Royal LePage

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DOOR-TO-DOOR SALES CAN BE A COSTLY TRAP!

It’s really too bad.  Door-to-door sales have gotten a very bad rap and unfortunately, deserve it!  In the old days the works that could happen with door-to-door sales was that you could buy a hair brush you didn’t need or a vacuum you really didn’t want.

But today, you could find yourself involved in an overpriced, long term and damaging contract.  Water heaters, water softeners, Provincial Heating & Cooling units are all large, expensive and important parts of our homes and buying these items should NEVER be made under high pressure or with short time limits on a “Great Offer”.

Once again these types of long term contacts are in the news.  This time it’s water softeners but the rules you should follow are still the same.

  1. If you are in need of a new hot water tank, furnace of other major appliance, shop around.  Prices can vary for the same product or there may be one brand of appliance that is better suited to your needs.  You may be only staying in your home for a few more years so why spend thousands of dollars on the Cadillac of furnaces when you can own a very good and reliable one for less.
  2. Go with trusted name brands and well know service providers. There are hundreds of well know firms in the city that provide excellent sales and service.  Ask friends, family, real estate professionals and others for recommendations.
  3. If you do like what you see from a door-to-door representative, talk about the cooling off period you may be entitled to by provincial law. (  https://www.ontario.ca/page/your-rights-when-signing-or-cancelling-contract )  If there is no cooling off period don’t buy!  It’s that simple.
  4. READ, READ, READ THE CONTRACT BEFORE SIGNING.  I’m sorry to say but most consumers don’t read the contract.  All that fine print; well guess what?  A lot of that fine print is done that way on purpose and also contains important information.  A recent client of ours was looking to purchase a new furnace.  The timing was right and a door-to-door sales person came to visit selling furnaces and hot water tank rentals.  Within a short period of time  a contract was signed and a new furnace and hot water tank were on a long term 10 year rental.  When we first met with this client as they were now ready to sell their home, we questioned them on all aspects of their house and when we found out there furnace was a rental, red flags went up.  Upon further investigation we learned that it would cost thousands of dollars to get out of the contract.  Since the contract was only 2 years old, the client would have to buy out the balance.  A $3,000 furnace ending up costing them over $5,000 and they had to come up with that money quickly in order to secure the sale of their home.

So, buyer be ware and wary.  If you need a major appliance or any service, get referrals.  Speak to friends and family about their experiences with various trades or sales people.  Don’t rely on the internet.  There’s just too much “bull” out there.


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