It is heartbreaking to watch a vulnerable homeowner sit across the table from you, with tears in their eyes, and tell you that they paid $20,000.00 to a salesman for a water softener which doesn’t work.
So who are these door-to-door salesmen—and it is always men, by the way—who are getting homeowners to sign expensive contracts for plumbing, electrical, or HVAC (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning) equipment of dubious quality, and how do they do it?
I call it the Ontario HVAC Scam, and it exploits loopholes in the laws regarding consumer protection, civil litigation, and the real property registration system. And it costs unsuspecting Ontario homeowners millions of dollars.
This questionable business model targets vulnerable homeowners, such as the elderly or newcomers to Canada, with deceptive and high-pressure sales tactics. It has grown into an industry of significant size, and appears to be largely immune to half-hearted attempts to regulate it.
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