Program for Non-profit Consumer and Voluntary Organizations – 2012-2013 Potential Areas of Interest

Below are potential areas of interest for the Office of Consumer Affairs' (OCA) Contributions Program for 2012/13. Because consumer issues touch on a multitude of sectors that fall under the responsibility of different departments and levels of government, OCA invited its federal and provincial/territorial colleagues to identify research topics of interest from their perspectives. The list below is a synopsis of the feedback we received as well as issues identified by OCA. The suggested topics are not listed in any order of priority.

Eligible applicants are encouraged to submit proposals on any consumer issue that they demonstrate is relevant, not only those listed below.

When you are considering your project ideas this year, please refer to our ongoing funded projects and to the Consumer Policy Research Database to see what projects were funded in the previous years and thus avoid submitting duplicate or similar proposals.

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Digital Economy

• Consumer awareness of cyber threats in the online marketplace
• Role of consumer education in protecting consumers in the telecommunications sector
• Consumer protection and “geotagging”
• Smartphones – disclosure in mobile purchases of software (“apps”)
• Digital divide and social media, impact on marketplace participation
• Online dispute resolution
• Use of new technologies and issues / implications for early-adopters
• Billing issues associated with bundled telecommunications and/or broadcasting services billing

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Financial Services

• Insurance and credit ratings
• Canadians using foreign banks and financial instruments
• Low-income consumers and professional financial advice
• Debt repayment services
• Consumer issues in new payment systems / mechanisms
• Prepaid cards
• Unbanked consumers and access to credit and electronic payment systems
• Small loans advertising
• Consumer to consumer lending
• Participation of non-traditional institutions in the financial sector – international and domestic (impact on costs, accessibility, redress mechanisms, etc.)

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Vulnerable Consumers

• New Canadians’ awareness of consumer rights
• Vulnerable populations and ID theft (seniors, disabled)

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Housing

• Seniors housing (stepped, FlexiHousing)
• Disclosure issues for buyers when purchasing re-sale properties
• Insurance coverage and natural disasters
• Natural disasters and consumers (insurance coverage, home repair contractors, restoration services)
• Consumer knowledge of contracting and redress in the home renovation market
• Consumer knowledge of rent/buy options for domestic water heaters

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Marketplace Issues

• Plain language in consumer contracts
• Applicable law and jurisdiction in the context of online contracts
• Extraterritoriality and the criminal provisions of consumer protection laws
• Consumer awareness of consumer rights and redress
• Business awareness of consumer rights and redress
• Use of small claims courts by consumers
• Awareness / understanding of how private sector consumer products/services rating systems operate
• Online gift card resellers
• Online event ticket resellers
• Buying points based vs. time based timeshare contracts
• Reselling timeshares
• Group buying
• Role of professional fiduciaries who provide their services as attorneys under powers of attorney or as executors or administrators of estates
• Prepaid funeral services

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Intellectual Property

• Consumer protection and counterfeit goods

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