Cornwall Ontario — Over the past few months, the Cornwall & Area Chamber of Commerce has been contacted by a number of area consumers who were concerned about pressure tactics employed by door to door salespeople. At the time, the Chamber released a bulletin advising consumers to be vigilant.

The Chamber has now learned that the provincial government plans legislation that will increase consumer protection when confronted by overly aggressive tactics. The government is proposing a doubling of the current 10 day cooling off period to 20 days. It would also ban the delivery and installation of water heaters during the cooling off period and would require the supplier to pay all cancellation fees if the cooling off period was not honoured.

“The Chamber is pleased to see that tougher legislation is being proposed,” states its President, Kevin Hargreaves. “Chamber staff have been contacted by a number of area consumers who had been pressured into signing contracts and it appears that seniors are particularly vulnerable.”

The government also wants companies to confirm sales by making scripted and recorded telephone calls to the customer to disclose key contract terms in clear, easy-to-understand language. The government says the reforms focus on water heater contracts because it received more than 3,200 written complaints and verbal inquiries about door-to-door water heater rentals last year.

Minister of Consumer Services Tracy MacCharles says the legislation will help protect families, seniors and newcomers when they make purchases at their front doors. “By focusing on door-to-door water heater sales, we’re taking action on an important consumer concern,” she said.