stuck with $37k bill he can't read, winnipeg man says door-to-door furnace sales should be banned - air cleaner

Door-to-
It is said that a door salesperson at a winnipeni company persuaded a man in Winnipeg to sign multiple expensive contracts for household energy products, creating a lot of debt for him and asking if
"They made the most of him," said Loretta Wolowich, whose stepbrother Claude Kaya signed a contract with the Prairie House comfort company after knocking at the door twice. year period.
He is illiterate.
He can't read or write, so he can't really read.
This is the strange word he can pick out.
Caya said he did not know that the competition he signed up for would put him in debt, that his house was worth more than $30,000, and that the products he rented had a monthly obligation of more than $300.
"When I paid my bills and credit cards, I already had $50 of groceries for my life before you knew it," Caya said . ".
CBC investigators are still paying back his father's signing with HVAC by 60-year-
A salesperson from the Prairie House saida door-to-
Doors for sale of water heaters, stoves and air conditioners Winnipeg-
Came to his door in 2017 and again in 2018.
He described them as people who spoke smoothly. they first convinced him to have lead in the water, and then said his 10-year-
Old stove needs to be replaced.
He said it was a simple pitch.
The product he needs is $50 a month. He signed 10-
Annual lease for new furnace, HEPA filter, electronic air purifier and water filter.
Now it's hard for him to keep up with the monthly charges.
200 complaints within 3 years: Manitoba Water Kaya is one of the more and more consumers who feel cheated by the doorto-
Door sales for home energy-Service Department.
Manitoba consumer protection office has filed more than 60 complaints on home energy doorsto-
Door seller, 2018-19 —
Almost twice as much as the previous year.
Manitoba Hydro says it has received more than 200 complaints over the past three years about the comfort of its prairie home --
More than any other door. to-
Door-to-door sales company.
Caya's work in a car parts renovation plant was not paid enough to pay his bill.
His legally blind wife can't work.
He began to accumulate credit card debt to pay all his bills until he finally admitted to his family that he did not have enough money to pay all his bills.
When asked how to put the food on the table, he said: "Sometimes I have to buy groceries with my credit card and my sisters are helping me . ".
Kaya described the humiliation of asking for help from his adult sisters and his gratitude to them, and he choked.
"I don't know what I will do without them," he said . ".
Prairie Home Comfort is a division of the utility bill credit company and we are running a business. ,a Toronto-
A company that specializes in financing HVACRental items.
"We don't comment on our dealings with our customers," company owner john Nassar said in an email to CBC News . ".
"We also disagree with the court of public opinion.
We are running a company.
Customers have sufficient resources, including services provided by government agencies, many of which are free of charge. Those [who]
In our experience, choosing not to use these services is often on the wrong side of truth.
"I got a tip for cbc I-Team?
The secret prompt line for Emailusor calls is 204-788-3744.
Mark boissoneult, a former lecturer at Red River College, was no accident.
A licensed Red Seal HVAC technician gas fitter and a red seal skilled electrician who has worked in the industry for more than 30 years.
He often hears about companies that sell long-time products.
Lease terms for household energy products.
But what shocked him in Caya's case was the price.
He estimates that the cost of the entire package, including equipment and installation, should be less than $10,000.
The company's invoice sent to Caya last year showed that the full amount he owed to all four products was slightly higher than $37,000.
When boissoneult saw Caya renting a HEPAfilter and an electronic air purifier, he shook his head incredibly.
He says customers don't usually need one if they have another. "To see that [invoice]
Here, plus these two things for sale at ridiculous prices, just-
"I was blown away," he said . ".
"It's really shameful.
I don't know how someone can sleep at night to do this kind of thing.
The credit advisor said that once LorettaWolowich learned about the financial situation of her stepbrother, she took him to Creditaid in Winnipeg --
Credit advisory body.
Brian Denysuik, CEO and president of creditaid, said: "My heart is broken . " He took over the Caya case.
He said it was painful to read his paperwork.
"It's impossible for them to understand what they signed.
"Denysuik was able to integrate Caya's credit card payments and lower interest rates, but he said there was nothing he could do about the bill charges.
"They won't work with us," said Denysuik . ".
According to the property record, Utilebill has a lien on Caya's house, which means that when he sells the house, the products he rents from Prairie Home comforleased will either have to be paid off or the contract will have to be transferred to the new buyer.
"If they have a lien on the property, they have a secured loan.
They can't lose . "
For the past few weeks he has been trying to get in touch with Utilebill to check the payment options and collect all ofCaya files.
Caya was not clear about his terms of the lease and Denysuik said he was unable to get all the details from the company.
Hidden camera capturespitpitchcbc News set up a hidden camera in a family in Winnipeg to capture the stadium made by the sales staff of prairie home comfort.
A retired couple recruited by the CBC called the company to ask if they needed a new stove.
For the first time in two trips home, the salesperson threw out a series of numbers for the cost of a new stove
Starting with the promotion, it will save them $30 to $40 a month for hydro bills and $52 a month.
Watch the game here: However, when the couple started asking questions about the price, the game quickly failed.
The sales staff said the $6,000 stove could be paid in five years and $50 a month.
When the couple pointed out that it was only $3,000, it was just an example for the salesperson to look back.
Boissoneult observed the course from the screen of the adjacent room.
"It's basically a low monthly payment.
They don't talk about a term or Amortization-
"This is a commitment," he said . "
"So you know, you will never have these things in the end.
"The salesperson came back a second time and showed the couple an example of the agreement they had to sign if they wanted to rent a new stove.
The couple learned after reading the fine print and repeatedly asking,
In order to work, they have to pay $5,000 at one time at the end of the semester.
Kaya said that the comfort of the prairie home came to his doorstep for the first time in May 2017, under the auspicious condition of testing his water.
The salesperson poured a glass of water and put a tablet in the glass.
The water immediately turned black.
The salesperson told Caya that it must mean that there is lead in the water and he should get the water softener.
"They speak very smoothly," he said . "
"Because we got brown water, he said, they were sent by the water company.
"In the fall, they came back a second time and sold him to a new stove, an efficient air filter and an air purifier.
Caya's sister, after learning that Caya had paid almost no money to pay for food after all the bills, brought the Caya story to CBC News.
"You know he's low-key. income. And his wife —
She can't see it so good.
She's not working either.
They made full use of him.
"They gave me a chance," said the woman, and scbc talked to another family, and they also felt cheated by a tall man.
There's a stressful sales call at their door.
Erika Parke said that a salesperson at Prairie Home Comfort came to her house in 2017 to persuade her to sign an air conditioning contract.
Her impression is that the monthly bill will be paid by Manitoba hydro rebate.
No, so she asked them to remove the device.
The company has never done that, she said.
"They gave me a chance.
"I will call the number they gave me and this is an answering machine," Parker said . ".
She never paid the bill, and she said she received a growing bill every month.
As of February, she owed more than $2,300 to Utilebill.
Property records show that Utilebill has a lien on her house.
Government Mother banned from opening the doorto-
Both door sales staff wolowich and Caya said they wanted to make sure that this would not happen to more uninformed customers.
"They should not come and knock on your door and try to sell things," said Caya . ".
"I don't think it's right.
Alberta banned the door after years of complaints about misleading tactics --to-
In 2016, home energy products such as stoves and air conditioners were sold.
Ontario took the same action in 2018, with the province recently conducting public consultation in revising its direct sellers act. Some door-to-
OntarioSask no longer allows on-site sales.
The government wants to change the rules of the doorto-
An interview with door sales Manitoba Attorney General Cliff Cullen was rejected.
In a pre-prepared statement, Karen told the CBC that the direct selling market was "in the process of monitoring.
"He did not specify whether Manitoba would ban the door --to-
But he said the government would "expand" protection for direct sellers.
Denysuik and boissoneult agreed to the door-to-
Door-to-door sales of these products should be prohibited.
"People are vulnerable," says Denysuik . ".
"We see more and more.
How do we stop it?
How do we control? I don't know.
I really don't have an answer.
"At present, the law allows Manitobans to cancel the contract within 10 days of signing the contract, and if the seller fails to comply with the agreed terms or does not have a license, the contract will be canceled within one year after signing.
The provincial consumer protection office confirmed that the prairie home comfort store was licensed to sell the doorto-
As required by the Consumer Protection Act, the doors of Manitoba.
The full list of who is licensed has not been published, and the CBC has denied a request to access that list.
Manitoba fine Gateto-
The door sales company in Ontario sells for $10 k, "there should be more licensing requirements because it doesn't work.
"This is not the first customer to be misled and used," boissoneult said . ".
"It paints a picture in the industry.
Manitoba Hydro said it did not work with any furnace company and it advised not to let the door in --to-
Door sales staff in your home
Crown also said consumers should get three estimates from reputable stove companies before buying new stoves.