Consumer Alert

Ontario man to pay $1,500 surcharge after insurer says his SUV is at higher risk of theft

An Ontario man says it is 'unfair' to pay a $1,500 insurance surcharge because his four-year-old SUV is at a higher risk of being stolen.

Ontario mother scammed out of $1,800 in Taylor Swift ticket scam

An Ontario mother lost $1,800 hoping to get Taylor Swift tickets for her seven-year-old daughter. 'I don't understand how someone could just take advantage of someone and their hard-earned money, and it was a gift for a seven-year-old girl,' Dana Caputo, of Tottenham, Ont., told CTV News Toronto.

'It's ridiculous': Ontario man told to pay $1,000 to end water heater contract

An Ontario man was surprised to learn he would have to pay a $1,000 penalty to cancel his water heater rental. 'I was shocked that the penalty I had to pay was almost the cost of a brand new water heater,' James Alves, of Etobicoke, told CTV News Toronto.

Ontario man who almost fell for text scam issues warning to others

An Ontario man thought he got some good news when he received a text message offering a $30 gift for being a loyal Giant Tiger customer. 'I do go to that store so I clicked on the link and it said it was a customer appreciation award they were going to give people,' Mark Martin, of Simcoe, Ont., told CTV News Toronto.

Ontario woman misses flight to funeral due to airline ticket typo

An Ontario woman admits she was flustered and stressed trying to book an airline ticket when she found out a close relative had died last month.

Calls for more protections for Canadian bank clients amid rise in scams

When two Ontario women were scammed out of more than $80,000 in separate bank investigator scams, they thought they would be reimbursed by their banks and were shocked when they weren't.

Canadian fast food chains create value menus to win back customers

Canada’s restaurant industry is in a slump as money conscious consumers are eating out less and spending less when they do go out.

'Not right and not fair': Ontario homeowner overcharged on gas bill for the last 7 years

An Ontario homeowner was concerned her natural gas bill was too high, and when she compared her bill with her neighbour's, she realized she has been getting overcharged for the last seven years.

Ontario man told his EV needs $33K battery. Software update fixes the problem

An Ontario man said he couldn't believe an electric car he bought three years ago for $20,000 would need a new battery at a cost of more than $33,000.

Pat Foran

Pat Foran is an award-winning videojournalist with CTV News Toronto and the host of the station’s popular feature segment “Consumer Alert”.

In this role, Foran has helped consumers recover millions of dollars, exposed scams, warned about unsafe products, and passed on countless money saving tips to the public. The thousands of phone calls, e-mails, and letters he receives prove there is an intense public interest in solid, trustworthy consumer information.

Prior to his role as CTV Toronto’s consumer advocate, Foran worked as a reporter for three different CTV affiliates, beginning in 1986.

Foran is also the author of four national bestselling books on consumer and financial issues. His latest, The Smart, Savvy Young Consumer, is designed to help young Canadians spend and save wisely.

Have a story tip for Pat? Email alert@ctv.ca