Alberta proposes lemon law, right to repair and ticket pricing rules

Alberta introduced legislation Wednesday that would protect buyers of defective vehicles, give consumers and farmers the right to repair products they own, and require ticket resellers to disclose total prices before purchase.

Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Minister Dale Nally said Bill 34, the Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Statutes Amendment Act, proposes amendments to the Consumer Protection Act covering all three areas. The bill was introduced Oct. 28.

United Conservative MLA Glenn van Dijken (Athabasca-Barrhead-Westlock) raised the measures in question period Thursday, asking Nally how the government would protect Albertans who end up with vehicles that cannot be fixed.

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"Albertans shouldn't be stuck with a bill for a vehicle that can't be fixed," Nally said. "We're proposing lemon law protections that would give Albertans options to seek a refund, replacement, or other remedy. These protections would apply to qualifying vehicles within their first three years or 60,000 kilometres."

Under the proposed amendments, Albertans who purchased or leased a vehicle that proves unrepairable within three years of the initial purchase or lease date, or within 60,000 kilometres — whichever comes first — would have a right of action through the courts.

Van Dijken then asked about right to repair, pointing to farmers who face costly delays when machinery breaks down during seeding and harvest. Nally said the government was responding directly to what farmers had requested.

"We care about property rights, and that means that we care about right to repair," Nally said. "They asked for right to repair, and we were happy to give it to them."

The amendments would establish a framework requiring manufacturers to give consumers access to the parts, tools and information needed to repair products they own.

On the final question about ticket resale, Van Dijken said excessive markups and hidden fees can put concerts and sporting events out of reach for families. Nally said proposed changes would require secondary sellers and resale platforms to show buyers the full cost of a ticket — including the ticket price and any fees, taxes or other costs — and said the government was open to going further.

"Opening the door to further protections, including potential caps on resale markups following consultation," Nally said. "Enjoying a concert or taking your family to a hockey game shouldn't break the bank."

Watch the full sitting on the Legislative Assembly of Alberta's video.