Head of area water treatment business fined

On June 7, 2017 Danny Shamon of Guelph pleaded guilty to and was convicted of one count of failing, as an officer or director of a corporation, to prevent the corporation from committing an unfair practice contrary to the Consumer Protection Act, 2002.

Shamon was placed on probation for two years, fined $4,000, and ordered to pay a $1,000 victim fine surcharge. Justice of the Peace Jane Moffatt also required Shamon to pay approximately $11,000 in restitution to three consumers, some of whom were seniors. Consumers lived in Beaverton, Cobourg, Bancroft and Kingston.

Shamon, operating under two business names, Eagle Water of Pickering and Global Environmental Solutions, employed sales people to sell water treatment equipment door to door. The corporations misled consumers by providing agreements that falsely identified the corporations as members of the Canadian Water Quality Association. Neither the corporations nor Shamon provided consumers with the refunds they had requested.

Consumers may see more door-to-door salespeople over the summer and should not feel pressured to sign an agreement at the door. To protect themselves, consumers are reminded to visit the ministry's Consumer's Beware List before entering a contract with any company, and to visit Consumer Protection Ontario for tips on how to safely enter a contract.