Ontario brother owes $40,000 after door-to-door sales

Door-to-door sales have been banned in Ontario for years, but that hasn't stopped some companies from offering expensive, long-term rental contracts to unsuspecting landlords.

“It wasn't something I wanted or needed, but he talked me into it,” Helen Hadwin of Oshawa told CTV News Toronto.

Hadwin said that in June 2023, someone knocked on her door and told her that if she installed new HVAC equipment, she could get government rebates and lower her monthly payment.

Believing it would save money, Hadwin said he agreed to install a water softener and HEPA air filter without knowing the cost of the equipment. He said the documents would be sent later, he said.

When Hadwin received the loan agreement in the mail, she said she was surprised at the amount.

“I was heartbroken,” she said.

It is understood that Hadwin contracted with The Simply Group for an $18,000 loan amortized over 15 years at an interest rate of 11.99 percent. That means Hadwin would have to pay about $40,000 over the lifetime of the contract.

Simply Group Financial is a Toronto-based company run by CEO Lawrence Krimker, who is facing a class action lawsuit alleging he used several companies to run door-to-door sales practices.

Hadwin's daughter, Willow Parker, is trying to help her mother get out of the contract, citing the lack of dated documents. Parker is now worried that his mother's house has a lien.

“He's stuck in a house he can't get out of because it has an $18,000 water softener and a HEPA filter warranty,” Parker said. “It's about $3,000 worth of equipment, and it can't end up costing close to $40,000.”

Ultimately, she feels her mother was wrong and wants to see the contract annulled.

CTV News reached out to Simply Group for a statement, but was contacted by a company called Financeit, which bought Simply Group last summer.

A spokesperson for Financeit said the company “recently completed the acquisition of Simply Group Financial Corporation” and after contacting Hadwin to resolve the issue, it removed the lien on the property.

“I feel a lot better now that I'm out of my bail house,” Hadwin said.

“At least mom isn't paying $40,000 for a water softener and HEPA filter,” Parker added.

Ontario homeowners should be aware that if they invite a salesperson to their home, the transaction will no longer be considered door-to-door, removing the protections that came with the 2018 ban.