Consumer alerts

Overview

Consumer alerts help protect consumers from dishonest business activities. The intent of these messages is to help consumers make informed decisions and encourage research prior to making large purchases or signing contracts as there are many reputable businesses across the province offering quality and legally compliant services.

Calgary

Edmonton

Consumer tips

Home improvement or renovation contractors must have a prepaid contracting licence from Service Alberta.

Before you pay any money:

• ask to see a business licence
• establish the total cost of the project
• have a written contract in place, stating clear project deliverables, timelines and a payment schedule.

Read more tips about working with home improvement contractors.

If you suspect a contractor may not be licensed, or is avoiding work commitments, report it at 1-877-427-4088.

Provincewide

Consumer tips – Door-to-door sales

Companies selling direct to consumers in their homes must have a direct seller's licence from Service Alberta.

Before allowing someone in your home:

• ask for official ID and get answers to all of your questions
• be vigilant of offers to test the water, air quality or equipment in your home
  • these ‘tests’ always conclude you need water/air purification systems or your equipment is at the end of its lifespan and should be replaced
  • this is a common tactics used by unscrupulous salespeople to trick consumers into buying products or signing contracts for services
• verify the information with official sources (e.g., the municipality or your utility provider) before making final decisions about purchasing products such as water filtration systems
• beware of hidden financing terms and conditions in any agreement
• before you sign any contracts, make sure the information provided to you by the salesperson matches the information written in the contract
  • if you finalize a purchase in your home – such as agreeing to buy a water filtration system – you have 10 days to cancel that purchase
• remember – if the offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is

Tips about dealing with door-to-door sales

If you suspect unlicensed business activities, or have an incident to report, call the Consumer Contact Centre at 1-877-427-4088.

Report a Rip-off

The Report a Rip-off phone line allows you to anonymously report suspicious or potentially illegal activities in the marketplace. Report concerns about your own experiences, or about activities you have seen or heard, and that fall under consumer protection laws. Examples include:

• suspecting individuals or businesses are operating and providing services without appropriate licences
• suspecting individuals or businesses are offering services without or with incomplete contracts
• suspecting individuals or businesses are offering services with inflated or extreme fees
• suspecting one’s employer or other businesses are involved in unfair consumer practices such as undue pressure, false advertising, misleading promises
• any other suspicion related to consumer-business transactions such as hearing about a business that took money but didn’t do the work, encountering a business that’s sharing unsolicited estimates, donation rip-offs, and more.

Call 1-877-427-4088 to make a report.

Report a Rip-off is not a dispute resolution tool, nor will the information reported through this channel necessarily lead to a formal follow-up contact or investigation.

If you believe you have more specific information to share about unfair practices or financial losses related to consumer transactions, you can file a consumer complaint. All complaints are assessed on a case by case basis to determine an appropriate course of action for addressing the issue. Anonymous complaints are not accepted.

Contact

Connect with the Consumer Contact Centre:

Hours: 8:15 am to 4:30 pm (open Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays)
Toll free: 1-877-427-4088
Email: [email protected] Consumer Investigations, Northern Alberta (north of Red Deer)
Email: [email protected] Consumer Investigations, Southern Alberta (Red Deer and south)