E-commerce

How BC law treats it

An online sale to a consumer in British Columbia is a distance sales contract under Part 4, Division 4 of the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act, SBC 2004, c 2 (BPCPA). Before the contract is made, the supplier must clearly disclose prescribed information, such as its business details, a description of the goods or services, the total price including taxes and charges, delivery arrangements, cancellation and refund policies and, under amendments in force August 1, 2026, any renewal terms and promotional offers. For an online contract, the consumer must have an express opportunity to accept or decline and to correct errors (s. 47), and the supplier must give the consumer a copy of the contract within 15 days after it is entered into (s. 48). The consumer may cancel within 7 days after receiving the copy if these requirements are not met, within 30 days after the contract is made if no copy is provided, or if the goods or services are not delivered within 30 days of the supply date (s. 49). The 2025 amendments to the BPCPA also make void any term in a consumer contract that requires arbitration of disputes, bars class proceedings or prevents consumers from posting reviews, and add rules for subscription contracts that renew automatically, including a right to cancel a renewal without penalty. The Electronic Transactions Act, SBC 2001, c 10 confirms that a contract is not invalid only because it is formed electronically, for example by clicking a button. Courts enforce online terms that were reasonably brought to the user's attention, subject to consumer protection rules and unconscionability. Federal law applies too. Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation, SC 2010, c 23 requires consent, sender identification and an unsubscribe mechanism for commercial electronic messages. The Competition Act, RSC 1985, c C-34 prohibits false or misleading representations, including drip pricing, where an advertised price is not attainable because mandatory fees, other than fixed government charges such as taxes, are added later (ss. 52(1.3), 74.01(1.1)). Customer data collected by a BC business is governed by the Personal Information Protection Act, SBC 2003, c 63.

What it means for your business

An online store that does not follow the BPCPA distance sales rules gives consumers a statutory right to cancel and exposes the business to Consumer Protection BC enforcement. Hidden fees and fake discounts can draw Competition Bureau action and large penalties. Getting the checkout flow, terms of service, privacy policy and email marketing consents right at launch is far cheaper than rebuilding after a complaint or chargeback wave. Example: A Victoria clothing retailer launches a Shopify store. It adds the BPCPA disclosures to checkout, emails a copy of the order and terms immediately after purchase, shows shipping fees before payment, and uses a CASL compliant opt-in box for its newsletter.

Risks and common mistakes

Adding mandatory fees at the last step of checkout instead of including them in the advertised price. Failing to email the consumer a copy of the contract within the BPCPA deadline. Using pre-checked boxes to obtain consent to marketing emails. Copying US terms of service that ignore BC consumer protection rules. Not telling consumers about cancellation and refund policies before they buy.