tracys

http://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/canadian-consumer-backbone-1.4094486

dbd33

Yes, it's better to live in America except if you're sick.

not2old

pointless article

The airlines do whatever they want & there isn't anything anyone including the governemnt will or can do anything about it.

It's a 'so you want to get to somewhere flying with us' - then pay the price & shut up' & BTW, if we decide we don't want your business there are several hundred others that willingly put up with our bad service.

The one funny item in the link...

Clogging the border

"One peer-reviewed study last year concluded the federal government spends $166 million a year at the border to collect $39 million in taxes and duties. Which of course means the whole point is to clog up the border and discourage Canadians from e-shopping abroad"

I agree with that. So why bother wasting the road entry CBSA personnel asking 'how much did you spend' nonsense?

Passport please...'swiped', OK, have a nice day - or [this person is a security risk], please go to the security office over there somewhere.

Almost Canadian

Are you serious? The government could pass legislation allowing non Canadian airlines to operate in Canada and to provide compensation to travellers when flights are cancelled, travellers are bumped etc., as happens in other parts of the world.

Of course, that won't happen as Canadian politicians are far more concerned with matters such as whether the words to the national anthem offends anyone.

Howefamily

That was exactly my thought as I nearly spilled my coffee

Howefamily

Athough I have to say I agree with the article.
How many times have you heard Canadians say "it is what it is" in a resigned tone.
To return a rental to another location in Canada you have to pay an additional fee, never did that in the US.
To rent a car for two weeks from Halifax airport you pay over $800, same car, same rental company booked from the UK, around half that.
It makes me sigh heavily.all.the.time.

Almost Canadian

I accept that there is little competition in Canada but, surely, that is the reason why most of us get paid far more than we did in the UK

What you gain in one hand, you lose in the other.

BristolUK

How very 'Canadian' of you


That and "if it ain't broke don't fix it" when it is broke or never worked to begin with.

Do a balance transfer on a UK credit card and get zero interest for a year. Do the same in Canada and there's still interest (less but it's still there) and only for a few months.
Free banking v not free banking or free with conditions.
Behind the times on allowing monthly payments on a few things.
Goodness knows how many credits/refunds/premiums all linked to the same thing (taxable income) but methods for applying for, processing and paying all different and unnecessarily duplicated.
Free shipping...but there is a delivery charge.

scrubbedexpat091

When compared to the US healthcare is about the only thing that costs more vs Canada.

Wage wise I make the same in Canada as I would in the US but cost wise everything for the most part costs more here. So same income higher costs which means more struggle and less disposable income for fun.

Upside is you dont have to worry as much about healthcare.

BristolUK

I try hard not to make these things UK v Canada but sometimes you can't avoid it.

No matter how things are sold in the UK - privately, open box, as is, whatever - the item sold is still supposed to be fit for purpose.

Despite this you still see signs saying "no refunds" although they are, however, illegal. Or at least the policy of no refund on a faulty or damaged item (not fit for purpose) is illegal.

In Canada it's not just a sign displayed by a store, it seems to be stated in their conditions. So it seems more legal, ie less consumer protection.

It may well be that stores are more relaxed, generous even, than the rules, when it comes to people actually returning stuff.

A few weeks ago I remember a few comments here about people returning things for no good reason. Is this the reason for queues at customer service points?

There always used to be similar queues in M&S but I always put that down to their very relaxed policy of clothing returns. Perhaps I'm just biased.

Howefamily

Yeah I dont mind paying the variance in % based on the difference in wages, I use min wage as a benchmark, but this was remarkably more.

Almost Canadian

Only as a result of legislation. That legislation doesn't exist in Canada. In the UK, one cannot exclude damages for personal injuries arising from negligence, and there is a limit upon other types of exclusion clauses. As no such legislation exists here, exclusion clauses can, pretty much, exclude whatever they want to.

Novocastrian

Oh, not to worry. Once Britain frees itself of the shackles imposed by the unelected Eurocrats in Brussels, such legislation won't exist there either.

BristolUK

Yes, but that's rather my point.

Brits not just saying it is what it is, not just accepting things. UK consumer groups and watchdogs in the UK have teeth.

So it becomes legislation through persuasion and pressure, not some act of kindness from government.

Almost Canadian

You are showing your ignorance again. This is based upon section 2 of the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977. This will still be in place post Brexit.

I do accept the legislation derived from EU directives expanded upon the provisions of UCTA, but I would expect those to remain post Brexit.