BILL NO. 256

(as introduced)

2nd Session, 60th General Assembly
Nova Scotia
58 Elizabeth II, 2009

Private Member's Bill

Consumer Protection Act
(amended)

Keith Colwell
Preston

First Reading: May 1, 2009

(Explanatory Note)

Second Reading:

Third Reading:

This Bill amends the Consumer Protection Act to require the expiry date on gift certificates, gift cards and prepaid cellular phone time not to be less than thirty-six months after issuance and to prohibit cellular telephone service providers from cancelling the telephone number of a person with unexpired prepaid time unless the customer consents and is refunded the cost of the prepaid time.

1 Chapter 92 of the Revised Statutes, 1989, the Consumer Protection Act, is amended by adding immediately after Section 21AF the following Sections:

21AG No gift certificates, gift cards or other goods that are exchangeable or redeemable for goods and services may be issued with an expiry date that is earlier than thirty-six months after the date of issuance by the seller.
21AH (1) No seller may issue credits for periods of cellular telephone usage, whether measured in minutes or any other periods, that expire earlier than thirty-six months after the date of issuance by the seller.
(2) After April 30, 2009, no seller that provides cellular telephone services may cancel the telephone number assigned to a buyer if the buyer has a credit on the buyer's account for any unused and unexpired periods of cellular telephone usage unless the buyer agrees to the cancellation and is refunded the amount paid for the periods of cellular telephone usage.