It includes practices which are covered by other areas of law, such as fraud, misrepresentation, and oppressive or unconscionable contract terms.
[1] Canadian provinces enact their own consumer protection laws which differ in scope and coverage.
[2] For example, Saskatchewan's Consumer Protection Act says: It is an unfair practice for a supplier, in a transaction or proposed transaction involving goods or services, to: (a) do or say anything, or fail to do or say anything, if as a result a consumer might reasonably be deceived or misled; (b) make a false claim; (c) take advantage of a consumer if the person knows or should reasonably be expected to know that the consumer: (i) is not in a position to protect his or her own interests; or (ii) is not reasonably able to understand the nature of the transaction or proposed transaction.For example, the Saskatchewan Act has been applied to a case in which an automobile dealer mis-sold cars, based on allegations of false claims, representing goods as new or unused when they weren't, and using exaggeration, innuendo, or ambiguity when representing material facts.
It has in the past included in its mission the goal of preventing "fraud, deception, and unfair business practices in the marketplace".
For example, in 2023 the ACCC took action against airline Qantas for, among other things, advertising and allowing customers to book unavailable flights.