Reliance applauds Ministry of Consumer Services' action to strengthen rights and protection for Ontario consumers

TORONTO, April 11, 2013 /CNW/ - Reliance Home Comfort welcomes today's announcement by Tracy MacCharles, Minister of Consumer Services, outlining steps the Ontario government is taking to prevent abusive and unscrupulous sales tactics regarding door-to-door water heater rentals.  Consumers need to know who they are dealing with and what their rights are before they enter into a door-to-door contract.

"We believe that the misleading door-to-door practices of some rental water heater sales people need to stop and we applaud the Minister for taking action.  We're optimistic that the action announced today will help to reduce the problems faced by many Ontarians, including some of the Province's most vulnerable citizens," said Roger Rossi, CEO, Reliance Home Comfort.

Consumer complaints regarding door-to-door tactics of some water heater rental companies are well documented in court decisions, complaints to the Ontario Ministry of Consumer Services and the Better Business Bureau, alerts issued by Police forces across Ontario and in the media.

Reliance was one of the first companies to launch a consumer awareness campaign almost four years ago in response to the problem to help educate consumers on their rights under the Ontario Consumer Protection Act and encouraging them to make informed decisions at their door. The campaign can be found at: http://www.burnedatthedoor.com.

Reliance also participated as an industry representative in the development of the Homeowner Protection Centre's recent research report that included recommendations for regulatory change and called for more enforcement of current rules to better protect consumers.

Reliance Home Comfort is a Canadian company with its head office in Toronto and employs approximately 1100 people across the country supporting over 1.3 million customers across Canada. Reliance provides retail sale, rental, service and maintenance of heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment. Its water heater rental business, based largely in Ontario, is the largest in Canada. Visit www.reliancehomecomfort.com to learn more.

SOURCE: Reliance Comfort Limited Partnership

Linda Smith 416-457-1814 
Danielle Crawford 289-828-3507