While shopping undercover at some of Canada's top jewellers, Marketplace journalists came across sales pitches filled with false claims and inconsistent diamond grading reports, all of which could lead consumers to question whether they got what they paid for.

The oft-quoted industry explanations for high wireless prices costly operating margins and a sparse Canadian population, for example are insufficient to explain lower prices found in other countries and even between some provinces. Experts say Canada needs to do something about competition before things get worse.

With inflation at a 40-year high, CBCs Marketplace looks at the ways companies are passing increased costs on to consumers.

Nearly one million Canadians rely on some sort of home care support, but a Marketplace investigation has found a shroud of secrecy around for-profit companies use of public funds. Critics say the broken system is providing substandard care and sometimes no care at all for those most vulnerable.