Latest news with #Loblaw
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Loblaw apologizes after charging customers a charity donation without consent
Kirk Bennett had just finished shopping at a grocery store in an on-island Montreal suburb when he noticed something off on his receipt. He had a 62-cent charge for "PC CHARITY" from the Maxi grocery store in Dorval, Que., and he said the cashier never asked him if he wanted to make a donation. "We were kind of dismayed at that," he said. "We thought at least they should ask." It's not a lot of money, he acknowledged, but it's the principle. CBC News spoke to a dozen Maxi shoppers on Friday in the Montreal borough of LaSalle. Only one said their bill had been rounded up for a charity donation. In this case, it was six cents. The rest said it has never happened without asking. But CBC has spoken to other shoppers who had the same experience as Bennett at Dorval's Maxi in recent weeks. Several people have taken to social media to complain about small charges that they didn't agree to, often a dollar or less. People tend to agree it's not about the amount but the principle and, they say, it could add up over time. In a statement, Maxi's parent company Loblaw admitted there have been reports about unauthorized donations on some customers' bills during their current fundraising campaign for President's Choice Children's Charity. However, the company calls these cases isolated incidents as its standard practice is to ask customers if they'd like to donate. "We learned early in the campaign there was a system issue and potential for human error, where some customers were automatically charged," the company says in an emailed statement. "We immediately fixed the issue, retrained our store teams and corrected the process." Expressing regret, Loblaw says customers who were charged without permission can contact the service team for a refund if one wasn't automatically issued. Option consommateurs, a non-profit consumer advocacy group, advises people who have been charged to head back to the store and ask for a refund and that people could even go as far as opening a file in small claims court, assuming the charge is worth the trouble. Sylvie de Bellefeuille, a lawyer with the organization, said a retailer cannot charge more than the advertised price. To charge someone like this, it would need to be very clear when customers enter the store that they should expect an extra charge. "The first thing to do would be talk to the grocery manager," said de Bellefeuille, noting the next step is to contact the Office de la protection du consommateur, which is responsible for enforcing these laws in Quebec. Taking a retailer to court may be considered if there's evidence overcharging has been a regular practice for some time, she said. "It really depends on the situation," she said. As for Bennett, he's keeping an eye on his receipts and even considering shopping elsewhere. "We will always watch our bill very closely at Maxi," he said.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Prices on thousands of grocery items to rise despite tariff break, says Loblaw
Relaxed tariff rules are easing some concerns about prices, but consumers should still expect to pay more for food, says Loblaw Cos. Ltd. Last month, the Canadian government announced a six-month tariff reprieve for items used in food and beverage processing, manufacturing and packaging. Loblaw said the policy and a stabilized loonie are helping to reduce the risk of a sharp spike in food prices, but thousands of items are still expected to cost more. 'Tariffs remain on food products imported from the U.S. like produce, rice, pasta, dairy and coffee, as well as health and wellness products including soap, shampoo and cosmetics,' the company said in a recent Food Inflation Report. 'In a conventional grocery store, there can be upwards of 80,000 items, and consumers can expect tariff-related increases on approximately 6,000, about half of which are food.' The grocery chain earlier this month also warned that food prices could surge as pre-tariff inventory runs out, and it has added a 'T' symbol to products affected by tariffs. Loblaw said it and other grocers are looking at sourcing tariff-vulnerable items from other countries to mitigate price impacts. Grocery price increases outpace overall inflation Egg prices fall to $5 a dozen in the U.S. Food inflation reached 3.8 per cent in April, surpassing the overall consumer price index of 1.7 per cent, according to Statistics Canada data. • Email: bcousins@
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Loblaw apologizes after charging customers a charity donation without consent
Kirk Bennett had just finished shopping at a grocery store in an on-island Montreal suburb when he noticed something off on his receipt. He had a 62-cent charge for "PC CHARITY" from the Maxi grocery store in Dorval, Que., and he said the cashier never asked him if he wanted to make a donation. "We were kind of dismayed at that," he said. "We thought at least they should ask." It's not a lot of money, he acknowledged, but it's the principle. CBC News spoke to a dozen Maxi shoppers on Friday in the Montreal borough of LaSalle. Only one said their bill had been rounded up for a charity donation. In this case, it was six cents. The rest said it has never happened without asking. But CBC has spoken to other shoppers who had the same experience as Bennett at Dorval's Maxi in recent weeks. Several people have taken to social media to complain about small charges that they didn't agree to, often a dollar or less. People tend to agree it's not about the amount but the principle and, they say, it could add up over time. In a statement, Maxi's parent company Loblaw admitted there have been reports about unauthorized donations on some customers' bills during their current fundraising campaign for President's Choice Children's Charity. However, the company calls these cases isolated incidents as its standard practice is to ask customers if they'd like to donate. "We learned early in the campaign there was a system issue and potential for human error, where some customers were automatically charged," the company says in an emailed statement. "We immediately fixed the issue, retrained our store teams and corrected the process." Expressing regret, Loblaw says customers who were charged without permission can contact the service team for a refund if one wasn't automatically issued. Option consommateurs, a non-profit consumer advocacy group, advises people who have been charged to head back to the store and ask for a refund and that people could even go as far as opening a file in small claims court, assuming the charge is worth the trouble. Sylvie de Bellefeuille, a lawyer with the organization, said a retailer cannot charge more than the advertised price. To charge someone like this, it would need to be very clear when customers enter the store that they should expect an extra charge. "The first thing to do would be talk to the grocery manager," said de Bellefeuille, noting the next step is to contact the Office de la protection du consommateur, which is responsible for enforcing these laws in Quebec. Taking a retailer to court may be considered if there's evidence overcharging has been a regular practice for some time, she said. "It really depends on the situation," she said. As for Bennett, he's keeping an eye on his receipts and even considering shopping elsewhere. "We will always watch our bill very closely at Maxi," he said.
CBC
2 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Loblaw apologizes after charging customers a charity donation without consent
Social Sharing Kirk Bennett had just finished shopping at a grocery store in an on-island Montreal suburb when he noticed something off on his receipt. He had a 62-cent charge for "PC CHARITY" from the Maxi grocery store in Dorval, Que., and he said the cashier never asked him if he wanted to make a donation. "We were kind of dismayed at that," he said. "We thought at least they should ask." It's not a lot of money, he acknowledged, but it's the principle. CBC News spoke to a dozen Maxi shoppers on Friday in the Montreal borough of LaSalle. Only one said their bill had been rounded up for a charity donation. In this case, it was six cents. The rest said it has never happened without asking. But CBC has spoken to other shoppers who had the same experience as Bennett at Dorval's Maxi in recent weeks. Several people have taken to social media to complain about small charges that they didn't agree to, often a dollar or less. People tend to agree it's not about the amount but the principle and, they say, it could add up over time. In a statement, Maxi's parent company Loblaw admitted there have been reports about unauthorized donations on some customers' bills during their current fundraising campaign for President's Choice Children's Charity. However, the company calls these cases isolated incidents as its standard practice is to ask customers if they'd like to donate. "We learned early in the campaign there was a system issue and potential for human error, where some customers were automatically charged," the company says in an emailed statement. "We immediately fixed the issue, retrained our store teams and corrected the process." Expressing regret, Loblaw says customers who were charged without permission can contact the service team for a refund if one wasn't automatically issued. Option consommateurs, a non-profit consumer advocacy group, advises people who have been charged to head back to the store and ask for a refund and that people could even go as far as opening a file in small claims court, assuming the charge is worth the trouble. Sylvie de Bellefeuille, a lawyer with the organization, said a retailer cannot charge more than the advertised price. To charge someone like this, it would need to be very clear when customers enter the store that they should expect an extra charge. "The first thing to do would be talk to the grocery manager," said de Bellefeuille, noting the next step is to contact the Office de la protection du consommateur, which is responsible for enforcing these laws in Quebec. Taking a retailer to court may be considered if there's evidence overcharging has been a regular practice for some time, she said. "It really depends on the situation," she said. As for Bennett, he's keeping an eye on his receipts and even considering shopping elsewhere. "We will always watch our bill very closely at Maxi," he said.
Vancouver Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
How to get your slice of the $500-million bread-fixing class-action settlement
Canadians who bought packaged bread in the past two decades may be eligible for a cash payout from a $500-million bread-fixing class action settlement . Earlier this month, the Ontario Superior Court approved the national settlement of a lawsuit that accused Loblaw Cos. Ltd. and its parent company, George Weston Ltd., of participating in an industry-wide scheme to fix the price of bread. The Quebec Superior Court still needs to approve a second agreement applicable to residents of that province, during its next hearing on June 16. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Seventy-eight per cent of the funds are allocated to the Ontario class (covering all of Canada except Quebec), and 22 per cent to the Quebec class. Eligible bread includes most packaged bread products found in grocery store aisles (e.g., sliced sandwich bread, buns, rolls). Ineligible items generally include bread baked fresh in-store, artisan loaves or frozen bread. Eligible claimants include individuals or businesses who purchased packaged bread , produced or distributed by one of the defendants, in Canada between Jan. 1, 2001 and Dec. 31, 2021. Claimants to the Ontario settlement who bought the product for personal use must have resided in Canada (excluding Quebec) as of Dec. 31, 2021. A claimant who received a $25 Loblaw gift card in 2018–2019 will still be eligible, but the gift card amount will be deducted from any payout. Defendants and related parties are excluded. Once both settlements are approved, an online claims process will be established on the official Ontario and Quebec settlement websites. Eligible individuals and businesses are automatically included in the class action. They will need to submit a claim online once the process opens. For updates and to submit your claim, monitor the official settlement websites. If you have kept grocery receipts from the eligible period, look for packaged bread products from major brands or store brands associated with the named companies. If you do not have receipts, you can still file a claim. The settlement does not require proof of purchase for claims up to a certain amount (typically $25), but you may be asked to provide details about where and when you usually bought bread. Higher claims or business claims may require documentation. The exact payout has not yet been determined and will depend on the number of approved claims and the net settlement amount after legal and administrative fees. Most eligible claimants who did not previously receive a Loblaw gift card could receive up to $25. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
