We wanted to write a special blog post this week to say goodbye to Michelle, who is not only one of our Inquiry Officers but our resident blogger.

There are some interesting things happening with the telecommunications industry lately. As you may know, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunication Commission (CRTC) created a “National Do Not Call List” which has been helping Canadians reduce the number of telemarketing calls they receive. Here’s the latest news from the CRTC on how this process is going.

When was the last time you checked your credit report? Businesses which approve credit for products such as credit cards, automobile financing, or home mortgages use credit reports as a tool to assess your credit “worthiness”.

Are you interested in winning some amazing prizes? Consumer Protection BC has embraced Facebook’s new timeline layout by launching a “Back Thru the Timeline” contest on our Facebook page.  Read on to find out more and for a chance to win some great prizes!

Last week, the Bank of Canada released the new $50 bank note into circulation. Have you had the chance to see one yet?

The Consumer Protection BC Inquiry Team receives a large number of calls around debt collection each month. Although we have written a few blogs already about this topic, we thought it might be useful to share some tips around debt collection.

Did you know that in a 12 month span, there were more than 700,000 payday loans taken out in BC? Consumer Protection BC licenses and regulates this industry in the Province. We want to tell you about an important announcement that may affect you if you have used the services of Cash Store Financial Inc. since 2009. We have just ordered Cash Store Financial Inc. to refund unlawful fees charged to their customers since late 2009. Please view the media release on our website for all the details.

In many ways, credit cards make our lives easier. So long as you are realistic about how much you use your credit card, they can be a great way to take advantage perks such as travel points or cash back rewards. This being said, they can also be a source of frustration when they lost or stolen or if someone had made fraudulent charges. Here are some tips on reducing the risk of credit card fraud.

Recently I was furniture shopping and found a perfect dining room suite. I thought to myself that even though it was expensive, if I purchased it on credit I wouldn't have to pay interest for a whole year. It sounded like a great deal but was there a catch? What did the interest start adding up and what was I responsible for?

March is Fraud prevention month. With different types of fraud circulating within Canada, learning how to be aware of fraud and the ways to recognize it is important.  Read on for some key pieces of information to know about fraud from the Competition Bureau of Canada.