Action Taken Against ‘Factory Save Exteriors’ around Door to Door Sales Tactics

{April 12, 2011} VICTORIA, BC – Consumer Protection BC has ordered Factory Save Exteriors (including Factory Save Windows and Factory Save Management) to bring their sales contracts into compliance with the requirements under the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act and repay a $3,000 deposit paid by a BC consumer.

A door-to-door sales representative from Factory Save Exteriors approached an elderly consumer on the premise of resurfacing the stucco on her home.  The complainant entered into a direct sales contract, was asked to pay a deposit that exceeded the allowable limit by law, and was not reimbursed for her deposit despite cancelling her contract within the allowable grace period.

Consumer Protection BC began an investigation into the complaint and commenced enforcement actions against Factory Save Exteriors. Consumer Protection BC employs a progressive enforcement model, but the company has failed to comply with the enforcement actions to date. The inaction on the part of Factory Save Exteriors has led to the filing of the Order in the Supreme Court making it enforceable as an Order of the Court.

Consumer Protection BC is reminding consumers to know their rights when entering into contracts and offers the following tips around door-to-door sales:

• Be wary of high-pressure sales tactics.
• Don’t be seduced by a free gift.
• Know your cancellation rights. If the contract qualifies as a door-to-door sales contract under the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act, you have a 10-day cooling-off period where you are able to change your mind and cancel the contract.
• Be cautious of down payments. The law says that you are never required to make a down payment of more than $100 as part of a door to door sales contract.
• Get a copy of your contract and read the fine print.

If you have any questions about this issue, please contact Consumer Protection BC toll free at 1-888-564-9963. For more consumer tips , information about direct sales contracts or the details of our enforcement model, please visit our website at www.consumerprotectionbc.ca.

Consumer Protection BC is a not-for-profit corporation that was created to strengthen consumer protection in BC and enforce consumer protection laws. We balance the interests of all parties to promote a marketplace that is fair for both BC consumers and BC businesses. We license and inspect specific industries, respond to inquiries through our Inquiry Centre, investigate alleged violations of consumer protection laws, and educate consumers and businesses about their rights and responsibilities under the law.  For more information about our organization, please visit our corporate website at www.consumerprotectionbc.ca.

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