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Page 12 TERRACE BAY/SCHREIBER NEWS Wednesday, February 15, 1989 Northern Developments By Maurice Fenelon Northern Development Officer There's good news for those who intend to join a health club this year: Ontario's new Prepaid Services Act, came into effect on October Ist, 1988. The new law restricts prepaid 'service contracts to one year in length, and requires clubs to offer customers the option of paying by installments. The new legislation provides a five-day reflection peri- od to all who enter into contracts of $50 or more with clubs associated with health, fitness, modeling, diets, talent schools, martial art aca- demics, sports and dance clubs. The reflection period will help con- sumers reduce the effects of pres- sure selling and impulse buying. The act does not apply where services are provided on a non- profit or co-operative basis; by a private club primarily owned by its members; incidental to the main business of the operator or by an operator funded or run by a charita- ble or municipal organization or by the Province of Ontario or any associated agency. g One new provision gives club members the right to pay in install- ments if preferred. Clubs are The expert choice. required to offer a monthly install- ment plan, and a premium of no more than 25% can be charged to customers who pay their fees this way. Clubs can continue to charge initiation fees on top of yearly membership fees, but, the initiation charges cannot be greater than twice the cost of annual member- ship. Since October 1988, all new memberships are subject to the five-day cooling off period. All membership dues must remain in a trust account during this period. If the club sells memberships before opening day, however, the money must be held in trust until five days after the club's official opening. A customer is not liable for pay- ment for services received or used during the rescission period and is entitled to a full refund of any pay- ment made with respect to the con- tract. : Club members who hold a long- ' term membership signed before October 1st, 1988, should be aware that the law requires clubs to con- tinue to honor their existing multi- year and lifetime contracts. On the other hand, automatic renewals are permitted only with the prior writ- ten notification of members, reminding them of their right to refuse to renew. For additional information, con- tact the office of the Ministry of - Northern Development and Mines at 2 Stevens Avenue, Marathon, - Ontario POT 2E0 - 229-1153. For areas outside of Marathon ask your operator for Zenith 33160. Give as generously as you are able. Deico's comprehensive selection ensures that you get the right battery for the job, for most domestic or import cars and trucks. And don't forget they're backed by a limited war- ranty of up to 72 months. See us for warranty terms and conditions. Delco batteries keep you This winter, don't be left out the name you can count on. dependahility, for sure-fire off the hook. in the cold. Hook up with AC-Delco. Delco stands for starts day in and day out. So don't get stuck at the side of the road. Let us install a new Delco battery for you today. M.S.R.P. Delco Model 718-60. Retailer may sell for less. Schreiber 824-2244 See Sue, Hart or Stevel Protect yourself and take the time to plan your trip The first leg of any major holi- day should involve an early tour of a few travel agencies, experts say. Even the most seasoned trav- ellers are taking risks by trying to plan vacations on their own. says Hal Burns, registrar of the Ontario Travel Industry Act. Unless a trip is booked through a travel agent registered to operate in Ontario, it will not be covered by the province's compensation plan. The Ontario Travel Industry Compensation Fund covers finan- cial losses to a maximum of $3,500 per person if any of the companies involved in a trip goes bankrupt without providing prepaid services. "It's impossible to keep tabs on the financial health of every hotel and airline on earth." says Burns. "Yet, at one time or another, Ontario travel agents deal with most of them. Without the com- pensation fund, people would lose a lot of money. Last year, we cov- ered $1.3 million in losses." Travel agency customers also enjoy a number of other safeguards and benefits. Numerous new regu- lations to protect travellers were enacted recently. Details are avail- able from the Ministry of Consumer and Commercial Relations. One of the most visible impacts of this new legislation has been on travel brochures. Previously criti- cized for making misleading and exaggerated claims, promotional literature distributed by Ontario agents must now follow strict guidelines. "There has been a much more realistic approach to brochure advertising this year." Burns says. "Prices are easier to _pin down and customer rights are clearly explained--none of which does any good if people don't read the brochures. As good as the new laws are, they can't protect you if you don't take the time to under- stand and take advantage of them." An agent's expertise is another good resource. After finding an agency -- hopefully by recommen- dation -- explain what you want and ask questions about suggested destinations. Don't pick a newly discovered spot just to be trendy. Like many trends, the results may be disap- pointing, aggravating or expen- sive." says the registrar. Once a trip is chosen, add up all _the costs. Although the new laws ensure extras such as taxes, service charges and other fees are dis- closed, the consumer has to do the math. When shopping around for the best deal, be sure to compare simi- lar trips. Burns says consumers can get caught two ways. Sometimes the prices being compared don't include the same charges. In other situations, quality of services dif- fers. The question of quality is one of the stickiest for the registrar's office as it is impossible to legislate. "The new laws are designed to ensure consumers are told what they're getting, but that doesn't mean what they're getting is going to be great." he says. "Personal preferences and expectations plays a major role in whether a vacation is enjoyable or not and that's not something we can pin down. The best advice I can give people is not to expect the earth at bargain prices." In efforts to save money, Ontario consumers have been turn- ing in droves to last minute trips. Burns wams that travellers must be flexible about destinations and departure times to take advantage of the sales. However, this may be changing. The skyrocketing popularity of these last-minute sell offs is taking a heavy toll on regular trade and some travel dealers have responded by matching price cuts. "If the same package is avail- able at a cheaper price later, some tour companies will rebate the dif- ference." Burns says. "The last- minute market has become difficult for tour operators. Companies have trouble planning packages properly with bookings trickling in until a few days before departure, when the floodgates open. The industry just can't function that way,. so they're trying to stem the tide. . You'll probably see more price matching in future. "On the surface, this is good for travellers, but if price competition gets too stiff, the quality of the product could suffer." For information about travel in general, the new regulations or the compensation plan, contact the Consumer Information Centre at 555 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario M7A 2H6 -- (416) 963-1111 or toll free at 1-800-268-1142. Ontario residents with an 807 area code may call the 416 number collect. The TTY/TDD line for the hearing /speech impaired is (416) 963- 0808. AFOUR LETT ER WORD WE SHOULD ALL USE MORE OFTEN. GIVE. The giving begins with you. G cnet ~ "¥