A Toronto senior who said she was told her drinking water wasn’t safe and urged to spend more than $15,000 to buy filtration systems will be getting her money back after a Global News report.
Hilde Barth answered her door to salespeople in late 2015. She says she was told the age of her home, 58 years, meant her drinking water wasn’t fit for consumption. But she says the water salespeople didn’t conduct any tests or offer any proof to go along with their dire warning.
“’The water is bad, you need a system to clean the water if you want to drink and cook with it,'” Barth, an 85-year-old widow, said she was told.
“I think they took me for an old fool.”
Barth originally agreed to pay $56.50 a month plus HST to Nationwide Home Comfort based in Markham, Ont. She admitted she signed a confirmation form to install the equipment, but said she didn’t receive a copy of a contract – something required under Ontario’s Consumer Protection Act.
Nationwide said Barth agreed to make payments for 120 months, bringing her total financial obligation to $7,661.40 for the water system.
Barth later balked at the payments and said she was misled. However, last fall she agreed to pay out the balance of the debt, more than $6,000, and asked the company to remove the equipment.
In addition to the Nationwide obligation, Barth found herself in a similar water treatment commitment with the Etobicoke company Eco Technology. That company also sold Barth equipment valued at $7,640.72 and was billed by another company, Skymark Finance Corporation, based in Mississauga.
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In that case, Eco Technology provided equipment to Barth’s home in April, 2016. But Global News confirmed that the equipment was never hooked up, even though the finance company insisted she pay about $113 each month.
“I’m peeved and mad at myself that I got sucked in,” Barth said, adding she didn’t receive a copy of that contract either. But the finance company produced a document which appears to bear her signature.
Barth is adamant she would never have agreed to have anything installed had it not been for high-pressure sales tactics.
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Nationwide is adamant it does not target seniors or mislead consumers about water quality.
“That’s not our business practice and it’s against our policy,” Nationwide compliance manager Sashanna Nevins said.
Asked by Global News whether Nationwide would refund Barth’s buy-out given her allegations, Nevins said the company would review the case.
Two hours later, an executive agreed Nationwide would refund Barth, who paid more than $6,400 to end her obligation to Nationwide in addition to earlier monthly payments.
“Due to the confusion and unfortunate circumstances for Ms. Hilde Barth, we will be refunding the full payment she made for her original equipment with Nationwide,” Nationwide vice president Roman Berson said.
“Nationwide Home Comfort takes customer satisfaction very seriously and we will do anything we can to help alleviate the stress and confusion that this has caused,” Berson added in an email.
At the same time, Skymark Financial told Global News it is scrupulous about verifying the authenticity of a customer’s contract prior to enforcing a monthly payment arrangement. A representative couldn’t explain why the water filtration system was never connected. But Skymark agreed to refund Barth’s money in full.
“It’s not a problem,” the representative said during a conference with the company’s legal counsel.
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In a later email, Skymark was more specific.
“As discussed, the client has paid $1,538.14 which we are willing to refund immediately. Eco Technology has agreed to have the equipment removed. There will be no future payments for this equipment,” the company confirmed.
When contacted by Global News after learning about the companies’ decisions to refund the money and drop further collection demands, Barth was relieved.
“I’m very glad you could help me. My English isn’t that good to express my gratitude, but I’m very grateful,” she said.
With files by Stephanie Gordon and Rick Helinski
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