Consultants Who Charge For Assistance
There are a variety of businesses that charge you for their assistance — but complaints to the ministry show that the assistance is often not performed. The advance-fee loan broker and credit repair provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2002 address some of these businesses. Some services may promise to accomplish for a consumer what the law already promises them. New job titles such as "car repair mediators" essentially perform duties that ensure the consumer is getting the rights they are already guaranteed under consumer law.
You don’t need to hire someone to ensure you receive rights, benefits or entitlements that the act provides, such as ensuring:
- The total price doesn’t exceed 10 per cent of an estimate.
- A warranty that is included with the good or service is honoured.
- The quality of goods or service lives up to the claim in a contract.
Your rights are protected under the law and no one can re-sell you these rights by offering extra protection for a fee. In fact, it’s a violation under Section 116 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2002. Someone may attempt to convince you that the value added by the service they provide is worth the fee they’ll charge.
The ministry strongly suggests you directly access your rights whenever possible and if someone refuses to respect them, contact us.
