Does Ontario's 10-day cancellation right cover online bin bookings?

The 10-day cancellation right under Ontario's Consumer Protection Act, 2002 applies specifically to direct agreements, defined in the Act as agreements "negotiated or concluded in person at a place other than (a) at the supplier's place of business, or (b) at a market place." An online bin booking is not a direct agreement, so s.43(1)'s 10-day right does not automatically apply to it.

Online bookings fall under the Act's internet agreement rules (s.38 to s.40). Those sections require the supplier to disclose set information, give you "an express opportunity to accept or decline," and deliver a written copy of the agreement. Cancellation rights under the internet agreement rules are narrower: you can cancel within 7 days if the required disclosure or the accept-or-decline step was missing, and within 30 days if no written copy is delivered. If the supplier meets all three requirements, neither the 7-day nor the 30-day right is triggered, and your cancellation terms are whatever the agreement says.

Because a bin booking is likely a future performance agreement under the Act (delivery and pickup happen after you pay), s.22 requires it to be in writing, and s.23 gives you up to one year to cancel if you never receive a copy that meets the Act's requirements. The prescribed amount under O. Reg. 17/05 is $50, and every published Ottawa bin price we saw is above it.

What this means in practice: read the cancellation clause before you pay anything, and ask the company in writing what happens to a deposit or pre-authorisation if you cancel. We found no Consumer Protection Act rule specific to deposits or card pre-authorisation for bin rentals, so the answer depends entirely on the contract.

The single most useful thing to do before entering your card number is to read the cancellation terms in the agreement and confirm them in writing with the company.