Latest news with #donation
Yahoo
a day 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
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.
CTV News
2 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Lethbridge couple Bruce and Edna Moffat leave $2.9M to Jack Ady Cancer Centre
The Jack Ady Cancer Centre will receive $2.9 million from the estate of Lethbridge couple Bruce and Edna Moffat.
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Elephant Learning Donates $450,000 in Mathematics Education Resources to Schools Across India
05/30/2025, Los Angeles, California // PRODIGY: Feature Story // Elephant Learning has announced an initiative to donate $450,000 worth of mathematics learning resources to schools across India. This donation comes as part of a strategic partnership with an online LaTeX and Rich Text collaborative writing and publishing platform. With the goal of redefining how the subject is taught and understood in the classroom, this donation aims to equip schools with access to Elephant Learning's adaptive mathematics platform and educator support materials. 'Mathematics isn't just about getting the right answer. It's about understanding the problem you're trying to solve,' says Dr. Aditya Nagrath, founder of Elephant Learning. 'This donation is about giving students in India an opportunity to experience mathematics as a language, as a way of thinking, and not just a subject in school.' Essentially, Elephant Learnings intends to plant seeds that will grow into confidence, curiosity, and competence by providing schools and parents with access to tools that nurture true comprehension. This move aligns with Elephant Learning's broader mission. It was developed to address the issue regarding students memorizing procedures without understanding the concepts behind them. This superficial approach to mathematics education created learning gaps that compounded over time, making advanced concepts like algebra inaccessible. To solve this, Elephant Learning created an adaptive learning platform tailored for K–8 students that zeroes in on conceptual comprehension. The platform presents mathematical ideas through gamified, puzzle-like activities. This donation to Indian schools is a milestone in Elephant Learning's growth. It signifies a commitment to educational transformation on a global scale. Moreover, it reflects an ambition to challenge entrenched norms in Indian education, particularly the rote memorization methods that dominate mathematics classrooms. 'Many students encounter multiplication or division on the board before ever experiencing what those operations actually mean,' says Nagrath. 'It's like teaching a child to spell a word before they know what it means. Our system is designed to ensure that every student has that foundational experience, whether through the grocery store with a parent or with a virtual activity on our platform before they step into the classroom. Once they understand the idea, memorization becomes meaningful and useful.' The program being rolled out in India is a tailored version of Elephant Learning's core platform. This means it's designed for school-wide implementation. While the student experience remains personalized and adaptive, the school version includes expanded support for teachers. Resources such as detailed teacher guides, curriculum-aligned scope and sequence documentation, and classroom tools are included to facilitate smooth integration into existing instruction. The platform will be deployed using a scalable licensing model, with schools purchasing access based on student count and using anonymized IDs for data privacy. This donation is only the beginning of Elephant Learning's vision. The company hopes to establish a foothold in institutions that are open to adopting international best practices in education and that can lead the shift toward conceptual learning in the region. While this first phase targets international curriculum and higher-fee schools, the long-term goal is to make the platform accessible to a broader range of institutions, including public schools and those in underserved areas. Media Contact Name: Raymark Barroga Email: [email protected] Source published by Submit Press Release >> Elephant Learning Donates $450,000 in Mathematics Education Resources to Schools Across India
