Tax scams and testing ‘the Trump effect’: CBC Marketplace’s consumer cheat sheet
Miss something this week? We got you. Here’s this week’s Marketplace cheat sheet.
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Poor puppy
Liza Shepherd holds up picture of Abby, the Bernese Mountain Dog cross that cost her $6,000 in vet bills. (Tina Mackenzie)
Before you buy a pet online, a warning: A couple in Toronto thought they were buying a healthy, happy pet pooch, but instead they ended up with $6,000 in vet bills in the first 24 hours.
Bill shock
Some Bell Canada home TV packages will cost more beginning on Feb. 1. (iStock)
No, that new total on your cable statement is not a mistake. Bell is jacking up its monthly prices for some of its home TV and internet packages in Ontario and Quebec. The company says the hike is necessary because of how much it’s spent on broadband networks and upgrades to products.
Not everyone’s lovin’ it
Jeff Palmer is disappointed his family will have to avoid McDonald’s from now on. His daughter Heidi, 8, has a peanut allergy. (CBC)
Allergic to nuts? Heads up: McDonald’s added its first product – a Skor McFlurry – containing nuts that aren’t individually packaged. So now the fast food giant won’t guarantee that anything you buy there hasn’t come into contact with nuts.
Scam alert
Scotiabank initially told Remy Bradley it would not reimburse him any of the lost $6,000 because he willingly gave out his bank card number and password. (Shutterstock)
This guy thought he was getting a tax refund from CRA, only to discover that it was a phishing scam. But flagging the suspicious activity to his bank didn’t protect him from the scammers. (Oh, and speaking of the CRA, the agency may be monitoring your Facebook and Twitter feeds.)
What else is going on?
- Mortgage premiums are going up. Starting next month, you can expect to pay a few dollars more every month to insure your mortgage.
- Recall alert:Â This leaf and lawn vacuum may pose a fire hazard.
- Texting 911? It may not be so far off. The CRTC is looking into modernizing the emergency service.
On TV: Has the Trump effect come to Canada?
Marketplace investigates how ​Donald ​Trump’s campaign changed things here, both online and on the streets. (Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press)
Last year, we looked at how racism and intolerance affects us when we go shopping, rent an apartment and apply for a job. Now we’re looking at the “Trump effect” to see how it’s changed things here, both online and on the streets.