What do Ontarians think of door-to-door sales?

Ontario homeowners want to see change in the industry.

A recent Angus Reid survey of Ontario homeowners revealed some startling statistics about their experiences with door-to-door sales in this province:

  • 58% felt pressured into making a purchase or signing a contract
  • 61% who bought experienced “buyer’s remorse”, and regretted signing a contract
  • 70% feel angry about getting burned at the door

Some companies are pressuring homeowners to buy products they don't need or to sign up for contracts with long-term commitments, high rates and hidden exit fees. How are these unscrupulous salespeople tricking homeowners like you and me?

  • Claiming you need to act now as prices are expected to climb dramatically in the near future
  • Pretending to be from the homeowner's current service provider and suggesting that the transaction is mandatory
  • Not allowing homeowners the time to consider the offer and/or read the contract before making the purchase or signing the contract

Surprisingly, more than 41% of Ontarians are letting door-to-door salespeople inside their homes, listening to sales pitches without requesting a valid company ID and allowing salespeople to view personal bills containing private and secure information!

If you want to protect yourself, view the checklist of questions you should ask when a salesperson comes to your door.

When homeowners feel they have been misled, 84% are taking the initiative to complain to the offending company. Complaints are important, but unfortunately only 54% of homeowners actually know their rights under the Ontario Consumer Protection Act. After signing a contract at the door, a consumer is entitled to a 10-day 'cooling off' period in which they can cancel the contract for any reason. Unscrupulous salespeople may not be sharing that information with consumers.

According to the study, only 4% of consumers in Ontario are opposed to door-to-door selling but 98% want to see the adoption of an industry-wide code of conduct.

All statistics are based on a September 2009 survey of 608 Ontario residents conducted by Angus Reid Strategies, commissioned by Reliance Home Comfort.

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