High pressure door-to-door furnace sale leaves family steaming over $10K buy-out bill

Harjit Sidhuwanted out of herfurnace rental contract but couldn't believe how much that would cost.

Two years ago, she signed up to a rent-to-own agreementwith a door-to-door salesperson with Simply Green Home Services.

The total cost, she was told, would be $6,500 payable over six years.

But when she and her husband recently decided they wanted to buy out their contract Simply Green turned up the heat on them to pay a lot more.

"I think these peoples are scam," said an angry Sidhu.

In the time since she signed the deal, the couple has paid monthly fees for a total ofapproximately $2,400.

But Simply Green's finance arm sentSidhua quote that she neededto pay another $10,633.73 to buy out the contract because the agreement was actually for 10 years, not six.

When she called the company, it got worse.

The person on the phone said the contract was for 15 years and that would cost Sidhu $18,000 three times the original amount.

Speaking to CBC News last Wednesday,Sidhu says she and her husband felt like they werestuck and didn't know how they could afford to paythe hefty price tag.

"It makes me very mad and it makes feel stupid," said Sidhu.

The contract's fine print doesn't clearly define its length.

Watch Harjit Sidhu talk about her experience:

Homeowner has advice for consumers of door-to-door services

5 years ago

Duration 0:29

Harjit Sidhu says she's learned a tough lesson.

Afterthe interview with Sidhu,CBCNews contactedSimply Green.

Lawyer AlfredAppssaid the company wasdealing withSidhu'scomplaint and her issue would be resolved.

On Saturday,Appssaid the partieshadreached a settlement, the terms of whichareconfidential.

Apps said Simply Green is verymindful of its reputation and does an "excellent" job of resolving valid complaints to customersatisfaction

Company under investigation

Consumer Protection B.C., whichregulatesconsumer transactions in British Columbia, says it has an open investigationinto Simply Green's business practices.

In the last 13 months, the agency has received 31 calls about the Ontario-based company'sbusiness dealingsin B.C.

In June 2016, Simply Green was cited for "engaging in deceptive acts or practices" and fined $1,200.

Apps says the company stoppeddoing business in B.C. a year-and-a-half ago and the Consumer Protection complaints have been resolved.

The Better Business Bureau, meanwhile,saysit hasfielded a totalof 114 complaints against the company in the last three years from across the country.

Apps maintains most of the complaints aren't about Simply Green but ratheranother companythat was oncefinanced by Simply Green.

Apps says Simply Green hasn't done door-to-door to sales anywhere in Canada since Ontario banned the practicein 2018.

Alberta alsodoesn't allow unsolicited door-to-door home energy appliance sales.

B.C. door-to-door ban?

B.C. Solicitor General Mike Farnworth says, if necessary, he's prepared to bring in legislation like other provinces to ban the door-to-doorsales.

He called the Sidhu case "appalling."

Apps, meanwhile,says Simply Green would welcome a ban in B.C. to stop the sloppy conduct of other vendors.

'Financial virus'

Ontario paralegal John Robinson says the proliferation of door-to-door sales companies in the past decade has becomea "financial virus."

He says it's a problem across Canada wherethese types of companies pop up, get in trouble, dissolve, thenstart-up again.

Robinson says governments need to enact legislation immediately to restrict the sale of door-to-door energy equipment.

Watch John Robinson explain the problem with door-to-door energy equipment sales:

Ontario paralegal John Robinson on modus operandi of door-to-door home appliance salespeople

5 years ago

Duration 0:53

Robinson says his clients feel stuck when they try to buy out home energy appliance rental contracts.

Sidhu says her experience didn't get off to a good start right from the get-go.

The main reason she signed the contract was because it was for a furnace, air-conditioning and regular maintenance for $13,000 which she thought was a good deal.

She never did get the air-conditioning because the installers told her "your panel doesn't have room for air-conditioning."

It took considerable back-and-forth, she says, for the company to agree to cut her price tag in half to $6,500.

And, she says, in two years no one has come to do any maintenance.

"It was a very tough lesson," said Sidhu.

Her advice to others is if someone comes to your door, take the contract and have a lawyer look it over before you sign it.

With files from Paisley Woodward