On the heels of Mississauga council’s decision to ban door-to-door sales, Brampton endorsed a similar action targeting aggressive salespeople. At council Wednesday, city leaders approved a motion that takes aim at “aggressive and misleading door-to-door sales tactics.”

Wednesday’s unanimous vote makes Brampton the latest municipality to urge the province to take stiffer action. Mississauga council passed such a motion last month.

“This has been an ongoing and frustrating issue for the residents of Brampton,” said Coun. Gurpreet Dhillon, who tabled the motion. “Door-to-door sales tactics are aggressive and misleading and vulnerable and unknowing people get suckered into making bad decisions.”

The move comes in the wake of an Ontario Energy Group (OEG) scandal where more than 140 charges were laid against the company for fraudulent and misleading sales conduct. None of the allegations have been proven in court.

Ontario is currently reviewing Bill 193, a proposal to ban door-to-door sales and leases of air conditioners, furnaces, water heaters and water treatment devices. The motion approved at Brampton council calls on the provincial government to ban, as soon as possible, all door-to-door sales, specifically the sale or lease of HVAC equipment, water heaters, water filtration systems and other related home energy products and services.

Dhillon said homeowners targeted by salespeople are often “overwhelmed and don’t fully understand the terms and conditions that they are signing.

“We know that some of Brampton’s residents are more vulnerable than others. They may lack a clear understanding of English, not have a thorough understanding of home services they currently have, or the elderly or new immigrant can be easily intimidated into signing contracts under false pretense,” he said.