回复: 加拿大法律汉译本
哪些合同有反悔期?
What kind of contract carries cooling-off period?
《大中报》记者埃里克-爱民-伍德(Eric Emin Wood)(2011-02-11 PM05:47), <!--网上发表于2011年02月14日-->
加拿大消费者在签商业或企业合约时,应该了解他们的权利。
Canadian consumers should know their rights when signing a commercial or business contract.
消费者服务厅的问题协调员雷说:“按照安省法律,合约语言必须清晰、有重点且易于理解。如果因为语言不清晰与否方面产生争端,法律要求法庭在理解合约时偏向消费者一方。”
“Under Ontario law, contract language must be clear, prominent, and easy to understand,” says Vanessa Rae, issues coordinator with the ministry of consumer services. “If there is a dispute over unclear language, the law requires the courts to interpret the contract in favour of the consumer.”
法律要求一些特定合约包含可在10天内取消的协议,包括:人寿保险、分时度假合同、能源合约、健身房及减肥俱乐部会员、信用修复服务、度假俱乐部协议和模特及才艺合约。
Certain contracts are required by law to include a 10-day cancellation agreement, including life insurance policy, timeshares, energy contracts, gym and diet club memberships, credit repair services, vacation club agreements and modelling and talent contracts.
消费者如果在家签订了一份价值超过$50元的合约,也有10天的取消期限。
Consumers are also guaranteed a 10-day cancellation period if signing a contract worth more than $50 at home.
雷说:“比如,一个人到你家来并试图向你推销一台净水器:如果是在你家里签的合约,你可以在10天内将它取消。”她补充说,消费者应该牢记,“如果你在商店里买了一台水暖器,你未必有10天的取消权”,除非有一份取消买卖合约的保证。
“Say someone comes in and tries to sell you a water purifier: you have ten days to cancel if it was signed in your home,” Rae says. Consumers should bear in mind that unless a cancellation agreement is guaranteed, “if you went to the store and bought a water heater there, you don’t necessarily have ten days to cancel,” she adds.
如果涉及消费者感到巨大压力或卖方有不实的陈述时,消费者服务厅有权让消费者得到额外的取消权。“不论是在商店还是消费者家里,消费者有最多1年时间取消合约。”
The ministry guarantees consumers additional cancellation rights if they feel high pressure or misrepresentation was involved. “Then regardless of where it was, at their place of business or in the home, a consumer has up to one year to cancel,” says Rae.
如果消费者希望取消合约,雷鼓励消费者用挂号信、传真或电子邮件的方式,并写明合同上的日期和联系人信息。她说:“如果公司说‘我从未收到过’,你要能够证明你在那个期限内发出过。”
If consumers wish to cancel a contract, Rae encourages them to use registered mail, fax, or e-mail, including the date and contact information on the contract. “If the company says ‘I never got it,’ you want to be able to prove that you sent it to them within that time frame,” she says.
消费者服务厅所覆盖的合约并非包含所有种类。不包括的合约种类有:与投资或收入证券保证相关的金融服务,以及保险其由不同的业界所规管。
Not every type of contract is covered by the consumer services ministry. Exceptions include investment- or income security-related financial services, and insurance, which is regulated by a separate industry.
比如,汽车购买者就没有消费者服务厅所保障的10天取消期,因为汽车经销商属安省汽车业委员会的管辖范围。
Car buyers, for instance, aren’t guaranteed a ten-day cancellation period by the ministry because car dealerships fall under the jurisdiction of the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council.
雷说:“我们覆盖面很广。如果你不确定,可以先给我们打个电话。”即便事情并不归消费者服务厅管,“我们会介绍你到适合的地方去。”
That said, “we have the blanket coverage,” says Rae. “If you’re not sure, call us first.” Even if the ministry isn’t involved, “we can refer you to the proper place.”
企业间的合约就是另一码事了。Zvulony律师事务所的所有人Zvulony指出,如果身为经理或业主的人感到企业合同对方违约,他们有两个主要选择:他们可以告上法庭,或者谈判。
Contracts between businesses are a different matter. Managers or business owners who feel a business contract has been broken essentially have two options, says Gil Zvulony, owner of Zvulony and Company Lawyers: they can sue, or negotiate.
Zvulony 说:“如果我是一间公司,而我认为另一间公司对我不公,我必须到法庭去起诉。政府不会为我打官司。”
“If I’m a company and I think another company has wronged me, I have to go to court and sue,” Zvulony says. “The government’s not going to do it for me.”
对企业来说,在交易时双方都有责任小心谨慎行事。Zvulony说:“要了解你是在与谁打交道。你可以签订一份滴水不漏的合约,但如果你的合约是与一间倒闭的公司签订的,起诉他们并不能给你带来多大帮助。”
In business, the onus lies on all parties to be careful when conducting transactions. “Know who you’re dealing with,” says Zvulony. “You can have the most air-tight contract, but if you have a bankrupt company signing it, suing them is not going to help you much.”
例如,他说:“如果你要提供服务,你可以让客户预先支付定金。”
For instance, “you could always get deposits up front, if you’re going to be performing a service,” he says.
如果合同一方认为对方有违约行为,他们必须提供证据。Zvulony举例说:“如果合约中说,对方必须交付特定的货物,就应该有证据来显示货物没有送到,或者在电子邮件中写明‘我们没有发货,因为你没给我们付款。’”
If one party feels a contract has been broken, they must provide evidence. For instance, “if the contract says they have to deliver certain goods, there should be documentation to show those goods were not delivered, or e-mail that says ‘we’re not sending it because you didn’t pay us,’” says Zvulony.
消费者服务厅等一些政府机构有权进行调查,并有时会对一些公司提出刑事罪的指控。Zvulony说:“假设我有一间工厂,在其旁边有一些小池塘,而我的工厂往这些池塘里排放化学废料。那么,我的邻居就可以因为我工厂对他的地产造成的损害,而把我告上民事法庭。政府也可以介入并依照环境法提出控告。”
Several government agencies, including the ministry of consumer services, investigate and occasionally charge companies with criminal offences. “Let’s say I have a factory, and the factory is unloading chemical waste in the ponds next to my factory,” says Zvulony. “My neighbour can sue me civilly for the damage that it’s causing to his property. The government can also step in and lay charges under environmental legislation.”
不过,Zvulony说:“当一间公司违反合约时,在绝大多数的案例中,那并不会导致任何形式的行事犯罪指控,除非涉及诈骗。”例如,一个屋顶维修工人“跟你签合约,收你的钱,然后就消失而不给你修屋顶。那么,这个情况就是刑事犯罪。”
However, “when a company breaches a contract, in the overwhelming majority of cases that is not going to trigger any sort of criminal charge, unless there’s fraud,” says Zvulony. For example, a roofer who “signs a contract, takes your money, disappears and won’t fix your roof. That’s a criminal situation.”
他继续说:“这之中也有民事成分。你可以起诉这个屋顶维修工人违反了合约,指出他没有提供他所承诺的服务。同样,屋顶维修工的行为也是诈骗。”
“There is a civil component to it as well,” he continues. “You could sue the roofer for breach of contract, saying he didn’t deliver what he said he would deliver. But it’s also fraud.”
不幸的是,Zvulony说,警方往往并不情愿去管这种事。他说:“实际上,你到警察那里说‘你好,我被屋顶维修工敲了一竹杠,’警察会说‘这事属于民事,别来烦我们。’”
Unfortunately, Zvulony says, the authorities are typically reluctant to do anything. “Practically speaking, you go to the police and say, ‘hey, I was ripped off by this roofer,’ the police will say ‘it’s a civil matter, leave us alone,’” he says.
他们为什么那样说呢?“你去问他们吧。”
Why do they say that? “You’d have to ask them that.”
读者如有其它关于合同法的问题,可以与消费者服务厅联系,可拨打电话:416-326-8800;或拨打免费电话:1-800-889-9768;也可以上网:
www.ontario.ca/consumerservices。消费者服务厅的网站上有在线投诉表格。
Readers with additional questions about contract law are encouraged to contact the ministry of consumer services at 416-326-8800, toll-free at 1-800-889-9768 or online at
www.ontario.ca/consumerservices. The ministry’s website includes an online complaint form.
消费者服务厅也提供包括中文在内的多种语言的手册。
The ministry also provides brochures in multiple languages, including Chinese.
编注:英翻中:何慕群。Translator (English to Chinese): Michelle He. 如果你对本文有任何评论,或有任何社区、社会和生活问题需要大中报回答或调查,请将你的评论或问题细节以电话留言(416-504-0761 转215分机),或传真(416-504-4928),或电邮(cng@chinesenewsgroup.com),或电邮给Eric Emin Wood(eric.emin@chinesenewsgroup.com)。你可以匿名为本报提供调查线索,但调查线索应包括当事人的联系电话或地址、发生问题的时间及地址等信息。