Consumer Tips

Door to Door Sales Contracts

Consumers who are approached by a door-to-door seller, BBB suggests:

-Name and location. Get the name and address of the company the vendor claims to represent.

-Put it in writing. Ensure all details and verbal promises are included in a contract. Review it and make sure that you understand everything in the document. Never sign a contract with sections left blank.

-Check for qualifications. Verify the individual is licensed, bonded, insured and has registered with Work Safe BC.

-Price is not everything. Don't always go for the lowest bid. If estimates for the same work vary widely, find out why. Sometimes unscrupulous operators may use sub-standard materials or take longer to finish the job.

-Make cheques payable to the company. Do not pay in cash and do not make cheques payable to an individual, only the company.

-Avoid "Bait and switch" tactics. Some disreputable companies will offer low prices for installing items like windows and home siding, but then come back later to the client saying the item is currently out of stock and can only be replaced with a high-priced substitute. Have everything in writing and know the terms in advance.

-Remember to cool off if there's pressure. Do not be pressured by any person if you are unsure. Take the time to do your due diligence. If you did sign and would like change your mind, BC law states that if it was a door-to-door sales contract then you have 10 days to advise the company. More details are found below.

-Avoid crooked contractors by going to bbb.org for a Reliability Report. You will also find hiring tips and can request a job quote from BBB Accredited Businesses on our web site.

Consumer Protection BC (CPBC) mandate is to promote a fair marketplace for consumers and businesses. CPBC was established in 2004 as a not-for-profit corporation to strengthen consumer protection in BC.

Go to www.consumerprotectionbc.ca to enter the CPBC site. If you do not have access to the internet, you may contact Consumer Protection BC at toll free 1-888-564-9963 or locally at 604-320-1667 and fax at 604-320-1663.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION THE BBB OFFERS THE FOLLOWING STANDARD REPORT ON DIRECT SALES CONTRACTS IN B.C.:

For your information the BBB advises that if you have entered into a contract with a door-to-door salesperson for goods or services valued at $50 or more, the BC Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act provides you with a 10 day cancellation or cooling off period; that is, 10 days in which to change your mind and cancel some contracts that you have signed at home. This cancellation right must be printed on the sales contract and it is not necessary for the consumer to give reasons for cancellation. CANCEL BY REGISTERED SERVICE.

The new legislation does not define or mention the term direct seller but does define a direct sales contract. Please see the applicable info below this paragraph. A direct seller is anyone who: (a) solicits orders for, or sells or offers for sale, goods or services where the purchase price, excluding the cost of borrowing, but including any taxes, equals or exceeds $50; (b) sells, offers to sell or solicits a sale to A CONSUMER, not to a business or company; and (c) solicits, negotiates or concludes the contract at a place other than the direct seller's permanent place of business.

"direct sales contract" means a contract between a supplier and a consumer for the supply of goods or services that is entered into in person at a place other than the supplier's permanent place of business, but does not include
(a) a funeral contract, interment right contract or preneed cemetery or funeral services contract, or
(b) a contract for which the total price payable by the consumer, not including the total cost of credit, is less than a prescribed amount;

Consumer Protection BC (CPBC) no longer license direct sellers.

Direct sales contracts do not include selling, offering for sale or soliciting orders by telephone, mail, fax or any other method that does not involve face-to-face contact with the intended purchaser. If you call a company to come to your home, or reply to any form of advertising including faxes or flyers which result in a company coming to your home (face to face contact), you are considered to have invited the company into your home and the company is NOT considered a direct sales contract and the 10 day Cooling Off Period is NOT applicable. Likewise, if you visit a company's booth at a mall or trade show, the company is NOT considered a direct seller and the Cooling Off Period does NOT apply.

If this contract is for the sale of services or a combination of goods and services, the vendor can not require a down payment of more than $100 or 10% of the purchase price, whichever is less.