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Manitoba
fraudsters showed 'no lack of imagination'
A
Winnipeg
vehicle owner who claimed his car went missing after he parked it outside a
hotel has been named by
Manitoba
Public
Insurance as the top fraudster of 2009, mostly because his story fell apart so
quickly upon investigation.
Manitoba
Public
Insurance released its Top 5 fraudsters for 2009. (iStockphoto)
The
MPI released its Top 5 fraudsters Tuesday to raise awareness about attempts at
insurance fraud. "These three individuals demonstrated there's no lack of
imagination ─
or sheer nerve ─ when it comes to committing auto insurance fraud. And
their misguided efforts earned them a placing on Manitoba Public Insurance's
2009 list of Top 5 Fraud," according to the MPI's list.
Holiday
travellers jam planes, trains and automobiles Christmas
tree axed from family's front yard Trans
fat rules needed, groups say LED
Christmas lights don't cut it: holdouts Air
Canada marketing unethical: U of O prof U.S.
incomes rise fastest in 6 months Olymel
deli meats recalled over listeria risks Winnipeg
family pleads online for Christmas donations Turn
over Facebook history, judge orders All
Consumer Headlines »
Ban
on sales of Microsoft Word upheld
Word
2003 and 2007 are the most common versions on the market
Microsoft
has failed in its attempt to dismiss a court case that would stop it selling
Word. The software giant appealed against a ruling which found it infringed a
patent owned by Canadian company i4i. With the failure of the appeal Microsoft
must now pay i4i damages of $290m (£182m) and comply with an injunction
ending the sales of some versions of Word. The injunction is scheduled to go
into effect on 11 January. Judge
bans Microsoft Word sales Microsoft
Office takes to the web
LED
Christmas lights don't cut it: holdouts Winnipeg
family pleads online for Christmas donations Customer
raps bank on debit card fraud 'Santa's
reindeer' make some shoppers queasy Trans
fat cuts slow at cafeterias: report U.K.
priest defends shoplifting sermon Ottawa
Senators cut ticket prices Online
shoppers in Man. using U.S. mailing address Consumer
confidence up after a rocky year Ikea
recalls highchairs over choking risk Consumer
confidence up after a rocky year Stranded
planes can hold passengers for only 3 hours Vicks
recalls cold medicine over packaging Ottawa
mulls tighter mortgage rules Avoid
unlicensed cabs, warns Calgary taxi association Retail
sales up 0.8% Police
warn of email scam Beaverbrook
Foundation closes estate to public Online
buyers need protection: security expert Quebec
blogger surprises by revealing he's a she Quebec
blogger surprises by revealing he's a she HST
makes cars cheaper: dealers Dorel
car seat recalled after 3 babies injured Toronto
telemarketing firm fined $15M for scam Don't
shy away from sex toy bill: MP to Aglukkaq Toronto
homebuilder fined $240K Rink
makes helmets mandatory for all Baby
deaths linked to Simplicity cribs rise How
to keep some privacy on Facebook Unexpected
roaming charges vex consumers All
Consumer Headlines »
Toronto
homebuilder fined $240K
A
husband and wife
Toronto
homebuilding team has been fined $240,000 by an
Ontario
court
for building and selling four homes after their licence was revoked.
A
Toronto
homebuilding team has been found guilty of 12 counts of illegal building in
Ontario
. (Tarion)
George
and Melina Tanacs, of Passion Homes Inc., were fined the record amount Dec. 11
after being found guilty of 12 counts of illegal building under the Ontario
New Home Warranties Plan Act. It's largest such fine doled out to an
Ontario
homebuilder. "What started us investigating were complaints about poor
customer service," said David Roberts, chief of enforcement for Tarion
Warranty Corporation, in an interview Thursday with CBC News.
Rink
makes helmets mandatory for all Unexpected
roaming charges vex consumers Gift
cards hit #1 on Christmas list Cereal
sales up as consumers look for cheap meals Santa
more naughty than nice: health expert Gas
price jump pushes up inflation rate U.K.
to phase out cheques by 2018 Lululemon
scolded for linking clothing line to Olympics Thomas
the Tank Engine sexist, hierarchical: study All
Consumer Headlines »
Unexpected
roaming charges vex consumers
Toronto
consultant
Robert Lendvai, who spent $600 downloading a power-point presentation onto his
BlackBerry while vacationing with his family, is among wireless customers who
feel their carriers could do more to help consumers cut down on unexpected
fees.
Roaming
and texting fees can be surprisingly high. (Canadian Press)
It
took Robert Lendvai just 20 seconds and $600 to download a power-point
presentation onto his BlackBerry while vacationing with his family in the
Dominican
Republic
last
March. The
Toronto
marketing
consultant didn't intend to work during the holiday, so didn't make special
arrangements with his wireless carrier, Rogers. But a client had made an
emergency work request, so he obliged. By his reckoning, $600 for 20 seconds
of work was a jackpot return for
Rogers
. Lendvai
could have flown his customer down to hand-deliver the presentation for about
the same cost.
Bell
can't make 'most reliable' claim: B.C. court U.K.
to phase out cheques by 2018 Lululemon
scolded for linking clothing line to Olympics Thomas
the Tank Engine sexist, hierarchical: study Shoe
retailer Dack's in bankruptcy after 175 years Wind
Mobile launches service New
payday loan limits don't protect consumers: advocates Carney:
Don't be seduced by low interest rates Susan
Boyle tops YouTube's most-watched list All
Consumer Headlines »
Mass-produced
electric car unveiled in Vancouver
Automaker
Nissan gave reporters in
Vancouver
a
sneak preview Monday of the Leaf – a zero-emissions vehicle powered entirely
by electricity that it hopes will revolutionize the drive to work.
The
Nissan Leaf was put through some paces Monday in
Vancouver
. (CBC)
A
car that automaker Nissan hopes will revolutionize urban commuting made its
Canadian debut in
Vancouver
Monday.
The Nissan Leaf is being touted as the first zero-emissions vehicle powered
entirely by electricity to be mass-produced by a major car manufacturer.
"It's a real car," said Ian Forsyth of Nissan
Canada
.
"[It] meets all the safety standards, meets all our internal standards
for durability and reliability."
Rogers
charges for 'free' text messages Senate
changes consumer protection bill Window
blinds recalled in U.S. after 5 deaths Online
scams dominate BBB branch's Top 10 list November
home sales rise 73%: CREA Government
spending to fuel growth in 2011: report Sand
safer for playground falls: study Winter
parking ban irks HRM residents and councillor Musical
cards dangerous for young children All
Consumer Headlines »
Online
scams dominate BBB branch's Top 10 list
The Vancouver-based
bureau focused on internet scams this year because they have grown so quickly
in number and sophistication. "The main issue is all about consent,"
spokesman Mark Fernandes said in an interview with CBC News on Monday.
"Some of the scams are just a bit of misleading advertising. A lot of the
time, the consumer's credit card information is going from one company that
they know they're doing business with to another third-party firm that they
don't have a relationship with. So it's not one transaction but two."
Government
spending to fuel growth in 2011: report
Sand
safer for playground falls: study Musical
cards dangerous for young children Minister
urges Senate to pass consumer protection bill Marijuana
use among U.S. teens rises Stick
to list, shop, go home: credit expert Email
scam uses Windsor, Ont. woman's account Tag
Heuer sticks with Tiger Woods Girl
donates hundreds of socks to shelter All
Consumer Headlines »
Globalive
says wireless network launch imminent
Upstart
wireless company Globalive said it could launch its Wind cellphone network
"as early as Monday" in
Toronto
and
Calgary
after
the federal government approved its ownership structure Friday.
Anthony
Lacavera is the chairman of Globalive, which got approval Friday to become
Canada's fourth major mobile phone company after Rogers,
Bell
and
Telus. (Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press)
Globalive
chairman Anthony Lacavera floated the possible Monday launch date in comments
he made to CBC News after a press conference in
Toronto
on Friday
announcing the network. CEO Ken Campbell, who was also at the press
conference, was more vague, saying Wind would be available in
Toronto
and
Calgary
"very soon."
Don't
ban real Christmas trees: high-rise tenant Depressed
woman fails 1st try to recoup benefits Toronto
Transit rejects cheating spouse ads Bank
of Canada warns of debt peril Struggling
ranchers want beef price inquiry Calgary
charities offer gift cards Food-tracing
programs seriously flawed: U.S. watchdog Warning
issued over Heinz baby food Feinberg
caps pay of mid-level U.S. execs All
Consumer Headlines »
Struggling
ranchers want beef price inquiry
The
National Farmers Union is asking Ottawa to look into beef pricing, saying
ranchers are selling cows and cattle at record low rates even as hamburger
prices rise in grocery stores.
The
National Farmers
Union
is
calling for an inquiry into beef prices. (Canadian Press)
And
a separate report by the B.C. government has found ranchers there are
struggling and need help to boost their bottom line. "The crisis is
now," said B.C. rancher Matt Williams, who grazes 1,600 Angus cattle on
16 hectares of land in Merritt. "We are receiving a significant amount of
money less than our costs of operation," Williams said in an interview
with CBC News. "And that's every single ranch in operation within
British
Columbia
."
Alberta
rancher
Iain Aitken illustrated the problem, using one of his older breeding cows as
an example. In the past, older cows went for a minimum of $700 at auction, but
these days they barely fetch $350. However, at the slaughterhouse, where he
took this particular cow, it yielded $1,233 worth of hamburger and stew meat.
Warning
issued over Heinz baby food Secret
Santas hand out $100 bills in U.S. Arts,
cultural attendance on the decline: U.S. report U.S.
car imports continue to boom Film
box office set to hit new record Higher
prices boost Dollarama profits Cadillac
Escalades among most stolen vehicles Senate
rejects amendments to consumer bill Interest
hikes could shock mortgage holders All
Consumer Headlines »
Cadillac
Escalades among most stolen vehicles
The
2000 Honda Civic SiR two-door was the most frequently stolen vehicle in 2009,
followed by the 2003 Cadillac Escalade ESV four-door AWD, according to the
Insurance Bureau of
Canada
.
Cadillac
Escalades proved a popular target among car thieves in 2009. (Associated
Press)
The
bureau released on Wednesday its annual Top 10 list of most stolen
automobiles. Unlike in 2008, thieves targeted more expensive types, with four
different models of the Cadillac Escalade making the Top 10 list.
Senate
rejects amendents to consumer bill Interest
hikes could shock mortgage holders Democracy
Watch calls for audit of 'excessive' bank profits Edmonton
school gets shorter summer break Baby
hammock beds recalled after 2 deaths Brisk
sales during Calgary deep freeze Hit
toy Mr. Squiggles 'exonerated' in testing mix-up Facebook
launches new privacy settings 'Grandparent
scam' hits Surrey old-folks home All
Consumer Headlines »
Baby
hammock beds recalled after 2 deaths
Two
infant deaths have led to the recall of about 24,000 Amby Baby Motion Beds
marketed to parents of fussy babies with colic or reflux.
Two
infant deaths have led to the recall of about 24,000 of these hammock-like
beds. (Associated Press)
The
beds, made by Amby Baby USA of Minneapolis, look somewhat like a baby swing
but have mesh and fabric sides, resembling a hammock. The bed, or hammock,
hangs from a spring, and when the baby moves or stirs in his sleep, the bed
gently moves up and down, back and forth, or side to side. The idea is to
mimic the motion of a baby in the womb.
Hit
toy Mr. Squiggles 'exonerated' in testing mix-up Bank
of Canada holds steady on rates 'Grandparent
scam' hits Surrey old-folks home Ont.
Consumer Services not doing enough: auditor RCMP
investigates 'pump and dump' fraud ring Housing
starts hit 2009 high China
leads in auto sales, production Moncton
beefs up home inspection bylaw U.S.
school supply firm fined over lead levels All
Consumer Headlines »
Migrant
fears
Foreign
workers bear the brunt of
Dubai
crisis
Thousands
of migrant construction workers have already been sent home
The
large numbers of migrant workers in
Dubai
from
Asia
and the
Middle
East
are likely
to bear the brunt of the emirate's severe credit problems. For them
Dubai
had
offered an escape from poverty in their home countries. Mohammed is from
Bangladesh
. He has
heard about the financial crisis from newspapers, he tells me. Two of his
friends have already lost their jobs.
Dubai
's
construction sector still bears the scars left by the recent global financial
crisis. It had been enjoying a boom, financed by borrowed money. By Magdi
Abdelhadi, BBC News,
Dubai
Ont.
Consumer Services not doing enough: auditor Hit
toy Zhu Zhu hamsters called unsafe Moncton
beefs up home inspection bylaw U.S.
school supply firm fined over lead levels $14M
lotto win for Dartmouth family St.
John's landlord warns of rental scam Lowe's
plans 3 Calgary stores in westward expansion Mail
carrier suspected in theft of passport forms Canadian
Tire caller in Chatham a scam: police Kids
still marketed violent entertainment content: report All
Consumer Headlines »
St.
John's landlord warns of rental scam
Newfoundland
landlord
Joe Guiney found himself involved in an internet scam after he posted a condo
rental ad on the internet classified site Kijiji.ca.
Renters
are always advised to shop locally when it comes to finding apartments online.
Guiney
was hoping to find a good tenant for Jan. 1 for his
St. John's
condo. He
became suspicious when he got a call from someone asking if his condo was the
same one being advertised on Craigslist, another free internet classified
site. "I had only posted the ad on Kijiji, so I was surprised," he
told CBC Radio's As It Happens, Thursday.
Mail
carrier suspected in theft of passport forms
"They
found a thief among us, which we are not proud of, but he's been
identified," said Canada Post spokesman John Caines. "He's been
passed over to the police. … Looks like he's been doing this for
awhile." Passport
Canada
's offices
are in
Gatineau
. Caines
said the man, who no longer works for Canada Post, is expected to be charged
with theft in connection with several bags of mail. All of them, including a
package of passport applications, have been recovered, Caines said. They were
being kept by police for evidence.
Gatineau
police
turned over the names of the victims to Canada Post and Passport
Canada
last
week.
St.
John's landlord warns of rental scam Kids
still marketed violent entertainment content: report Guilty
plea in $5.7M lottery fraud Fraud
shuts down federal auction website Canada
gained surprising 79,000 jobs in November Fuel-efficient
vehicles win eco awards Media
hurting Earl Jones's chances of fair trial: lawyer Asthma
tablets recalled $50M
lotto winners share wealth All
Consumer Headlines »
Canadian
Tire launches $1 coin
Canadian
Tire is adding a $1 coin to the famous multicoloured bills considered by many
as th
Canadian
Tire reward coins are pictured after their launch in
Toronto
. (Chris
Young/Canadian Press) e country's unofficial second currency. Canadian Tire
Corp. announced Wednesday it will begin offering the new addition this weekend
for a time-limited period. Customers will get the coin if they spend $25 or
more.
'Sexting'
common among young people: U.S. poll U.S.
toy study finds toxic substances Consumer
bill weakened by changes: Aglukkaq Prescription
drug kiosks get OK in Ontario New
OPP cameras scan licence plates Economy,
swine flu top spam topics of 2009 Nova
Scotia to ban gift card expiry dates Air
Canada voted top North American airline U.S.
retail reports suggest sluggish November All
Consumer Headlines »
Air
Canada voted top North American airline
Air
Canada
has been
voted the best airline in
Canada
and the
best in
North
America
by
readers of Global Traveler magazine. The annual survey of the U.S.-based
magazine's 25,000 readers polls people on flying, airports and hotels. This
year it handed out 60 awards, meaning many airlines got some form of
recognition. There were awards for best all-business-class airline, best
first-class seat design, and even best airline to Japan (All
Nippon
Airways).
Prescription
drug kiosks get OK in Ontario Hand
sanitizers work best with scrubbed hands Facebook
fine-tunes privacy controls Air
Canada to charge some for 2nd checked bag U.S.
toy study finds toxic substances Human
rights complaint heard over man's chihuahua Ont.
car rental agency under fire for extra fees Proposed
bylaw gives massage parlour owners the rub Google
to limit free access to some news content All
Consumer Headlines »
Ont.
car rental agency under fire for extra fees
A
Vancouver
man is
speaking out about his experience with a
Toronto
car
rental company after he was charged hundreds of dollars in fees he said he
didn't expect to pay.
Dave
Carman was shocked at his final bill for an Advantage rental car. (CBC)
"I
was flabbergasted, to put it mildly," said David Carman. "I thought
this is ridiculous. This can't happen. They can't fleece me for this much
money." Carman's experience with Advantage Car and Truck Rental began in
September, when he went online to book a rental car for a trip to
Toronto
in early
October. Advantage offered the best rate, he said, for a 13-day rental from
Toronto
's
Pearson
Airport
.
Hand
sanitizers work best with scrubbed hands Mathematical
formula predicts the perfect toy It's
looking like a lean Christmas: survey Cheese
is the new 'white gold' Amazon's
Kindle 'flying off shelves' Canada
looks at soy as Omega-3 source Mild
November weather delays ski season Windsor
moves to outsource parking enforcement Nain
plastic bag ban in effect All
Consumer Headlines »
Cheese
is the new 'white gold'
Dairy
has become more expensive than some top cuts of meat in
Canada
, and
the cost is hitting restaurants and food processors the hardest, says the head
of the food services industry.
Dairy
has become more expensive than some top cuts of meat in
Canada
, says
the head of the food services industry (Associated Press)
"A
kilogram of cheese is more expensive than a kilogram of steak. A litre of milk
is the same price as a litre of orange juice from
Florida
,"
said Garth Whyte, president and CEO of the Canadian Restaurant and
Foodservices Association.
Amazon's
Kindle 'flying off shelves' Canada
looks at soy as Omega-3 source Partridge
in pear tree, five gold rings jump in price Cyber
Monday the next shopping rush Early
intervention helps autistic toddlers, study says GDP
growth signals recession's end Clumsy
kids' brains work differently Rogers
launches Hulu clone Mechanical
hamster an unlikely 'it' toy All
Consumer Headlines »
Money
for Philippine typhoon victims goes missing
A
group of Filipino-Canadians in
Montreal
are
asking questions about a money-transferring company after funds they tried to
send to the
Philippines
disappeared. They were sending the money to family and friends in the
Philippines
after the
area was hit by a series of typhoons in October. The president of the
money-transferring company, Go-Remit Inc., has filed a report with
Montreal
police
saying he was robbed. David Nowak sent a letter to his customers promising to
pay the money back, though he didn't know how long it would take. About a
dozen women stood outside Go-Remit's office in the
Montreal
neighbourhood of Côte-des-Neiges on Friday. One of the women, Remedius Raquel
Yao, said she sent $1,500 to the
Philippines
, but it
never got there. "I actually collected that money from friends, family
relatives, and it was specifically for flood victims in my mother's
village,"
Yao
said.
"Those people who are actually expecting that money, you kill their
spirit, you kill a little bit of that hope," she said. Nowak has been
unavailable for comment, but Const. Christian Émond of the
Montreal
police
fraud squad confirmed that he had filed a robbery report.
Canadian
retailers try their own Black Friday Mechanical
hamster an unlikely 'it' toy Xmas
tree rental firms hope to stop waste Cellphones
may replace credit cards 'Nortel
bill' would protect workers, pensioners Wal-Mart
wins at Supreme Court Canada's
median age could be 44 by 2030: report Couple
worries new parkway will surround their home Russell
terrier hunts bedbugs All
Consumer Headlines »
Black
Friday bargains attract Canadian shoppers
Canadians
are flocking to U.S. malls located near the border ahead of the legendary
American shopping day known as Black Friday, but they may have to root a
little deeper this year to find real bargains.
Black
Friday is the busiest shopping day in
America
.
(Associated Press)
Black
Friday falls on the day after American Thanksgiving and is meant to kick off
the Christmas shopping season.CBC News visited Bellis Fair mall, located in
Bellingham
,
Wash.
, about a
90-minute drive from
Vancouver
, and
found a parking lot filled with cars with Canadian licence plates.
Rogers
cuts 900 jobs Nortel
approves more exec raises Toyota
recall applies to only a few Canadian cars Cellphones
may replace credit cards Crib
recall prompts class-action suits Jones's
wife denies knowledge of fraud Credit
card deals may be misleading: group Rider
fans snap up watermelons in Calgary Confidence
down despite economic gains: survey All
Consumer Headlines »
ID
fraud raids not linked to terrorism
Hundreds
of police officers have raided locations in the
Montreal
region
and
Ontario
—
including at least three daycares — in a crackdown on international fraud.
Three
Montreal-area daycares were raided on Wednesday. (CBC)
Officials
said the raids were part of Operation Pre-Empt, the largest counterfeit
document bust in Canadian history. The RCMP said at least 400 officers fanned
out in
Montreal
,
Laval
,
Longueuil and
Toronto
at
6 a.m.
Wednesday
to execute 39 search warrants.
Questions,
concerns follow record crib recall H1N1
fears hurt play and fitness businesses Crib
recall prompts class-action suits Toyota
to replace 3.8 million gas pedals Housing
affordability takes a hit: report Mental
illness costs Canada $33B annually: TD High
salt boosts stroke, heart risks Erectile
product lacks drug warning Winnipeg
math prof loses airline appeal All
Consumer Headlines »
Beware
Grey Cup ticket scams: police
Saskatoon
police
are warning the public to watch out for Grey Cup ticket scams.
Saskatchewan
Roughriders quarterback Darian Durant, celebrates with fans after defeating
the
Calgary
Stampeders to win the CFL Western final in
Regina
on
Sunday. (Jeff McIntosh/Canadian Press)
Many
fans have been scrambling for tickets since Sunday when the Saskatchewan
Roughriders defeated the Calgary Stampeders in the West Division final. In a
news release, police said they're aware that numerous people are searching for
tickets on the internet this week.
Crib
anxiety jams Stork Craft website, phones Gatineau
casino lets drunk people play, man alleges Banks
lost millions on digital cheque project Manitoba
firm fined for misleading contests Quebecer's
Facebook photo fight a cautionary tale U.S.
agency concedes it moved slowly on crib recall 1
in 10 Canadian kids living in poverty: report Baby
cribs recalled after 4 deaths Helmets
remain optional at Atlantic ski hills All
Consumer Headlines »
China
executes two over tainted
milk powder scandal
Tainted
baby milk made thousands of Chinese children ill
China
has
executed two people for their role in a scandal involving tainted milk powder
that resulted in six children dying, officials have said. More than 300,000
other infants were made ill from milk powder contaminated with melamine, an
industrial chemical used to make plastics and fertilizer. Zhang Yujun and Geng
Jinping are the only people to have been executed over the scandal, court
officials said. Nineteen other people were sentenced to prison terms. Chinese
milk scam duo face death China
poisoned-milk families sue China
dairies offer text apology China
milk scandal 'guilty' plea
Quebecer's
Facebook photo fight a cautionary tale Baby
cribs recalled after 4 deaths Manitoba
firm fined for misleading contests Retail
sales up 1% in September Home
daycares use TV as babysitter: U.S. study Dairy
farmers pan report boosting free market ID
bluefin tuna in sushi bars: researcher Immigrants
face wage gap in Canada Bullying
is a public health issue: researcher Probe
frequent flyer claims: U.S. senator All
Consumer Headlines »
Depressed
woman loses benefits over Facebook photos
Nathalie
Blanchard, shown here on a beach holiday during her sick leave. (Facebook)
A
Quebec
woman on
long-term sick leave is fighting to have her benefits reinstated after her
employer's insurance company cut them, she says, because of photos posted on
Facebook. Nathalie Blanchard, 29, has been on leave from her job at IBM in
Bromont, Que., for the last year and a half after she was diagnosed with major
depression. The Eastern Townships woman was receiving monthly sick-leave
benefits from Manulife, her insurance company, but the payments dried up this
fall.
Bullying
is a public health issue: researcher
Bullying
should be treated as a public health problem, says the Canadian lead
researcher of an international study. (iStock) Bullying
should be considered a public health problem and governments should adopt
national strategies against it, says a Canadian professor who led a study of
bullying in 40 countries. The study, led by Wendy Craig of Queen's University,
involved more than 202,000 children aged 11 to 15 in
North
America
,
Europe
and
Israel
. It was
published this month in the International Journal of Public Health.
Early
Canadian stamps auction nets $3.2M US Susan
Boyle album racks up record pre-orders online Bankruptcies
soar 43% Net
erupts over video of fish eaten alive Richest
Canadians get richer J.M.
Smucker profits soar as fewer dine out Movie
theatre popcorn salt, fat get thumbs down Pet
diabetes drug unpredictable, Health Canada warns All
Consumer Headlines »
How
on earth do we still have devils like this live amongst civil society?
Francis
Murphy was jailed for 12 years for the attempted murder
Judge
blasts 'medieval barbarity' of eyeball gouger A
man who gouged out a woman's eye and threw it from an eighth-floor balcony has
been jailed for attempted murder. Francis Murphy, 26, was convicted at the
High Court in
Edinburgh
of using a metal coat hanger to prise
out the eye of 27-year-old Natalie Farrell in May. Judge John Morris QC told
Murphy his crime was almost "medieval" in its barbarity and would
make a right-thinking person "recoil in horror". Murphy, from
Dundee
, was jailed for 12 years.
Flaherty
seeks voluntary changes to card fees
Computer
glitch disrupts U.S. flights Net
erupts over video of fish eaten alive Richest
Canadians get richer Movie
theatre popcorn salt, fat get thumbs down Ontario
reviews flat-screen TV standards 'Free'
internet auction kit anything but: FTC Depressed
woman loses benefits over Facebook photos Ford
tops safe-car rankings Ex-student
off hook for $50K in loans All
Consumer Headlines »
Live
like a hamster for $150 a night
A
French apartment is giving people the opportunity to live like a hamster in a
specially designed rental home that features a running wheel and a crate made
of hay.
A
French rental home is giving guests a chance to live like a hamster in a room
that boasts a crate of hay to sleep on and a human-size hamster wheel.
(Associated Press)
The
Villa Hamster, located in
Nantes
in
western
France
, was the
brainchild of Yann Falquerho, a 42-year-old scenographer, who felt the hotel
industry had missed out on the little-known animal-transformation niche.
Sometimes, people really do just want to live like their caged pets, was his
reasoning.
Ford
tops safe-car rankings Fraudsters
still using cheque website: FTC Lead
found in some Disney and Barbie toys Madoff
'toys' fetch $1.2M at auction California
considers banning power-hungry TVs Net
erupts over video of fish eaten alive Calgary
family negotiates homework ban Harlequin
invites writers with self-publishing venture Kindle
comes to Canada without browser All
Consumer Headlines »
Harlequin
invites writers with self-publishing venture
Harlequin
Enterprises Inc. has teamed up with a leading self-publisher that allows
aspiring authors to put their own romance novels in print.
Harlequin
Enterprises has launched a self-publishing division for romance novels.
(Associated Press)
The
new division, Harlequin Horizons, is a partnership with U.S.-based Author
Solutions, a world leader in the self-publishing industry. The self-published
novels won't be sold under the Harlequin brand, but Harlequin, which sells
about 1,500 romances every year, is hoping it could become a grooming ground
for future authors. Do you want to try your skill in writing? Go to http://www.harlequinhorizons.com
Kindle
comes to Canada without browser Toy
testing council announces top picks Teen
texting and driving common: U.S. study Agency
investigating finances stores personal info too long: audit
Teethers
recalled after possible contamination Madoff's
yacht, boats up for auction Coke
unveils bottle partially made from plants Quebec
spending $650M to cut waste Bus
seatbelts proposed in U.S. All
Consumer Headlines »
War-torn
nations 'most corrupt'
War-torn
nations, such as
Afghanistan
and
Iraq
,
remain the world's most corrupt, Transparency International says.
Corruption
can take money away from hospitals in places like
Iraq
, says
TI
War-torn
nations remain the world's most corrupt, Transparency International (TI) has
said.
Afghanistan
,
Iraq
and
Somalia
are the
lowest-ranked countries in TI's annual global survey. They were all at the
bottom of the list last year as well. Afghan
force to fight corruption US
seeks Afghan 'bribery court' Corruption
costs $1.6tn, UN says
Teen
texting and driving common: U.S. study Charitable
donations down 5.3% in 2008 Homes
sales to beat 2009 forecast: CREA RRSP
contributions fell in 2008 Carriage
fees dominate CRTC hearing Calgary
ponders pesticide rules $81M
Windsor energy plant could be worthless Coke
unveils bottle partially made from plants N.
Mexico medical pot proceeds with caution Food
summit offers thin pledges to hungry All
Consumer Headlines »
Air
Canada introduces legroom fee
Air
Canada
will
start charging extra for passengers who want more legroom, and while it may
seem unfair to tall people, it doesn't violate any human rights, a civil
liberties lawyer says. The new fees will start at $14 per one-way trip for
those wanting to sit in an exit row or a bulkhead seat at the front of an
airplane section. Costs will vary by length of flight, fare class and the
customer's Aeroplan status. The service will be available on any Air Canada or
Jazz flight.
Maclaren
stroller recall extended to Canada Santa,
with hand sanitizer, is coming to town Home
inspector must pay $192,000 Travellers
facing higher fees: Jazz Mega
Brands turns corner after toy recall Firm
that sold fake stop-smoking patches settles Call
of Duty sets sales record American
fined for buying P.E.I. land Cape
Breton's Cabot Trail makes Top 10 list All
Consumer Headlines »
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WHAT DECEPTIVE IMMIGRATION CONSULTANTS DO.
See
this one as another way of smuggling people across the border
An
improvised dashboard enough to fit a petite woman was discovered when
the U.S. Immigration asked the driver for his driver license and registration
but in confusion, (he) accidentally opened the glove compartment where a
hand slipped out.
The
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Immigration
Hot Line
1-866-227-2124
The
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established a toll-free 24 hrs telephone hotlines to help combat and disrupt
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IF
YOU LIVE IN MONTREAL AND NEED ASSISTANCE ON RENT CONTROL CALL THE ACTION
COMMITTEE AT (514) 278-6028
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BUYING
COMPUTERS
- ANYONE? "BUY ONLY AT REPUTABLE STORES"
BEFORE
GOING TO A CORNER SHOP THAT CHARGE MORE, THINK, THINK, AND THINK MORE. BUY
YOUR PC AT ANY REPUTABLE CHAIN STORES THAT SELLS WELL ADVERTISED BRAND
NAMES. IF IT DOESN'T FUNCTION, SIMPLY RETURN it, JUST SAY IT DOESN'T WORK AND
YOU GET YOUR REPLACEMENT OR REFUND. IF YOU GOT A COMPLAINT, LET US KNOW. WE
WILL POST YOUR LETTER AND THE NAME OF THE STORE. GUARANTEE OR WARRANTY GIVEN
BY CORNER STORES COULD MEAN NOTHING BUT "PROBLEMS".
________________________________________________________
For
further information please contact Sheila Adkins
or editor@montrealtribune.com
Related
Links:
Click
on the following to login into and browse the Consumer
Protection Office website. Unfortunately it
is available only in the French language. For more information you can reach
their office at 5199 Sherbrooke St. East, Olympic Village #3671, Aile a
Montreal H1T 3X2, Telephone (514) 873-3701.
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MORE UPDATED CONSUMERS NEWS
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