What is Newfoundland Consumer Protection?

Newfoundland and Labrador is a province in Canada on the nation's Atlantic coast line in the northeastern part of North America. It is the easternmost Canadian province. It also consists of two main parts: the island of Newfoundland off Canada’s eastern coast, and Labrador, on the mainland towards the general direction of the northwest of the isle.

Newfoundland is a particularly large province that is home to more than five hundred thousand Canadians. A large part of the province relies on retail markets and consumerism for daily needs, and this factor gives precedence to the necessitation of vibrant and sustainable consumer protection laws. In general, consumer protection laws in Newfoundland and elsewhere in Canada match those of other countries in the rest of the developed world. Most of these laws are largely liberal in nature, and are heavily inclined towards addressing consumers’ grievances promptly.

We can further expound on consumer protection laws by saying that these laws are deliberated to make certain fair competition and the free flow of ingenuous information in the market place. The laws have been designed to prevent business establishments from engaging in fraudulent or iniquitous practices, from gaining a lead over competitors and may also provide supplementary protection for the frail and those incapable of taking care of themselves. Consumer protection can also be ensured by means of Non-Government Organizations and persons in the form of consumer activism.

Consumer protection in Canada, like any other public domain in the country, comes under the purview of the Canadian government, which designates the Canada Crown
Corporation to oversee its functioning. In the province of Newfoundland, the province provides government services, of which consumer protection is a part. As part of its persistent drive towards customer protection, the Newfoundland government has passed the Collections Act, which resulted in the setting up of various Collection Agencies. A collection agency in general is a person who can act as a middle man between a debtor and a creditor, and thus performs the job of periodically collecting the debt from the debtor and transferring it to the hands of the creditor. A collection agency can also act as an independent agent. An independent court agent is a person who initiates legal proceedings in a court. It also refers to a person who starts an act, appears in court or effect a judgment to gather debts on behalf of another person.

A collection agency is thus a transparent body that helps consumers escape the wrath of creditors. It is a free and fair means of transfer of money from consumers to creditors. A collection agency will not attempt to collect cash in addition to the amount owed by the debtor. A collection agency is also not entitled to threaten the initiation or proceedings or taking actions for which he or she does not hold the authority to. A collection agency will immediately on obtaining contact with the debtor identify himself as a collection agency when contacting a debtor by telephone.

There are various other schemes of consumer protection as prescribed by the government of Newfoundland asides the collection agencies.