Some merchants may request a down payment before delivering or installing a heating or air conditioning appliance. Here are tips on how to make your payments.
Making payments to a general contractor
If possible, do not provide a down payment to a contractor, or pay only a very small sum. Some consumers have lost money after a company closed its doors, for example.
Paying an itinerant merchant
Did you conclude an agreement with an itinerant merchant? A person is considered an itinerant merchant if they solicit your business outside of their actual offices, for example, if they come to your home without your requesting it.
This type of vendor cannot request or accept a down payment within the 10 days that follow the signing of the contract. Indeed, this delay is designed to allow you to cancel the contract, if desired. You should therefore refuse to allow the installation to be made before the end of that 10-day period to avoid any conflict.
If you already have the appliance at home, the merchant may ask for payment, but they are required to deposit that money in a trust account until the end of the 10-day delay.
Some merchants are exempt from this requirement, provided for in article 255 of the Consumer Protection Act. Refer to our tool Get information about a merchant to know whether the contractor you hire benefits from such an exemption.
Last update : October 16, 2020
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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.
