Ontario Liberals in Action | GTAMotorcycle.com

Ontario Liberals in Action

N

nobbie48

Well-known member
Site Supporter
My MPP Yvan baker is bragging that he has proposed banning aggressive door to door sales. When's the last time the Fuller brush man stuck his foot in your door? Isn't Baker three or four decades late? Spam, junk mail and telemarketers have taken over and aren't under provincial control.

It's just part of a multi faceted bill being watered down by his photo op.

I guess when you're sleeping on the job and someone's cough wakes you up you have to say something to make it look like you're not just a bench warmer. No wonder nothing gets accomplished.
 
nobbie48 said:
My MPP Yvan baker is bragging that he has proposed banning aggressive door to door sales. When's the last time the Fuller brush man stuck his foot in your door? Isn't Baker three or four decades late? Spam, junk mail and telemarketers have taken over and aren't under provincial control.
Click to expand...

From his website back in May/16:

"Yvan Baker, MPP for Etobicoke Centre announced today his introduction of a Private Member’s Bill banning door-to-door sales.Joined by concerned seniors and consumer advocacy groups, MPP Baker announced that he would table legislation to ban door-to-door sales of certain consumer products that have been the subject of aggressive and coercive sales tactics. The ban would prevent air conditioners, water heaters, furnaces, and water treatment devices from being sold, leased or rented by contract at a consumer’s home.
“I have heard from far too many seniors and concerned constituents who have been taken advantage of by coercive and misleading sales people right on their own doorsteps. It is beyond reprehensible that some organizations have a business model based on taking advantage of vulnerable people. We must take action to protect Ontarians and end this predatory practice. My bill will do just that.”"

There have been a number of stories in the news of seniors (especially) being bilked by D2D sales people telling them they need tens of hundreds of thousands of dollars of work.

I hate that we as a society seem to need continual legislative creep like this but until there's a way to stop these types of "predatory" practices by unscrupulous businesses I don't really see an alternative.

You might feel the same if your father was bilked by some D2D *********.

And, FWIW, Alberta is doing the same thing.
 
Blackfin said:
I hate that we as a society seem to need continual legislative creep like this but until there's a way to stop these types of "predatory" practices by unscrupulous businesses I don't really see an alternative.
Click to expand...

I hate that we are a society full of people who think we need legislation to protect us from ourselves. The stupid protecting the stupider? And the government loving every second of it......

What happened to all that accountability for ones own decisions I keep reading about. People need to smarten up.. if it takes gettin screwed, so be it.
 
More slippery slope. The smarter we get the more retarder we are. Madness. Anybody need a BNIB Filter Queen?
 
inreb said:
More slippery slope. The smarter we get the more retarder we are. Madness. Anybody need a BNIB Filter Queen?
Click to expand...

20 years with only a small belt needing replacement. Mama done good on that one.
 
Neil_V said:
I hate that we are a society full of people who think we need legislation to protect us from ourselves. The stupid protecting the stupider? And the government loving every second of it......

What happened to all that accountability for ones own decisions I keep reading about. People need to smarten up.. if it takes gettin screwed, so be it.
Click to expand...

accountability for ones own decisions I agree with, I will offer up however 'the slick salesman' . He used to roll through town with a donkey cart, a tall hat and equally tall story about an elixr that would cure infertility, stop unwanted pregnancy and solve weight gain and it was $2 a bottle. So you were out $2 and no roast beef sunday night. Now Grandma signs up to 'never need worry about her heat going out in February', the way it explained its $49 a month, well plus admin fees of $99. per and a one time sign up of $249 to get into the program to start saving today.
Grandma has instructions printed on the peppermill to turn right for pepper. So she signs up and by the time favorite daughter katty shows up 72 mths later for the funeral, its a 15yr contract worth 3 furnaces and 4 AC units.
Fleecing the elderly needs to stop.
 
In the good old days we used to learn from the elders and farmers. Old farmers were a potent force. I guess those days are over.
 
Neil_V said:
20 years with only a small belt needing replacement. Mama done good on that one.
Click to expand...

Back in the '70's the Filter Queen salesman was an urban legend in the truest John Wayne Gacey tradition. Truth be told I've never seen one and have no empirical data to back any negative assertions. I guess whispered rumours carry a lasting odour. Heartened to learn of your family's winning streak.
 
Neil_V said:
I hate that we are a society full of people who think we need legislation to protect us from ourselves. The stupid protecting the stupider? And the government loving every second of it......

What happened to all that accountability for ones own decisions I keep reading about. People need to smarten up.. if it takes gettin screwed, so be it.
Click to expand...

How about integrating seniors into society where such things are discussed? Knowledge is power.

It's easier lump them into seniors groups so they can play bingo, watch Lawrence Welk and pretend it's 1955.
 
Sadly some of these water heater/furnace/appliance rental/fuel/energy provider scammers don't even represent that they're selling you something. Some ask to see your bill claiming to see if they can save you money (and who doesn't want to save some money) and take down your account number signing you up for their service instead.

inreb said:
Back in the '70's the Filter Queen salesman was an urban legend in the truest John Wayne Gacey tradition. Truth be told I've never seen one and have no empirical data to back any negative assertions. I guess whispered rumours carry a lasting odour. Heartened to learn of your family's winning streak.
Click to expand...

Now they send you a cards for a scratch and win lotto of various prizes, but all of them win something, all you have to do to claim your prize is make an appointment to listen to a 3 hour sales pitch. They will keep trying to coerce you to buy offering many deals including the option to work for them to pay for the vacuum and accessories. Didn't buy a vacuum but i did give some tips on his personal skills. If i'm buying a $2000 vacuum it better do more than suck and blow. It better fetch the mail down the street on it's own, make coffee, and slice and dice...
 
crankcall said:
accountability for ones own decisions I agree with, I will offer up however 'the slick salesman' . He used to roll through town with a donkey cart, a tall hat and equally tall story about an elixr that would cure infertility, stop unwanted pregnancy and solve weight gain and it was $2 a bottle. So you were out $2 and no roast beef sunday night. Now Grandma signs up to 'never need worry about her heat going out in February', the way it explained its $49 a month, well plus admin fees of $99. per and a one time sign up of $249 to get into the program to start saving today.
Grandma has instructions printed on the peppermill to turn right for pepper. So she signs up and by the time favorite daughter katty shows up 72 mths later for the funeral, its a 15yr contract worth 3 furnaces and 4 AC units.
Fleecing the elderly needs to stop.
Click to expand...

Grandmother went through something similar a few years back. Immediately went about getting her out of the deal and getting her money back. People just need to give a **** about what's going on in their parents or grandparents lives... instead we should let the government find us a solution? Crazy i say.

nobbie48 said:
How about integrating seniors into society where such things are discussed? Knowledge is power.
It's easier lump them into seniors groups so they can play bingo, watch Lawrence Welk and pretend it's 1955.
Click to expand...

^ Exactly, regular visits go a long way; conversation comes naturally. Things to be learnt for all. Of course, this requires one to like their relatives. That's another matter.
 
CruisnGrrl said:
Sadly some of these water heater/furnace/appliance rental/fuel/energy provider scammers don't even represent that they're selling you something. Some ask to see your bill claiming to see if they can save you money (and who doesn't want to save some money) and take down your account number signing you up for their service instead.
Click to expand...

People have twice tried to get into my brother's house by pretending to be from the government checking furnace efficiency
 
inreb said:
Back in the '70's the Filter Queen salesman was an urban legend in the truest John Wayne Gacey tradition. Truth be told I've never seen one and have no empirical data to back any negative assertions. I guess whispered rumours carry a lasting odour. Heartened to learn of your family's winning streak.
Click to expand...

I assure you the vacuum below was above average. now, she obtained it before i was born and it was still in fine working condition when it moved on to another family member

fqm1007b.sized.jpg
 
Neil_V said:
I hate that we are a society full of people who think we need legislation to protect us from ourselves. The stupid protecting the stupider? And the government loving every second of it......

What happened to all that accountability for ones own decisions I keep reading about. People need to smarten up.. if it takes gettin screwed, so be it.
Click to expand...
Have you seen the way we as a society keep voting? we keep putting the same criminals back in power and when we get sick of them we put the criminals we ousted to put the current criminals back in power. Of course society needs protecting from it's bad decisions.
 
Neil_V said:
I assure you the vacuum below was above average. now, she obtained it before i was born and it was still in fine working condition when it moved on to another family member
Click to expand...


and you can still get parts for them! those things are damn near bulletproof.
 
I get junk mail stuck to my door & in my mailbox. 80% of my mailbox is junk
 
Neil_V said:
^ Exactly, regular visits go a long way; conversation comes naturally. Things to be learnt for all. Of course, this requires one to like their relatives. That's another matter.
Click to expand...

That said, even with years of trying to convince the MIL that buying magazines to win money was a scam she wouldn't listen. Other than that she was and still is pretty sharp at 90.

My beef is that one can't legislate morality or ethics. Avoiding scams is best done through education. Governments are loathe to go that route because politics is the biggest scam of all and who wants to let the cat out of the bag.
 
inreb said:
In the good old days we used to learn from the elders and farmers. Old farmers were a potent force. I guess those days are over.
Click to expand...

I grew up on a farm in Campbellville, when the ice house was a service garage. As an old farmer I'd like to claim I'm a sage, but possibly more like basil.

Both my kids care about my well being , I think, but they live 3000km away. Regular visits are once or twice a yr. I could sign up for a lot of dopey deals before it would come up in a conversation.
But I'll never end up in a crappy seniors home, they will both chip in buckets to make sure I dont suggest moving in with them.
 
OK, Filter Queens are awesome and old people are probably mostly stupid. My cheap appeal to base emotions using pop culture lore isn't going to cut it with this crowd. Need more legislation and get off my lawn.
 
The scams go much deeper than simple door-to-door sales and gullible people. The furnace and water heater guys have a few angles beyond let me see your bill.... First they will make it look look like they are from the gas company, they will come in and "inspect" your furnace ("I am from blah blah gas and we need to inspect your furnace and water heater"), then they will find some little thing wrong (code wise, real or not) and threaten or actually shut-off your gas (in winter), then the high pressure sales of a new furnace for only xxxx per month, install tomorrow. If you are not on to the scam it is pretty easy to be taken.

They have even stepped it up, as people keep catching on to the scam:

They called our house (instead of cold knocking) and got my wife, they made it sound like they NEEDED to book an inspection appointment and would not take no for an answer, and THEY said they are coming tomorrow at 8PM. She got the return number, I called back and left a message that they were not to set foot on our property.... guy never showed of course. It was not the real gas company, scammers all the way.

Personally I am good with this legislation.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom