonable for me to ask them to compensate for these bills.
Hi Omar, thanks for reaching out to us here with your question. That sounds like a frustrating situation. We do not have any authority when it comes to retail policies around refunds and returns – as retails stores in BC set these policies themselves. If you are looking for compensation for the vet bills and the business is refusing to do so and you would like to pursue that compensation, your next steps would be through the courts. Although we are not in a position to offer legal advice, I’m happy to provide you with some referrals and info. The Civil Resolution Tribunal can help with claims under $5,000 – you may be interested in exploring their website for info on how their process works. Additionally, the Canadian Bar Association offers a Lawyer Referral Service, where you can speak to a lawyer for 30 minutes for approx. $25, if you’re interested in getting some legal advice for this matter. I hope this is helpful to you and best of luck!
Is an employee in a retail store empowered to ask to see your receipt as you exit? I declined a bag and so my 2 purchased items were visible in my hands.
This incident happened to me at the Canadian Tire in North Vancouver, BC.
Thank you.
Hi Susan, thanks for reaching out to us here. To be completely honest, I’m not sure. This is not something our laws speak to. My suspicion is that this is a security measure so customers aren’t walking out with items they haven’t paid for. If you are unhappy with how it was handled I would suggest talking to management at Canadian Tire to voice your concerns and perhaps they can offer an explanation. Best of luck!
Hi, When you buy a product( this case fuel) and charge it to your account and pay for it when the bill comes and then the next bill you see they have reversed it and charged you a higher price and they want the difference, is it illegal or just unethical? I am assuming they had the wrong price in the pump at the time of sale but we bought it in good faith. Thank you
Hi Janice, thanks for reaching out to us here about this. I’m really not sure about this one – this isn’t something the laws we oversee address. If you haven’t been able to resolve the issue directly with the gas station, I would suggest making a complaint to Measurement Canada, or contact them directly for information. I can’t say for sure that this is something they can help with, but I note that their website mentions gas pump discrepancies. Here’s a link to their complaint page: https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/mc-mc.nsf/eng/h_lm00007.html. I hope this helps and best of luck!
Hello, I purchased a computer 4 months ago and the store is now asking me to pay the PST they forgot to charge.
Am I responsible to pay when I was sold a product at x price and I have fully paid that amount? I am willing to help businesses fix errors, and I would have pointed it out myself if I knew of the mistake. However, they contact me a few months later and put an undisclosed debt on me with little explanation. Is it reasonable that I would expect the seller to take responsibility for the mistake, and to at least ask me politely to help fix the error (and maybe absorb some of the cost as a company)? Rather than to present it a debt I need to settle.
It was a major purchase, and at the time I asked to know the final price (including taxes), before making the choice to proceed with the purchase. I paid the bill in full and received my invoice and product. 4 months later, the store manager is asking me to pay them about $200 more for the PST they forgot (system error) to charge me. Thank you for your time and any information you may be able to provide.
Hi Kristina, thanks for reaching out to us here. That sounds like a tricky situation. We aren’t in a position to tell you whether or not this debt is legitimate or not – that is usually up to the courts to decide. In BC, if you don’t believe you owe a debt, you have the right to dispute it. When you do this you are telling the creditor that you don’t believe you owe it and you want the issue to be taken to court for resolution. We have a form on our website to help you initiate that process. Here’s the link for you: https://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca/consumer-help/debt-collection/. Best of luck and please let me know if you have any questions.
Can a store policy be in dispute with provincial law? Can store policy be discriminatory?
Hi Chris, retails stores can set their own policies regarding return/exchange/refund. If you think their policy is discriminatory, you may need to talk to the Office of the Human Rights Commissioner. Here’s their website here – https://bchumanrights.ca/.
Can a retailer make you pay for the shipping of a return? This return must be sent to Florida Jacksonville, they refuse to provide “Canadians” as per their email to me, with pre-paid labels for any return. After trying to make a packing slip, it asked me about customs and duties or an exemption code from the company which Coach advised they don’t have. So, I’m other words, the customer is responsible for paying for shipping outside of BC Canada at their expense as well as paying duties and customers on an item they’ve already paid for, with zero help from Coach
Hi Brittani, thank you for contacting us here. Retail stores are allowed to set their own return/refund/exchange policy so unfortunately, it is up to the retailer. Have you escalated the issue to a supervisor or manager? It may be worth talking to them and see if you would be able to get a different answer. Sorry that we do not have much more to offer, Brtittani.
I bought a shower curtain that was too short for our use.They said it was a ‘personal item’ like a bed sheet and couldn’t return it because I had opened the pk. I argued that it wasn’t personal and that I hadn’t laid down on it and neither was it clothing. I did eventually get my money back when I told them I thought what they were doing wasn’t quite legal.Who is in the right me or the local store ?
Hi Anne, consumer protection laws in BC don’t touch on these issues so retail stores are allowed to set their own refund, exchange and return policy. This is why we always recommend consumers check the store policies before purchasing. Having said that, it’s usually in the business’s best interest to serve their customers and be helpful so it’s worth bringing up these issues despite their store policy. Sounds like you did get your money back and we’re glad to hear that!
Dear consumer protection BC, I noticed my local grocery store has been over charging on purchases of cigerettes. For instance if one was to purchase (1) pack of a certain brand in june 2021 before the recent tax hike as of July 1rst thqt particular single purchase was $15.38, but when multiple packs were purchased like (2) packs the price then became $32.75 for those two packs instead of $30.76 like it should have been? I tried to bring it up with customer service but they keep telling me to talk to someone there that was never available? When i finally tried talking to the person they referred me to she very rudely refused to talk to me at all! I tried talking to manager I know since ive been a customer at that store 17 years now and they are all avoiding me? I went over all my bills for Jun3 2021 as i keep all my reciepts and found not only over charges to gst on cigerettes but several other reciepts that dont add up where Ive over paid when dealing with customer service desk at front of store! The people working there are refusing to even discuss all the reciepts in question and basically told me im not welcome shopping there anymore? I am disabled and its closest store to my home! I am now having to shop elsewhere despite my prescription pharmacy being there as well and I feel helpless and to the point I may need to move from my home as a result to be closer to a place I can shop! I realize smoking is bad for you but the way I was treated by staff has left me feeling descriminated against and although Ive spent thousands there for many years it feels like they simply dont care that Theyve lost a valuable customer simply because I cauggt them scamming me!
Hi Tracy, thank you for getting in contact with us. We do not oversee retail stores in BC so unfortunately, we aren’t able to directly assist you with your concern. Having said that, we can suggest a few things. You may want to try talking to the store manager again and see if they will be able to hear your concerns about the pricing. The other option may be to contact the head office of the grocery store if it’s a chain. In any case, we always recommend all consumers to be prepared (have supporting receipts), be concise about the issue, and be kind as people can make mistakes and wrong assumptions. I hope you will be able to resolve the issue so you don’t have to move!
I recently bought a grand piano on the weekend. The store checked their system and found 1 piano is in stock. I signed the sales contract and paid $5000 deposit for the piano. The sales told me they won’t be able to confirm the delivery date until delivery company is open on Tuesday. He will call me back on Tuesday to confirm the date and should be within this or next week. However, they called me back on Tuesday and informed me there’s a system error. The piano they had in stock was just sold. They gave me another options to pay extra and purchase other color or model instead of the one I purchased or wait until next summer to receive the piano I bought (production delayed). I’d like to know the consumer rights in this situation when we already signed the sales contract and put down deposit toward the piano but the store can not fulfill the sales. Thank you.
Hi Sherry, thank you for contacting Consumer Protection BC. Your purchase contract might be considered a future performance contract. We have a lot of information about this type of contract on our website here. Please read through the whole page and see if your purchase contract included all required contents listed on the page. If not, you may be able to cancel your purchase by using our form which is also located on the page. If you have any questions about the process, please feel free to contact us.
Hello there, I bought an black trousers from UNIQLO at Metropolis Metrotown mall Burnaby B.C. in the month of September 2020 and I lost the receipt. And I purchased for my uniform which I can claim from my company, and they will reimburse my money. Now the problem is that I lost the receipt so I visited to the store from where I made a purchase and requested to them that provide me the duplicate/reprint or any in form of receipt which show that I purchased the product from your store and I can send the claim to my company. I have all the proof of purchase like date, product SKU and my credit card bank statement. But they denied and told me to contact the customer care service online. So I sent the email to customer care department and explained in email but there is no reply. I’m taking follow with the store and the customer care service department from last two months but there is no single reply. Kindly suggest me or advice me what to do in this situation.
Hi Kamal, thank you for reaching out to us. As our article explains, we do not have any oversight on retail sales in BC. In this case, you are not looking for any monetary compensation so it’s really up to the business to provide you with what you are looking for. We are not able to provide any suggestions. Having said that, perhaps you can explain to your company that you lost your receipt but you have all the proof that you bought them yourself to get a reimbursement. I hope you will be able to work something out with your company.
What about people who try to do their part in keeping Victoria B.C. green like the mayor wants, and they go buy a brand new $2300 e-scooter only to have the laws change 3 or 4 months later making them illegal? Now I cant ride it anywhere (not bike lanes or sidewalks) without being fined and my scooter impounded. This is totally unfair. And there are lots of people with this problem.
Hi Jean, thank you for contacting Consumer Protection BC. Sounds like what you are referring to may be related to city bylaws so you may need to contact the city. Sorry, we aren’t able to help you much as this is outside of our authority but hope you will be able to bring this issue to the appropriate person.
Ok I understand that much…but was wondering about the store that sold the e-scooter to me. They had to of known my scooter was just a few months away from being un-rideable and yet they sold it to me without mentioning that fact.
Hi Jean, if you are able to prove that the store knew of the bylaw changes coming up when you bought the scooter, you may be able to take them to Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT). It’s an online-based dispute resolution platform for claims up to $5,000. Having said that, it might be worth talking to the store and seeing what their refund/exchange policy is like if it hasn’t been long since you bought it. Please know that retail stores in BC are allowed to set their own refund and return policy and we do not oversee that – that’s why it’s best to try to work out the issue with the store.
Hi, if a business is unethical in it’s pricing, is this something Consumer Protection handles?
Hey John,
You might want to approach the business to see if you can get the pricing situation resolved, as this is not an area that we oversee. If that doesn’t work, you may want to visit The Competition Bureau’s website. Their mandates are quite specific, but you might be able to find what you are looking for there. Hope this helps!
Good day,
I purchased a coffee machine on RBC Rewards using my RBC rewards. The amount was fully paid with my reward points.
I received a confirmation email stating, “My order is confirmed. We’re currently getting your order ready. You will receive a notification with tracking information once it has shipped. Please see below for details of your redemption. Thank you for choosing RBC Rewards®”.
Today I received an email from RBC stating that my order was cancelled. The reason as follows, “Due to this error in pricing, we have cancelled the item”.
Surely this is not legal and they have to fulfill their responsibility?
Hi Brad, thanks for the question. This problem could just be an error in their system, I would suggest reaching out to RBC with proof of your rewards and the order confirmation to see if you can get this issue resolved. If you can’t find a solution with them, you may wish to submit your question or a complaint to the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada on their website here: https://www.canada.ca/en/financial-consumer-agency/corporate/contact-us.html . Hope this helps!