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( i 8 The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanvillc, Wednesday, December 4,1991 Section Two Santa Sfofob 'ity&ie! O. Lange's Photo... o. The Velvet Bear Santa paid a visit to Bowmanville's photo headquarters, Lange's Photo Lab, and Laurel Kimball couldn't wait to tell Santa Claus what she'd like for Christmas. Richard Lange is in back, with Trish Noordstra, centre, and Corrine Snowden. This Christmas, Lange's has a truly different gift idea ... T-shirts and sweat shirts. Lange's is Bowmanville's headquarters for Kodak, Fuji and Canon cameras, film, flash, batteries, frames and FAST film processing. Drop by and see why Santa Claus was so thrilled with Lange's Photo Lab. ^ Warning Issued to ^ Shoppers Who Use Mail Order Services W' 0 31 King St. W. Bowmanvillc Telephone 623-2568 Christmas shoppers who want to avoid crowded stores often turn to mail-order companies companies for help. They say they enjoy enjoy choosing presents from catalogues catalogues and flyers in the comfort of their homes, and often often get good quality at reasonable reasonable prices without much effort. effort. To get the best deal, experts at Ontario's Consumer Ministry Ministry say it's important to choose the right mail-order house and pick products carefully. "The great majority of mailorder mailorder firms provide quality items at fair prices," says Marilyn Marilyn Gurevsky, assistant manager manager of the province's Consumer Services Bureaus. "To avoid the small minority of unethical sellers, check offers carefully before you buy." Gurevsky often receives complaints from consumers who feel they've been treated Cathy's Gold... Cathy Collacott, on the left, and Peggy Darch of Cathy's Gold, are showing Santa Claus a sample from the large collection of fine jewellery that's available in their store. Santa Claus discovered a complete selection of silver chains, bracelets, pendants, charms and pins; gold jewelleiy and diamond rings for ladies and gentlemen; world-renowned Longines-Wittnauer and Cardinal watches for men and women. Cathy's Gold has a collection of great "stocking staffers" and of course all your purchases will be gift-wrapped, free of charge. The friendly staff at Cathy's Gold will be happy to help you with your Christmas gift list. Cathy's Gold 78 King Street West Bowmanville Telephone 623-1933 poorly by mail-order firms. She's prepared a list of tips to help you stay away from fly- by-night sellers. 1. Know who you're dealing dealing with. The best endorsements endorsements come from someone who has dealt personally with the company. You may also wish to check whether the Better Better Business Bureau has had complaints about them, or call the Canadian Direct Marketing Association, at (416) 391-2362 and ask if the company is a member. Association members adhere to a strict code of ethics. ethics. 2. Check the company's mailing address. Is the full name and street address of the company printed directly on the catalogue or only a postal box number? Nothing can guarantee the firm won't go out of business before your order's order's delivered, but a company that gives a full street address is usually well-established. If you deal with a firm from outside Ontario you're not protected protected by the province's consumer consumer laws. 3. Know what you're buying. buying. Does the product description description give you enough information information to make a wise choice? Can you compare the product with similar goods that may be offered by other suppliers? If the price seems too low for the item advertised, it may be of low quality. 4. Be wary of "special offers." offers." Many companies offer incentives to boost sales. For example, you may receive the first in a series of collectibles for less if you agree to pay full price for the other pieces. Other Other companies may offer a gift if you order by a certain date. The consumer's best policy is to never buy a product because a gift is offered with it. If the product isn't worth the price on its own, chances are the bonus bonus won't have much value cither. cither. 5. Check the return policy. policy. Even if you've dealt with a company for years, refund and exchange policies can change with new management. The policy should be clearly stated in the advertising. If it isn't, you may not be able to make returns. 6. Pay on delivery whenever whenever possible. Cash on delivery (COD) payment ensures items arrive before you part with your money. When it's not possible to shop COD, try to use cheques instead of credit cards, and never send cash in the mail. Credit-card charges may be impossible to reverse if you're later dissatisfied with the goods. The danger of loss is too great to send cash by mail. 7. Don't accept delivery after you've cancelled an order. order. Consumers who accept orders orders they've already cancelled will be expected to pay shipping and handling charges to return the items. 8. Negative-option selling can be tricky. Many collectable, collectable, book and records clubs use negative-option selling. This means that rather than requesting requesting items you want, you must mail in a form when you don't want to receive' the goods offered. offered. Some well-organized shoppers like buying by negative-option. negative-option. But if you're not careful, you can end up with items you don't want. 9. Any unrequested Items mailed to you are yours to keep, discard or return. It's up to you, as long as the item isn't part of a negative-option contract you signed, or clearly addressed to someone else. 10. Business and government government organizations can provide provide you with information to help resolve your mail-order disputes. If your attempts to deal with an Ontario company are getting nowhere, these organizations organizations may be able to help. Write to Operation Integrity, Integrity, Canadian Direct Marketing Marketing Association, 1 Concorde Gate, Suite 607, Don Mills, Ontario M3C 3N6, or contact the Consumer Information Centre, Ministry of Consumer . and Commercial Relations, 555 Yongc'Street, 1st fl., Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M7A 2H6, telephone telephone (416) 326-8555 in the Toronto area, or collect from area code 807 only. From other parts of the province call toll free 1-800-268-1142. Special visual equipment for use by the hearing and speech impaired is available at (416) 326-8566, Santa Claus paid a visit to The Velvet Bear, and is shown with Elaine Simpson, Doreen Gilroy and Fiona Kennedy. Santa discovered two floors filled with delightful gift ideas, such as: tree decorations, candles, books, greeting cards, pottery, glass, china and crystal; dolls, music boxes and keepsakes; decoys, gifts for the executive, Gund animals and lots of gifts for the "Little People" on your list, Santa especially enjoyed the Dickens Heritage Collection, a Christmas-time favourite. The Velvet Bear also specializes in gift baskets filled with toiletries, candies and gourmet goodies in a variety of sizes. Of course, all purchases are gift wrapped, free of charge. The Velvet Bear 129 King St. E. Bowmanville Telephone 623-8100 Gifts for the Heart and Home" Shoppers Drug Mart... Even Santa has to watch his dollars this year and he is delighted with the quality, prices and great selection at Shoppers Drug Mart. You'll find all the latest fragrances from the world's leading names in perfumes and colognes, as well as gift sets available in various price ranges. The selection of gift items will make your shopping a breeze ... and the candy, chocolates and other Christmas treats... see for yourself why Santa shops at Shoppers Drug Mart! DRUG MART In the Bowmanville Mall Telephone 623-2546 s S s s s