Going Out of Business, Again
Generally, I have been largely critical of the role that the Competition Bureau has played, and continues to play in protecting Canadians against misleading advertsing, and other competition crimes. So what do I make of their recent scam warning?
"The Competition Bureau is warning consumers to beware of potentially misleading advertisements offering huge discounts as a result of bankruptcy, business closure, liquidation, renovation, clearance, retirement, moving and end of lease sales. These ads may contain claims such as: Public Notice; Auction; Bankruptcy Prices; Liquidation; Everything Must Go."
What is the content of this warning? How would consumers detect that these advertisements were false? The Bureau goes on to say:
"The Bureau has increasingly received complaints from consumers and competitors about a number of retailers, particularly some furniture, jewelry and houseware stores, that regularly close their doors due to renovations, bankruptcy or other reason, only to reopen under a different name with the same merchandise."
I see, and where were these complaints posted? What did the ads look like? How would a consumer know that the advertisement was for a fake bankruptcy? Shouldn't the Competition Bureau be naming or identifying who the consumers are complaining about, or are we just supposed to guess?
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