Merchants decide the price of all goods or services sold in their businesses. It is their duty to comply with the law, to post the prices and to apply the Price Accuracy Code.
The prices of some products are subject to laws set by the government. For example, milk has a minimum price, known as a floor price, meaning merchants cannot sell you milk below the price set by law.
Unless otherwise stated, all sales are final. Merchants are not required by law to exchange or refund goods that you have purchased. Still, most merchants do this anyway, relying on a refund and exchange policy that meets the needs and demands of their customers. The main parts of the policy may be printed on the receipt. If not indicated, you can always ask. Each merchant must respect the rules of its own policy.
There is one exception: the merchant must exchange or repair an item, like a toaster, at its own expense if it stops working within a certain timeframe after you purchased it.
All merchants must respect the legal guarantee, which is free and automatically applies to the purchase of any product. Sometimes a manufacturer’s warranty can also apply.
The merchant decides whether to offer an additional guarantee on their product, called an extended warranty, which is not free. You pay a certain amount of money for extended protection in case there is a problem with the goods you bought.
Important fact: merchants should explain to you what is covered by the legal guarantee before they tell you about the manufacturer’s warranty or offer you an extended warranty.
For more information about the types of guarantees, consult the concept sheet on Laws.
Merchants must protect consumers’ personal data and the privacy of transactions. They must take reasonable measures to manage and retain receipts, contracts and any other documents containing personal information.
For example, a merchant destroys unneeded documents that contain personal information and also makes sure that computer network security is adequate and up to date to protect the information stored on the company’s server.
Business practices include any element (action, advertising or other) relating to the promotion, sale or provision of a good or service by a merchant’s representative or professional.
The Consumer Protection Act governs business practices and prohibits the use of false or misleading information to sell goods or services. The indicated price must be the one you will pay. This means that it must include all charges, except consumption taxes.
Collectif, Finances en jeu, Manuel de l’élève, p. 84-95
Collectif, Mes Dossiers, p.29-33