Consumer Rights

You can file a complaint with the Competition Bureau, which enforces Canada’s drip pricing ban under the Competition Act. Companies that advertise a low price but add mandatory fees at checkout may be breaking the law.

Yes, you may be able to sue for compensation if a company’s false or misleading advertisement caused you financial loss — under section 36 of the Competition Act.

Yes, it is illegal in Canada for competing companies to agree on prices they charge consumers. Such agreements are criminal offences under section 45 of the Competition Act.

Yes, you can sue for damages even if you bought from a retailer — Canadian law allows indirect purchasers (like consumers) to recover losses caused by price-fixing under section 36 of the Competition Act.

Yes, under Canada’s Competition Act, a dominant company can be found to have abused its market power if it engages in anti-competitive conduct that substantially lessens competition.

No, it is generally illegal for a supplier to force retailers to sell at a specific minimum price in Canada under the Competition Act’s price maintenance provisions.

No, a company generally cannot force you to buy product B to get product A — this is 'tied selling' and is prohibited under the Competition Act if it substantially lessens competition.

Yes, the Canadian government can force a recall of a dangerous consumer product under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act.

Yes, in Canada, manufacturers must report certain injuries caused by consumer products to Health Canada within 2 business days.

If a product you bought is dangerous or defective, the manufacturer or importer is legally responsible under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act — they must not make, import, advertise, or sell unsafe products.

No, a store cannot legally sell you less product than what is stated on the package — doing so violates Canada’s Weights and Measures Act.

A company cannot always force you into arbitration — Canadian courts may strike down unfair arbitration clauses, especially in standard-form contracts where the clause is unconscionable or undermines statutory rights like those under the Competition Act.

A forum selection clause in an online service’s terms of use is not automatically enforceable against a Canadian consumer; courts will assess whether there is 'strong cause' to displace it, especially considering inequality of bargaining power and the nature of consumer rights.

In Canada, class action waivers in consumer contracts — like phone plans — are often unenforceable, especially when they conflict with provincial consumer protection laws or prevent access to justice.

No — in Canada, a company generally cannot limit its liability for defective products through a contract clause if the defect breaches an essential obligation, violates statutory implied warranties, or constitutes a fundamental breach.

A standard-form contract term is unconscionable in Canada if it is both procedurally unfair (e.g., no meaningful opportunity to negotiate or understand the term) and substantively unfair (e.g., grossly one-sided or oppressive), as confirmed by the Supreme Court in Uber v. Heller.

Yes, online clickwrap agreements can be enforceable in Canada if users have reasonable notice of the terms and manifest clear assent — but courts closely scrutinize them in consumer contexts, especially forum selection or arbitration clauses.

No, Canadian banks cannot charge hidden foreign currency conversion fees on credit cards without clear disclosure — they must disclose all charges in the cardholder agreement and comply with consumer protection rules.

The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) protects you by investigating complaints, enforcing compliance with consumer protection rules, and issuing orders to banks that treat you unfairly.

Yes, you may still have legal warranty rights under provincial Sale of Goods legislation even after the manufacturer’s warranty expires — these are implied statutory warranties that cannot always be fully excluded.

Yes, you may be able to claim damages for pure economic loss if the food manufacturer breached its duty of care and your losses were reasonably foreseeable — but Canadian courts impose strict limits, as confirmed by the Supreme Court in Maple Leaf Foods.

Yes, most prepackaged products sold in Canada must have labels in both English and French, with required information including net quantity in metric units.

No. Under Canadian law, a company cannot make health claims about a food product without scientific proof — doing so violates the Food and Drugs Act’s prohibitions against false, misleading, or deceptive labelling and advertising.

No, it is illegal in Canada to sell food that is mislabelled or packaged under unsanitary conditions. Both acts violate the Food and Drugs Act.

Yes, a supplier can usually refuse to sell to you — but if the refusal is anti-competitive and substantially affects your business, the Competition Tribunal may order them to supply you under section 75 of the Competition Act.