HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1969-06-19, Page 20,CvDERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, JUNE 19,1969
Is Ft realty
q•; bargain?
The ewel.lery sets assembled
by th "Carmen Jewellery
Manufacturing Co: Ltd., seemed
too _good a bargain to mf'ss. They
Were displayed in a Quebec store
with a $25 tag attached, but the
store price was only $4.95. If
• gullible purchasers who thought
they were saving' $20.05 had
window-shopped in other stores,
they would have found the same
sets were selling from X3,49 to
$4.95 — not '$25. What
happened? The company had
attached the $25 tags at the
request of the , purchasing
wholesalers who supplied them
to the retailers.
The $3.95 price of
undergarments in an Ottawa
children's clothing store,
Kiddytown, Ltd., had beers
crossed out and a price of $2.99
substituted — an apparent saving
df 96 cents. But again, other
Stores had been selling the same
undergarments for $2.99 for
several months..
These are examples of
Misleading price advertising
which often separates a
consumer from his money by
leading him to believe the price
he is paying is better than it
really is. Fortunately, we are
protected by the Combines
Investigation Act. Section 33C is
designed to protect consufners
who are not likely to, know
prevailing retail or list prices. It
states clearly that anyone who
promotes the sale of an item by
misleading consumers about the
prices at .which the items are
ordinarily sold, is breaking the
law: This section of the Act has
teeth in it"— offenders can be
fined and prohibited from
repeating , the practice. The
jewellery manufactilrer and the
children's clothing store are
actual cases, and both felt the
bite of the law when they were
convicted and fined.
To augment Section 33C, the
Department of Consumer and
Corporate Affairs has a staff of
highly -trained 'investigators
experienced in handling
complaints, --collecting evidence
and keeping an eagle eye on
_ advertisements to detect
deceptive pricing. Consumers
-and---the trade -----help - too:
Generally, sonde 20% of eases
that have arisen come from
consumers; some 30% of
complaints come from the trade
— especially competitors who;
keep a suspicious eye on each
other.
In the past eight years since
the section became ' effective,
some flagrant instances of
misleading price advertising have
been detected'and dealt with. Of
the 45 cases completed since
1960, there were 40 convictions.
Worst . offenders were retailers,
and most of the misleading
pricing appeared in newspaper
ads (29) and labels (11). But
there was also price
misrepresentation in circulars,
direct mail -advertising and
catalogues. Alrhost half dealt
with photographic equipment,
watches, and television sets; the
remainder included such things
as pre -ticketed mattresses — for
example, those manufactured by
Featherweight Mattress, Ltd.
and sold by the Mountain
Furniture Co. Ltd., a retail store
9t
in Peterborough, Ontario, were
ticketed by the manufacturer at
$99. Inquiries showed, however,
that no other retailers in the area
carried 'this particular mattress;
but that mattresses of similar
quality would ordinarily sell at
$35 or $40.
Pre -ticketing a product' at an
unrealistically high price is an
open invitation to dealers to
make it appear they are offering
a "special," when in reality, they
are not. The Imlierial Industries
Ltd., Montreal, pre -ticketed
sleeping bags at prices higher
than the usual retail price, and
was fined and ordered not to
repeat the offence.
More and more court cases
are conducted each year. From -
April 1968 to early March of
this year, 16 alleged offenders
faced the courts.
What other kinds of price
misrepresentation are brought to
light? Some offenders get into
trouble by using such terms as
"lists at," - "regularly at,"
"compare at," quoting higher
prices than the prevailing ones.
The so-called "regular price" for
example, must be the ordinary
price charged by dealers ih the
district. A British Columbia
firm, the B.C. Collateral Loan
Brokers, Ltd., advertised a
shotgun as "regularly $69," but
when investigation showed that
$69 was substantially higher
than the usual price, the ' firm
was convicted and given a
'suspended sentence. When two
Otta'w furniture dears R. & A.
Cohen, Ltd. and J. L. Orme &
Sons, Ltd., advertised
comparative pries for
stereo -radio phonographs in
1965, based on the
manufacturer's 1963 suggested
price _ which had since been
lowered, they were fined.
Some "cents -off" labellings
offer genuine bargains, but in
some cases these specials are of
such duration, they become
regular prices. In ' others, the.
price may fluctuate, yet the
product, still . bears the
"cents'-off't label. A brand of
coffee, Mother Parker's Instant,
bearing the label "30 cents off
regular price" was displayed for
seven; _mon_ths, but the prices
fluctuated from $1.55 to $1.59.
Again tl_�e company, was fined
and prohibited from repeating
the offence.
In one instance, an economy
"size bottle of Halo shampoo,
made by Colgate-Palmolive, 'bore
a label "Special $1.49" for two
years. Although there was no
indication of a regular price or
the amount that could be saved,
the company was eventually
convicted because an unwary
shopper might very well
conclude he was being offered
the , economy size at a lower
price than usual, which, in, this
case, was not true.
If you think you have found
a real bargain, stop long enough
to compare prices in other
stores. Sometimes you will get a
good buy,. Sometimes you
won't. If you have already made
the purchase and feel that you
have been misled, - you should
contact r the , Director of
Investigation and Research,
Combines Investigatio ; Act,
Department of Consuther ' and
Goderich literally got "on the map" recently when this copy of a map of the town came to light in a
London, England, Street. market. It is dated 1829 and most of the streets radiating from The Square
were named for the points of the compass. The map was discove ed by Ron„Searle who is studying in
England. He sent it to his grandfather Rev. G, A. Kaiser, pastor o Ashfield United Church..
Corporate Affairs, Ottawa.
Describe the article in detail;
state the "sale” and "regular"
prices quoted on the label or in
the advertisement; how and
when it was advertised and by
whom, and your reasons for
believing the price was
misleading. You should also send
the price label or advertisement,
but keep the bill carefully in
case it . is needed later as
evidence.
The Minister of Consumer
and Corporate Affairs, the
Honorable Ron Basford, said
recently:. "The . Canadian
consumer demands honesty in
the marketplace. Our society has
rejected the old concept of
`caveat emptor' — let, the buyer
beware in 'favor of -; let the
seller take care." •
BUY FRESH CUCUMBER
Buy fresh, firm cucumbers
that are well -shaped,. bright
green in color with whitish tips
or white lines. Food experts at
'Macdonald Institute, University
of Guelph, warn that puffiness is
a sign of overmaturity and that
withered or shriveled cucumbers
are sometimes bitter and tough.
NEED
INSURANCE?
PHONE
MacEwan
Insurance Agency
.44 North St.,
524.9531
1
Pepper reunion :held
The annual Pepper reunion
was held at Seaforth Lions Park
on Sunday, June 15, with 37
people in attendance.
Mr. and Mrs.., William Millson,
Seaforth, and Mr. and Mrs.
Sandy Pepper, 'Seaforth, were in
charge of arrangements. °
The president, Roy Pepper,
suggested that in view of the
inclement weather the group has
had in the, past two years, a new
date* be set .for the celebration.
The picnic will be held on the
fourth Sunday in future. .
The executive officers elected
are the same • as for last year:
Roy Pepper, Exeter, pres.; Rost
Gordon Seaforth, vice-pres.;
Roy Water, Goderich, sec. treas.
The sports committee- will
consist of Mr., and Mrs. William
Millson and Mr. and Mrs. Sandy
Pepper and the table committee
•
will be comprised of Mr. and
Mrs. Ross Gordon; Mr. and Mrs.
Frank Falconer, Clinton; and
Mrs. Mabel Higgerson, Mitchell.
A variety of races were held
for young and old and the picnic
lunch followed.
The next picnic will be at
Seaforth Lions Park on Sunday,
June 28, 1970.
NOTA HANDOUT
Local governments pay an
average 22 per cent of CARE's
costs under self-help contracts to
build schools, clinics, water
systems, and other community
resources. Villagers give any
material and labor they can.
Contributions to CARE -of
Canada, Ottawa, Ont. are then
used to buy whatever else is
needed — work tools, 'cement,
--roofing, pipes, hardware doors.
The .Family Farm.
Depends on YOU
On June 24 Vote
GFO
YES
X
Sponsored by
Ashfield. Township GFO Campaign Committee
This reproduction of a portrait of John Galfis being presented to
the Huron County Museum by Dr. H. B, Timoth. of the
University of Western Ontario. It reproduced from a portrait in
the James Watt Library, Greenock, Scotland, Galt was the creator
of the Canada Company which founded Goderich and Galt, and
was superintendant of the company, in Upper Canada 1826-1829.
He was born May 2, 1779 in Irvine., Ayrshire Scotland and died in
Greenock, April 11, 1839. (reproduction by the University of
WesterrtiOntario Information Service)-.
WELL.DONE
In India, a- CARE project to.
bund a well in a waterless
destitute :village, was at a.
stands01l: the men had gone to
other areasseeking work. When
word spread, 3 volunteers — a
watch repairman, bicycle
repairman and an auto mechanic
—moonlighted after their
regular jobs in a nearby town, to
drill the well and sink the shaft.
memimmommirummo
"A vain man can never be
° utterly ruthless; he wants to
win applause and therefore he
accommodates himself to
others." — Goethe
KEEP
COOL
See Our Large
SElection of
FANS
Air' Conditioners
KEEP
DRY
With An
" ELECTROHOME
Dehumidifier
Hutchinson
Radio -- TV - Appliances
308 Huron_ Rd, , 524.7831
cGEE'S 7DON'T BE LEFT
OUT" New Car SALE
See Ad On Page 2
PROCLAMATION
MINOR SOFTBALL WEEK
JUNE 21-28
By the authority vested in me by the council for the town of
Goderich, I hereby proclaim the week of. June 21 to 26 as Minor
Softball Week, and urge all public spirited citizens to support the
young people engaged in the sport.
DR. FRANK MILLS,
Mayor
BLACKSTONE
ig inventory,
FURN PTU RE
4..
re • uctions now in effe
p..
throughout the entire store!
Brand name furniture- livingroom - diningroom- bedroom greatly reduced
•
Your opportunity
KROEHLER
•SK LAR
• ANDREW MALCOLM
- • KII.GOUR
• KAUFMAN
• W U N D ER
,to save
MARSHALL
• TROISTER
• PEPPLER
•- KNECHTEL
• KRUG
• SEALY
many dollars on quality suites. Come check the savings.
• BUDGET TERMS_- FREE DELIVERY
Speciai Inventory Savings
Also On Our
.LAMPS' . .MIRRORS
.PICTURES
t
See our specials listed in our ad
on the Classified page
BLACKSTONE
FURNITURE
1PJEST STREET
GODERICH