Can Canada successfully battle bots and stop scammers?
This isn’t the slogan for a new video game, but the philosophy underpinning new provincial legislation aimed at beefing up consumer protection.
The proposed bill is a multi-pronged approach to tackle some of the biggest issues facing customers at the cash register and, increasingly, those buying products online.
The bill will allow the government to create a consumer bill of rights and introduce rules to prevent an array of purchasing problems, such as online ticket sales.
It includes protection for Canadans who end up stuck with cancelled or counterfeit tickets to shows — entitling them to refunds from secondary sellers such as StubHub — and will ban computerized “bots” from snapping up tickets to concerts and sporting events.
There will also be licensing requirements for lenders in the high-credit sector.
For the auto industry, companies will have to disclose information on the history of a car or truck being sold — if it’s been used as a taxi or involved in a major accident — and it will require a standardized bill of sale.
Auto repair shops will have to provide written estimates to consumers who request them, and create minimum warranty protections for repairs.
Service Canada Minister Stephanie McLean stressed the province needed to update legislation that hasn’t been overhauled in a dozen years.
“I think about the fact I’m now buying my clothes for work on my phone from my pocket . . . in this space, 2005 was eons ago,” she said Thursday in Edmonton.
“As things move quickly in the marketplace, our legislation hasn’t stayed up with the times.”
full story at http://calgaryherald.com/business/local-business/varcoe-alberta-takes-serious-steps-to-battle-bots-and-scammers
Chris Varcoe, Calgary Herald