:’ Temain the same, . BUSINESS TIPS Agency investigates consumer complaints IN THE BUSINESS world, a well-worded ad can bring in a Jot of customers. By LISA SMEDMAN If, on.the other hand, you ‘make a deliberately false state- ment in your advertising, don't -live up to.your ad promises, or seven try a tricky turn of phrase .to mislead your consumers, watch out, : The Marketing Practices Branch of Consumer and Cor- ‘porate. Affairs Canada could : prosecute you in a criminal court if one of your customers or competitors files’ a complaint. - Regional - Manager Clair “Doc” Savage and his three in- i vestigators get an average of 60 “to 85'calls or letters per month: * About ‘three-quarters of these “ealls come from irate con- ‘sumers. The rest are: from “business people. who realize - “that false or misleading adver- ‘tising gives their competitors -an unfair advantage. From Page 32 Simon Fraser’s academic quadrangle as part of a con- _ccert running from 12:30 to "1:30: p.m. Aug. 22nd. ‘This free concert is part of SFU’s 20th . . Anniversary celebra- ‘tions. . Truax describes his ‘com- position as a. “very spatial’? -four.. channel |. piece ‘that “ereates an environment. ‘of “rotating sound. The’ con- trolling ~ image is the sun, ‘whose energy is “constantly “consumed yet appears to up their complaint. Of the calls that come in, the Marketing Practices Branch actively investigates about 100 complaints each year. About 10 to 15 criminal court cases result annually. Fines for a guilty verdict can range anywhere from a few hundred to tens of thousands of dollars, Savage and his investigators work on a priority system. At the top of the list are mislead- ing ads that have been cir- culated nationally. Then Savage tries to determine whether the business inten- tionally tried to mislead its customers, and how exag- gerated any false claims were. The number of complaints received, and any previous convictions also make a dif- ference, Finally, Savage looks for cases that will set a legal precedent, or help to clarify existing legislation. It helps if the complainant makes a written statement, and if they have examples of the misleading or false ad to back Some- Sixty-seven papers will be presented on a variety of topics including Synthesis and Signal.- Processing; Hardware; Compositional Processes and Software; Real Time Applications and Personal Systems; Psychoacoustics and Sound Analysis; Music Theory and Analysis and Studio Reports. : “Science, ‘ humanities and the arts come together at the forum, says Truax: ‘‘We have’ everybody from engineers to experimental times, branch investigators will g0 undercover to a business, to see if prices listed in an ad match actual prices. “We don't consider ourselves a consumer protec- tion agency as such;’ Savage. Instead the branch, in existence since 1965, sees itself asa protector, of the.rules of free enterprise, North Shore cases include an investigation into a hot tub business, When it advertised a sale, they failed to disclose that the sale items were factory seconds. A conviction brought a fine of $1,500. Another case involved a hypnotherapy practice. Pro- motions of hypnotherapy were found to be misleading because they included a false testimony by an associate of the owner. The associate claimed that hypnotherapy had cured a smoking habit, when it had not actually done so. A guilty plea brought a $350 fine. If you have a complaint about false or ‘misleading advertising, call 666-5000. pers will cover, eres of topics composers.’ The ‘eum represents the “cutting edge of research in- to technology and. music,” says Truax. The whole range of computer music from the commercial to the experi- mental will be represented at the conference which is be- ing held in Canada for the first time ever. Further ‘information on the conference can be ob- tained by contacting Conti- nuing Studies at Simon Fraser University - 291- 3649/4565. ~'Aecounting es 178-7) Mon Uses of Microcomputers. (CMPT 222-9) Sat.9 am-12 noon, Uses of Microcomputers: (CMPT 222-8): Mon 1:00- 4: 00. ‘Pm. *Transterable to RIA and CGA programs. ~ Total cost for. the first’ ‘course is $95. 50; additional: a courses are $75.50 each. “Early registration. is open until: Ne Auguats 16; In Person.on August 26 from 2 to 8pm.” ‘For further information call 986-1911, ” DAYTIME ‘local: 426. says’ 35 - Sunday, August 11, 1985 - North Shore News “{ had no problem sticking with | the programme. | felt great and — ah | was very successful.” POLLY SENGER Oy einer cham WITH NUTRI/MATCH™ YOU CAN SAVE UP TO 50% . 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