If you wish to cancel a snow removal contract, specific rules apply.

Contrary to the popular belief, you do not benefit from a 10-day delay to cancel a contract. Often, only a tribunal can cancel a contract concluded between a merchant and a consumer.

The law does not provide a delay to cancel a contract concluded in person, unless your snow removal contractor is an itinerant merchant.

Cancelling a contract concluded with an itinerant merchant

If you concluded an agreement with an itinerant merchant, it means that they solicited your business outside of their actual offices. They might, for example, have come to your home without your requesting it.

In such a case, you can cancel the contract without fees or explanations within 10 days after receiving a written copy of the contract. The contract can be cancelled even if the snow removal company has already cleared your driveway.

The cancellation delay includes Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. However, if the 10th day falls on any of those days, the date limit is deferred to the next business day. If the 10th day falls on Easter Monday, for example, the limit date is the next day (Tuesday).

Procedure to cancel

You must advise the snow removal company in writing. Send the cancellation form (44 Ko) you received along with the contract, or a free-form written letter.

In legal terms, "contract cancellation" means you want to end the contract. This means that you will find yourself in the situation you were in before you signed the contract. If you already paid money to the snow removal company, they must refund you within 15 days after you send the cancellation form or letter.

Cancelling within one year

In some cases, you can cancel a contract within the year following the receipt of a signed copy of the contract. You can do so if, for example:

  • the merchant you are doing business with did not have a valid license from the Office de la protection du consommateur when you signed the contract;
  • the contract you received did not contain all the mandatory information prescribed by the law;
  • the merchant did not provide all mandatory documents:
  • the merchant has not provided the service within 30 days following the date included in the contract or, past those 30 days, the date agreed upon with you.

If you concluded a contract by phone or online, specific rules apply. It is possible to cancel the contract without needing to pay any fees, within short elapsed time periods, if the merchant has not respected certain commitments.

Situations

Cancellation time limit

If the snow removal services have not started:

  • within 30 days following the date agreed upon in writing;
  • within 30 days following the contract signature date, if no other date is indicated in the contract.

Anytime, before the 1st snow removal

The snow removal company did not send a copy of the contract within 15 days after it was concluded.

30 days following the contract signature date

The snow removal company did not provide all the mandatory information before you entered into an agreement, or it failed to provide them clearly.

(If you become aware of this only after the 1st snow removal, you then have 7 days from that moment to cancel the contract.)

7 days following receipt of a copy of the contract

The snow removal company did not clearly provide the opportunity to accept or refuse its proposal or to amend it.

The contract you received does not contain all the mandatory information.

The contract you received cannot be printed and retained.

How to cancel a distance contract

To cancel a distance moving contract, you must send a cancellation notice to the snow removal company. You are free to use the notice template and method of delivery of your choice. The Office de la protection du consommateur advises you to use registered mail or any other method that provides a proof of delivery. The cancellation will take effect on the notice’s delivery date. The moving company must refund you within 15 days after the notice’s delivery.

Credit card purchases

Did you use a credit card to make a purchase? If the snow removal company does not refund you within 15 days following the purchase cancellation, you can file a chargeback request within 60 days.

Chargebacks allow you to ask your credit card company to credit the amount paid to your account.

For further information on this topic, please see:

Last update : September 22, 2021

Were you unable to find an answer to your question? Please call us.

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.