Rights of consumers or obligations of businesses:

-Direct selling means selling or offering for sale or soliciting orders for the future delivery of goods or services from door to door, from a hotel or motel, by written solicitation, by telephone or by any means other than by a merchant from a recognized retail store and means the sale or offering for sale or the soliciting of an order for the future delivery of a hearing aid regardless of the circumstances

- The Direct Sellers' Regulation Act outlines a number of consumer rights that apply to direct sales, except for sales where

- the goods or services sold are regulated by another provincial statute - the product is food or drink for consumption by humans or animals - the product is a newspaper - the goods or services are sold by any level of government - the goods or services are provided by a merchant with a recognized retail store in Nova Scotia where similar goods or services can be found - the goods or services are sold for a charitable purpose - the goods are sold under the Gasoline and Fuel Oil Licensing Act - the goods or services are sold by a student on behalf of the school they attend, for which they receive no direct compensation.

-A direct seller must post a bond in case the company goes out of business owing products, services or refunds or the direct seller fails to satisfy a justified claim.

-A contract is required when an item being sold exceeds $100.00 in value.

-A contract must be in writing and include names and addresses of the buyer and seller, a description of the goods or services, price, terms of payment, warranty or guarantee information, and in the case of credit, a statement of security for payment.

-A statement of cancellation rights must be provided to every buyer, even if a contract is not required. If no such statement is provided, the consumer can cancel the agreement within 30 days after the first goods or services are provided.

-A consumer can cancel a direct sales agreement within ten days after signing the agreement. The cancellation must be in writing.  This entitles the consumer to a full refund. No reason for cancellation is required.

-Other cancellation rights exist when the salesperson or direct seller was not holding a permit, if the goods or services are not delivered within 90 days of the agreement, or the direct seller or salesperson failed to comply with the agreement.

- When a consumer properly cancels an agreement, they can keep possession of the goods until all money paid has been refunded.

Please refer to the Act and regulations if you need a complete description of consumer rights.