Are you shopping for a small appliance? The following tips may be of interest to you before you make a purchase.

Before giving a down payment on a small appliance, know what you are agreeing to. Always inquire about the merchant’s layaway policy. Layaway and cancellation policies vary from one merchant to the next.

Cancelling a layaway

Want to cancel a layaway? Know that merchants cannot set in advance the penalty they will charge if you cancel an agreement (for example, in a contract, in their layaway policy, in a statement, etc.) However, in certain circumstances, they could ask for a sum of money to redress damages actually incurred because of the cancellation.

Before buying a small appliance, inquire about the merchant’s exchange and refund policies. The law does not require merchants to refund, exchange or credit small appliances that you no longer want.

Merchants are free to decide on the terms of their exchange and refund policy. However, once they do adopt one, they are required to comply with its rules.

Measure the small appliance you want to buy

Always take the measurements of the small appliance you want to buy to make sure it will fit your home. The merchant is not complied to cancel a transaction because a small appliance doesn’t fit the space it you intended to place it in.

Precautions to take at purchase time

At the time of purchase, make sure the merchant’s exchange and refund policy is printed on the receipt. If that is not the case, ask the merchant to write the policy down for you.

Always keep a copy of the receipt as well as the warranty information documents to make a potential return easier. You should also make a copy of the invoice, as the original written content could fade over time.

Merchants have 2 ways to go about pricing: tag each item individually or show an item’s price on its shelf. In the latter case, merchants must abide by the Price Accuracy Policy.

Prices shown on the shelves

The Price Accuracy Policy allows customers to be compensated in case of a pricing error at the register. If the price of the small appliance you are buying is higher at the register than what was shown on the shelf, the merchant must:

  • give you the item for free if the item costs less than $10;
  • sell you the item at the shelf price, minus $10, if the item costs more than $10.

Prices shown on individual items

If the merchant decides to individually tag each article, they don’t have to abide by the Price Accuracy Policy. However, they must sell items at the labelled price, never at a higher price. For example, a small appliance tagged at $30 must be sold at that price, even if the register shows $40.

What if a single item shows 2 different prices? The lower price prevails.

Always check the receipt before leaving the store

To avoid having to go back to the store to recover a few dollars, make sure you always check the receipt before leaving the store. However, if you only notice an error when you’re back home, you can go back to the store. It’s never too late to assert your rights.

The section Price indicated in the store provides all the information about the pricing of items, the display of prices, and the Price Accuracy Policy.
 

Last update : December 21, 2022

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The information contained on this page is presented in simple terms to make it easier to understand. It does not replace the texts of the laws and regulations.