Ticketmaster pricing penalty and fake cannabis labels: CBC’s Marketplace consumer cheat sheet

Miss something this week? Don’t panic. CBC’s Marketplace rounds up the consumer and health news you need.

Want this in your inbox? Get the Marketplace newsletter every Friday.

Have you been misled by Ticketmaster? 

An investigation by the Competition Bureau found Ticketmaster’s advertised prices did not reflect the true cost to consumers. The company will pay a $4 million penalty and $500,000 for the bureau’s investigation costs. Ticketmaster added mandatory fees later in the purchasing process that often added more than 20 per cent to the cost and in some cases over 65 per cent. In 2016, we investigated why you can’t get tickets. 

Flight delays: Are you really covered?

New passenger protection regulations are coming to Canada, but will you get compensated when things go wrong? The short answer: it depends. One Halifax woman is finding out the hard way that airlines don’t have to offer things like meal and hotel vouchers when passengers are delayed by natural disasters. In 2017, we investigated the air passengers bill of rights. 

Textured breast implants: Class action in the works

Some of the women whose textured breast implants are linked to a rare form of cancer are filing a class action lawsuit against the Ireland-based company Allergan. Health Canada found that 85 per cent of the 26 confirmed cases in Canada involved Allergan’s Biocell textured implants. The lawsuit started in Vancouver and Calgary, but is expected to go national. We went undercover to investigate how breast implants are marketed to women. 

Beware of cannabis copycats

Fake labels designed to look like legitimate Health Canada cannabis labels are floating around the internet and ending up in the hands of Canadians. These fake labels might be missing critical pieces of information, like lot numbers and the potency of THC or CBD. Because these products aren’t regulated or quality-checked like the products sold through federally licensed sellers, you don’t really know what you’re buying. 

Has your Desjardins data been breached?

It’s thought to be the largest data breach among Canadian financial institutions. If you bank with Desjardins and are one of 2.7 million people or you represent one of the 173,000 businesses whose data was improperly shared with a third party, the company says they’ll be in touch with you soon. 

What else is going on?

Air Canada says it’s looking into how crew members may have left a parked aircraft without realizing that there was still a sleeping passenger on board. The woman said she woke up “all alone” and had to unbolt a cabin door and call for help to a ground crew employee. 

An Alberta town wants to be the first in Canada to power itself using just solar panels. People in the Town of Raymond are installing 2,700 solar panels on top of all the municipal buildings. 

More than 500 employees at Wayfair’s Boston headquarters signed a protest urging their employer not to sell furniture to a company that runs detention centres for migrant children. The company still sent the beds, but agreed to donate $100,000 to the Red Cross, too.

A fertility doctor had his licence revoked after Ontario’s medical regulator found he used his own sperm to inseminate several patients. A proposed class action lawsuit has been filed by several of his past patients. 

The latest in recalls 

The batteries in certain Apple 15-inch MacBook Pro computers can overheat, posing a fire hazard; the nipple on this Duoladuobu anti-dust silicone pacifier can detach from the base, posing as a choking hazard to infants and young children; various cosmetic products from Claire’s contain possible asbestos contamination; the actual THC total is higher than indicated on the label of this  Namaste Wappa dried cannabis sold through SQDC; the coloured sipper/spout on these Crocodile Creek Eco-Kids Tritan water bottles may be removed from the top of the bottle, posing a choking hazard to young children; these Kings n Queens pajama pants do not meet the flammability requirements for children’s sleepwear, posing a risk of burns

to children. These Emme Foods ShangHai Style Deep Fried Turnip Cakes may contain egg and shrimp which is not declared on the label; and the razors on this Venus Simply3 Disposable 4-count razor can become misaligned during the shave and pose a higher risk of cuts during use. 

Are you the ultimate bargain hunter?

Marketplace is looking for families or friends about to plan a vacation together. Do you know how to spot extra charges or hidden fees? Do you think you’re a good negotiator? Perhaps you have what it takes to compete against other Canadians in Marketplace’s vacation challenge. If you want to show our producers how you can beat the fees and get the best vacation deal, please contact Jenny.Cowley@cbc.ca

Do you shop online?  

Ever buy a brand-name product online and believe you may have ended up with a fake? If so, we want to hear from you. Reach out to Jenny.Cowley@cbc.ca

What should we investigate next?

Our television season has wrapped, but you can catch up on previous Marketplace investigations on CBC Gem. From scams, misleading marketing claims, to products and services that could put your health at risk, we are working on bringing you brand new investigations this fall. If you have a story you think we should be covering, email us at marketplace@cbc.ca.