Any advertisement that contains false or misleading information, or that conceals an important fact, is illegal.

Mandatory contents of an advertisement

Advertisements about long-term leasing of goods must indicate that it is a offer for a lease. If the ad includes any of the following elements, it must also include all of the other elements:

• the amount payable, either in part or in whole, before the leasing period (this amount may include a down payment, a security deposit that can be reimbursed at the end of the contract or instalments payable in advance);
• the number of instalments and their amount;
• the length of the payment periods (e.g. monthly payments);
• any limits of use of the item, such as the kilometrage in the case of a vehicle;
• fees charged to use the item once such limits have been exceeded.

The leased item must comply with the advertisement in which it is featured.

Examples of prohibited practices

In an advertisement, it is prohibited to:

• indicate a limit of use, e.g. a limited number of kilometres, without mentioning the cost of using the item once the limit has been exceeded;
• advertise only the amount of the periodic instalments to be made to lease an item, without highlighting its retail value;
• use the expression "cost price" or any other expression that would lead one to believe that an item is offered at such a price, if it does not make reference to the price actually paid by the merchant to acquire the item;
• use an illustration that does not accurately depict the item the price of which is advertized.

Reporting prohibited practices

If you find yourself in a situation where these rules are violated, you can contact the Office de la protection du consommateur. We will assess the potential options.

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