Before purchasing a weight loss product, keep in mind that offers that seem too good to be true... often are. Beware of claims of results that border on the miraculous.

False promises

A merchant who, for example, claims that you will lose 20 pounds in one month by using its weight loss products must fulfill that promise.

A merchant must also be prepared to justify its promotional information. Unless it is true, a merchant cannot claim, among other things, that:

• the effectiveness of its product has been scientifically proven;
• its use is approved by doctors.

Compliance of the product

The product you are sold must comply with:

• its description provided in your contract;
• what the merchant has told you;
• the information that appears on the packaging;
• advertisements of any type (poster, sign, website, TV commercial, salesperson, etc.

Recourse options

You can try to have the price lowered or your purchase cancelled if the merchant fails to respect your agreement. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Try to reach an agreement with the merchant. The How to negotiate with a merchant page explains the procedure.
2. If you are unable to come to an agreement, send the merchant a formal notice. The Sending a formal notice page explains the procedure.
3. If the merchant does not reply to your demands, you can petition the court to rule on the issue. The Filing a complaint with the small claims court page provides details on this subject.

You can also contact the Office de la protection du consommateur to find out whether you can file a complaint.

Other examples of prohibited practices

Go to the page that covers prohibited advertising practices for more examples.

A merchant cannot fail to disclose an important fact or essential information about a product.

Example: A merchant cannot fail to disclose the fact that, in order to achieve the promised results, you have to use the product in combination with 5 hours of intensive exercise per week.

Recourse options

You can try to have the price lowered or your purchase cancelled if the merchant has failed to disclose an important fact or essential information. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Try to reach an agreement with the merchant. The How to negotiate with a merchant page explains the procedure.
2. If you are unable to come to an agreement, send the merchant a formal notice. The Sending a formal notice page explains the procedure.
3. If the merchant does not reply to your demands, you can petition the court to rule on the issue. The Filing a complaint with the small claims court page provides details on this subject.

You can also contact the Office de la protection du consommateur to find out whether you can file a complaint.

The advertised price must include all of the amounts you will be required to pay for a weight loss product. The total price must be emphasized over the individual amounts it includes. The price cannot be increased, unless products or services are added at your request.

Amounts that can be added at the time of payment

Certain amounts may be excluded from the advertised price. These are amounts that must be collected and remitted to a public authority by virtue of a law or regulation. Taxes (GST and QST) are examples of amounts that can be added at the time of payment.

Example of illegal advertising

A merchant advertises a set of products for $50. At the time of payment, you find out that to qualify for that price, you have to pay $15 to open a file.

If you have a problem

Is the advertised price not the one you are asked to pay? You are entitled to pay the advertised price.

You can also file a complaint with the Office de la protection du consommateur if you see that a merchant does not comply with pricing rules. You can find our contact information in the Contact us page.

A merchant offers you a weight loss product free of charge or at a reduced price for a determined period of time. After the promotion has ended, the merchant continues to send you the product and invoice it automatically.

After the promotion

When the promotion ends, the merchant can charge you the regular price for the product only if you have clearly given your consent. This would be the case, for example, if you had committed to purchasing the product for a determined period of time when you placed your order.

What if you made no such commitment to the merchant? The merchant cannot require that you provide a notice to the effect that you no longer wish to receive the product after the promotion has ended, nor can the merchant require payment for products sent to you without your consent.

Solutions to unauthorized invoicing

What happens if the merchant invoices you for products you did not order? You have recourse options, because the merchant cannot require a notice from you when the promotion ends. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Try to reach an agreement with the merchant. The How to negotiate with a merchant page explains the procedure.
2. If you are unable to come to an agreement, send the merchant a formal notice. The Sending a formal notice page explains the procedure.
3. If the merchant does not reply to your demands, you can petition the court to rule on the issue. The Filing a complaint with the small claims court page provides details on this subject.

You can also contact the Office de la protection du consommateur to find out whether you can file a complaint.

Telephone or online purchases

What if you placed your order by telephone or online? Other solutions to cancel your purchase are available to you if the merchant fails to respect certain obligations. You must act quickly, however, as the prescribed deadlines are short.

Consult the following pages:

• Conditions to cancel an online purchase;
• Conditions to cancel a purchase made by phone or by mail.