VANCOUVER — New consumer protection rules are now in force in British Columbia, giving people stronger safeguards against automatic subscription renewals, high-pressure door-to-door sales and contract terms that can lead to unexpected charges.
The changes, amendments to the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act, took effect Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. The province says they modernize consumer laws to match how people actually shop and subscribe today, from streaming services and food delivery to furnaces sold at the door.
“When people are focused on managing the cost of living, they shouldn’t have to worry about paying for services they no longer want or getting locked into unfair contract terms,” said Attorney General Niki Sharma. She said the measures are meant to reduce unexpected charges, make renewals more transparent, and make it easier to cancel services.
For B.C.’s diaspora and newcomer communities, the release singles out a group the rules are designed to protect. The province says the new protections will specifically help vulnerable consumers, including seniors, newcomers, and people with lower incomes or disabilities, populations that are often the targets of aggressive door-to-door sales and confusing subscription sign-ups.
What changes for subscriptions
The rules apply to any business offering subscription services, including internet, phone, streaming, food delivery and other renewable services.
For a subscription that automatically renews for a term longer than 60 days, the business must now notify the customer between 30 and 60 days before the renewal date, so people can decide whether to keep paying. Customers must also be allowed to cancel a renewal at any time, before or after the renewal date, without a charge or penalty. That cancellation right applies to subscriptions of any length.
The changes also target one-sided contracts, barring businesses from unilaterally changing the terms of an agreement.
One Vancouver consumer described the kind of trap the rules aim to close. “I had to sign up for a subscription to purchase gum from an online business, which was complicated to cancel, and I was charged for another order before my first package even arrived,” said Hanna Wahlberg, who said she was still waiting for a refund months later despite a advertised money-back guarantee.
What changes for door-to-door sales
The amendments ban high-pressure door-to-door and direct sales of certain high-cost household products and services, such as air conditioners and furnaces. They also ban businesses from offering or arranging credit as part of a direct sale, a tactic the province says is often used to push predatory loan terms on people at their doorstep.
That provision matters for newcomer households in particular, who can be approached with heating and cooling “deals” packaged with financing they don’t fully understand.
Regulators back the changes
Consumer Protection BC, which administers the province’s consumer laws, welcomed the update. “Both businesses and consumers now have the information they need to understand how these changes will affect them,” said acting president and CEO Tayt Winnitoy.
The Better Business Bureau said unclear subscriptions are a recurring source of complaints. “Better Business Bureau regularly hears from consumers who did not realize they had signed up for a subscription, were surprised by an automatic renewal or struggled to understand how to cancel a service,” said Simone Lis, president and CEO for B.C. and Yukon. She said clearer rules can stop that confusion before it becomes a complaint.
Fraud protections coming in 2027
A second wave of protections, aimed at identity and credit fraud, is set to take effect in August 2027 under Bill 28.
Once in force, people in B.C. will be able to access their credit report and credit score for free every month, currently a paid service, and set up security alerts and credit freezes at no charge. New rules will also govern credit monitoring and credit repair businesses, and place new requirements on credit reporting agencies and lenders to make it harder for fraudsters to open credit accounts or take out loans in someone else’s name.
TransUnion Canada backed the move. “TransUnion Canada welcomes British Columbia’s introduction of credit freeze as an important step in helping consumers better protect themselves against identity and credit fraud,” said regional president Juan Sebastian D’Achiardi.
What to do now
People who want to understand their rights or file a consumer complaint can find information through Consumer Protection BC at consumerprotectionbc.ca. Anyone with subscriptions that renew automatically may want to check the renewal dates and cancellation terms now that advance-notice rules are in force.
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Harnaik Singh Rathor is the Founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of StudioX News Canada, Canada's multilingual digital news network serving diaspora communities across 44 languages. With a background in media production, public relations, and multicultural communications, he founded StudioX Film and TV Corporation to bridge the gap between mainstream Canadian media and the country's diverse immigrant communities. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), RTDNA Canada, CPRS Vancouver, Unifor, NEPMCC, and the Canada Freelance Union. Based in Surrey, British Columbia. | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harnaiksinghrathor/ | Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/harnaiksinghrathor | Email: editor@studioxnews.ca
