Provincial Smart Home Services Reviews & Complaints

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Rated 1.2 out of 5

1.2 out of 5 stars (based on 41 reviews)

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Review summary

We strongly recommend avoiding Provincial Smart Home Services.

Similar to Enercare, Reliance Home Comfort and Simply Group before it, Provincial Smart Home Services is an HVAC and home automation equipment company that uses misleading ads and sales pitches, and promises of all sorts of credits, buyouts and rebates to push unsuspecting consumers looking to lower their energy bills into signing contracts to finance HVAC and home efficiency upgrades with high interest rates (12.99%) and very long amortizations (20 years).

The associated company that handles the financing of the loan such as Simply Group Financial or Vault Pay places liens on customer’s homes without notifying them.

Customers also report not receiving the rebates, credits and buyouts they promise for up to 9 months and for many only after reporting the company to the BBB, filing a formal complaint with Consumer Protection Ontario and/or taking legal action.

We spoke to 2 ex-employees who helped fill in and confirm many of the dates, names and company practices mentioned in this article. The article also includes our honest opinion after reading hundreds of reviews about the company and talking to many reviewers about their experiences.

Get quotes from real contractors and if you need financing, get it from a bank instead of predatory financing.

Renting appliances is not common practice in Canada outside of Ontario. Purchasing your own unit can result in substantial savings over time, according to the Competition Bureau.

Further reading: Is renting a water heater worth it?

How customers report getting their complaints resolved

Customers report that their numerous calls and emails lead to not receiving a reply, or empty promises that “someone will be there tomorrow” or “it would process right away”, followed by further delays.

Reviewers and customers we spoke to reported having their rebate and contract buyout issues resolved after:

1. Filing a complaint with the BBB
2. Leaving a review here on Cansumer
3. Filing a formal complaint with Consumer Protection Ontario
4. Having a lawyer send a demand letter with a two-week deadline to respond

These actions have led to negotiated resolutions, for example:

• Partial refund of 35% of the total for work not completed and rebates not available according to CPO inspector
• Buy-out of the rental equipment (over $19k)
• Amounts stated in the contract
• Late fees and rental charges they were invoiced because of the delay in the buy-out
• Compensation for the legal fees incurred to prepare the demand letter

Shae and Khadija are the customer service representatives at Provincial Smart Home Services that reviewers say finally get results on the promises made.

About Provincial Smart Home Services

Incorporated in 2017 at 65 Westmount Rd N, No. 806 Waterloo, Ontario N2L 5G6 Canada according to OpenCorpData, 2587998 Ontario Inc is doing business as Provincial Smart Home Services (PSHS) which is based in Etobicoke, Ontario and was founded in September 2018.

Co-founder Khalid Elmi’s LinkedIn stated that it is “one of Canada’s fastest-growing companies with 50+ employees, speeding down a runway toward $60-75M in annual sales-in Ontario alone.”

The company is listed on the Ontario Consumer Beware List with the following notice:

Consumer Protection Act, 2002, Notice of Contravention issued: recipient fails to correct contraventions – 2023-04-20, Failure to correct all contraventions identified in a Notice of Contravention by the date specified by the Ministry, Prescribed information added to Consumer Beware List – 2023-04-20

Similar to Ontario Green Savings, they have advertised a free smart home device:

To get it, they say you must:

• allow a representative of Provincial Smart Home Services to come to your Property, during reasonable hours and upon prior notice to and consent by you to install a Product(s).
• “Once our Energy Advisor determines your eligibility they will process your Bill Credit. rebates are processed with Enbridge auditors with our customer service team which will be coordinated”

They claim to be an authorized dealer for LG, Rheem, Samsung and Lennox:

However, they are not listed on Lennox’s list of dealers, leading me to believe they are referring to the manufacturers that make the equipment they sell to consumers, and not companies they have partnerships with.

Their financing is provided by a familiar player in the industry – Simply Group Financial, the financing arm of Simply Group, which has acquired a number of HVAC rental company’s portfolios after the company selling to consumers door-to-door goes under or develops a poor enough reputation. Financing is also provided by VaultPay (Vault Home Credit Corporation).

Who owns Provincial Smart Home Services?

Mohammed “Moe” Osman and Khalid Elmi are the co-founders and owners of Provincial Smart Home Services. BBB lists Mr. Khalid Elmi as the owner.

Mohamed Osman and Khalid Elmi listed are also both co-founders and directors of 30430 Holdings Inc. which was incorporated December 2, 2021 and shares the same address as Provincial Smart Home Services.

From Mohamed Osman’s LinkedIn:

I’m Mohamed Osman, also known as Moe. I arrived in Canada in 1994, facing humble beginnings in government housing as the second youngest of five boys. My parents’ relentless hard work to provide for our family left a lasting impression on me.

In 2008, I enrolled at Wilfrid Laurier University to study Business Administration. However, in 2009, the financial crisis hit, and my father faced challenges in the automotive industry. I stepped up to support my family by joining the workforce.

That’s when my sales career began. I started as an Energy Sales Consultant at Just Energy, discovering my passion and honing my skills. Soon, I was recruited to run a sales agency in the Home Service Space, successfully expanding it across Ontario.

Driven by the desire for growth, I ventured into the HVAC industry. From 2015 to 2017, I opened my first company in Montreal, Quebec, expanding it to Alberta, Ontario, and even Houston, Texas. The entrepreneurial spirit fueled my ambition.

In 2018, I recognized the emerging market in smart home automation and founded Provincial Smart Home. We focused on digital lead generation and providing smart home automation services. Today, we operate in multiple provinces across Canada, offering innovative solutions.

Continual learning has been crucial in my journey. I’ve participated in Tony Robbins’ platinum membership programs, including Business Mastery, Life and Wealth, and Date with Destiny. Alongside those, I’ve engaged in various sales, business, and health training programs.

My journey reflects resilience, adaptability, and a thirst for knowledge. It is a testament to the transformative power of hard work and continuous self-improvement. Through my story, I hope to inspire others to pursue their dreams, embrace challenges, and never stop learning.

From Khalid Elmi’s LinkedIn:

At the age of 28, I put my head down to work 12+ hour days building Provincial Smart Home. 4 years later, I lifted my head up to see that we’ve become one of Canada’s fastest-growing companies with 50+ employees, speeding down a runway toward $60-75M in annual sales—in Ontario alone.

Leading growth path to 50+ employees, 100+ independent contractors, 5000 square-foot office & revenue runway toward $60M in annual sales.

I began in field sales for the energy/HVAC industries, growing my brand to become one of the most successful sales professionals in North America. I realized if I wanted to scale my destiny to extraordinary heights, only entrepreneurship could achieve it.

The journey to this point was far from smooth. I was born into a high-achieving family: my father was an Ambassador in my home country, one of my brothers went to MIT and another obtained his Ph.D. while I chose to give up the “traditional” educational path. At 18, I pursued my love of sales and built a career from the bottom-up: door-knocking. When I made my first sale and earned $1400 in commission, I knew there was no going back.

Fail forward. Take risks. Stay dialled in. It led me to my first million and it will take me to my first billion because I’m only getting started.

Working as a salesperson at Provincial Smart Home Services

A job posting on Indeed hiring three Regional Sales Closers states that the average commission ranges from 85,000 to $350,000 and describes the job as follows:

As a Regional Sales Closer, you will receive 4-6 pre-qualified sales appointments in your territory each day. Our one-of-a-kind program gives you the opportunity to earn an uncapped commission with unlimited income growth!

How it works

Ads on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok

The company has used many brand names over the years (see the full timeline) to run ads on social media including Facebook, Instagram and/or TikTok, including, but not limited to:

• Provincial Smart Home Services
  • Provincial Rebates
  • Smart Energy Rebates, then Energy Star Rebates and finally Green Energy Savings
  • Save on Water and later Provincial Rebates
  • Clean Energy Program
  • Provincial Energy Rebates

Their ads on social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) promote the promise of all different kinds of benefits to get you to contact them and get an invitation to your home, which they have to do to get around the ban on door-to-door HVAC sales in Ontario.

For example:

• Free smart thermostat
• Free smart doorbell
• Thousands of dollars in gas rebates
• Free smart water kit
• Free energy saving kit
• Free home fire protection package
• Free reverse osmosis filter
• Free furnace filter for 1 year
• $1,000 in gas bill rebate
• Free attic insulation
• $10,000 Canada Homeowners Rebates

You can see their Facebook and Instagram ads here, here and here.

Here are some examples:

Say you see this ad on Facebook and you’re an ENMAX Power customer:

What is your first impression of the offer? In our opinion, the general impression test would determine that:

The marketing message is literally true (you will get a smart thermostat for “free”), but misleading because it does not include or state essential information that would likely influence consumer behaviour.

The reality? Many consumers report that you have to agree to buy equipment from them to get it.

Nowhere in the ad Terms and Conditions (below) or privacy policy does it state that you have to buy anything from them in order to get the thermostat. All it says in the fine print is that you have to agree to a representative coming to your home and install a product:

(i) You must be the legal age of majority in your province or territory of residence.

(ii) You must allow a representative of the Provincial Rebate, a subsidiary of Provincial Smart Home Services, to come to your property during reasonable hours and upon prior notice to and consent by you to install a product(s).

(iii) You consent to Provincial Rebate to use the information you provide to us to contact you about your appointment reminders, our products, services, and marketing emails. You can opt out of the service at any time by messaging us.

They do not specify how “eligibility” or “qualifications” are determined for any of the things they offer.

ENMAX Power: it’s a scam

I sent the ad above to ENMAX Power to let them know their name was being used in Facebook ads, they added the following notice on their “Avoid Utility Scams” page advising customers not to click on the ad or communicate with the company:

Enbridge Gas: it’s a scam

I sent the ad below to Enbridge to let them know their name was being used in Facebook ads, and a Communications Advisor stated that their legal team was aware of the giveaway and that “unfortunately it is a scam”.

In-home assessment is confusing

Their website says a qualified technician will review current equipment and advise oh how to reduce energy bills:

Once inside your home, the salesperson scribbles a pitch on paper comparing the cost of any existing rental equipment (Reliance, Enercare, Simply Group) to installing various new energy-efficient equipment, financed by a loan with a 20 year amortization, attempting to show the “savings” you will benefit from – which customers and reviewers reported finding confusing.

Various devices and equipment are grouped together in a “bundle” and the cost is not broken down into separate line items – only the grand total is shown, somewhere:

Promises of additional benefits

Reviews mention them making additional promises to make the deal look more appealing, including:

• Bill reduction of 15-20%
• $150, $1,000, $1,200 or $1,999 Enbridge Bill credit or rebate on next billing cycle
• $1,500 cheque from Enbridge
• $300 rebate or credit from Enercare
• Rebates from the Ontario government ($1,450) in 4 to 6 weeks
• Buyout/payoff of any existing HVAC rental contracts with Enercare, Reliance
• Amazon gift card credit

Equipment they suggest may include one or more of the following:

• Furnace
• Air conditioner
• Water softener
• Tankless water heater
• Heat pump
• Attic insulation
• HEPA home filtration system
• UV water system
• Water filtration system
• Water softener
• Nest thermostat
• Total Home Protection Plan
• and more

Installation happens quickly

Once the contract is signed, they act quickly to get the equipment into your home, installing it on the same or next day to keep the customer happy during the 10-day cooling off period.

Long delays in getting the benefits promised

Their website says you will get your rebates after you qualify as a homeowner:

However, many consumer complaints report that the promised benefit, which they were told would arrive in a few weeks or billing cycles, had not been received up to 3 to 9 months after the installation.

Customers call and email many times to inquire and ask about when the benefits will be provided, but representatives of PSHS make further promises, saying they’ll email or call back, that “someone will be there tomorrow”, or “it would process right away”. These end up being “empty promises”, further delaying the benefits the customer expected to receive.

Costs are more than equipment is worth

Some reviewers report that the value of the equipment installed is much lower than what they’re charged, being quoted “$13,000 for at most $2,000 in materials at big box store prices”, or charged “$15,000 for some part which (after a google search) amounted to ~$3500”.

One customer received an invoice that provided the following line items:

• KEEPRITE DLCSRBH18AAK heat pump: $8,000 plus $500 for installation, while a unit with the same model number, parent company and similar performance is available for US$1,700 to US$2,400 on Minisplit Warehouse, equivalent to $2,300 to $3,250 at time of writing.
• Navien NPE 150S2 tankless water heater: $5,000 plus $500 for installation, while the unit is available for $2,203.31 on BPHSales.ca or $3,049 (including installation) on HVACTrust.ca.

In these cases, the total cost quoted is much more than the equipment is actually worth.

Loan terms are terrible

The cost of the entire bundle of products they sell you is financed by a 3rd party company such as Simply Group Financial or Vault Pay and the customer must sign a loan agreement with them. Here are examples from both companies:

Neither agreement states the total amount of money you’ll pay or the total number of payments. When you factor in the other costs they charge that they don’t have to include in the interest calculation, you may be paying far more to borrow than you realize.

Using the above Simply Group Financial loan as an example:

• Interest rate of 12.99% APR is within the usual range of interest rates charged on a personal loan (6.99% to 47% – the maximum legal limit), which depend on your credit score and lower than the interest rates of credit cards (20%). However, it is higher than the Canadian average rate (June 2023) on:
  • personal loans: 9.13%
  • secured personal lines of credit: 5.4%,
  • unsecured personal lines of credit: 10.6%
• Term length of 60 months is the duration of the payment schedule committed to. Personal loans typically have term lengths of 6 to 60 months.
• Amortization period (240 months/20 years): The length of time it will take to pay off a loan in full. For personal loans, the amortization period typically aligns with the term length (6 to 60 months), but the Simply Group Financial loan stretches out repayment of the loan over 20 years – 4 times longer than the term length – resulting in 520 payments. Longer amortization periods reduce the amount of the monthly loan payment, making it look as cheap as possible, and maximizes the amount of interest paid to the financing company over the course of the loan.
  
  For reference, the maximum amortization period allowed in Canada for mortgages is 25 years on an insured mortgage (<20% down payment), or 30 years for a conventional mortgage (>20% down payment).
• Open loan – Section 76 of the Consumer Protection Act states that loans must be “open” – ie. you can pay off the outstanding balance at any time without any prepayment charge or penalty.

I was unable to find an online loan calculators that allowed me to input 20 year amortizations and an initial promotional term at a discounted rate, so I had to make my own bi-weekly amortized loan calculator in Google Sheets.

The 12.99% interest rate is only guaranteed up to year 5 (60 months) after which, you have to refinance with Simply Group. However, assuming that the interest rate stayed the same, here is a snapshot of the payments over the 20 years:

The loan results in around $90,000 in total payments over the course of 20 years – almost 3x the cost of the initial loan. These contracts are very profitable for the sales and financing companies and a bad deal for their customers.

A mortgage calculator wouldn’t be as accurate because the interest for fixed-rate mortgages is compounded semiannually, while variable mortgages can be compounded semiannually or monthly. The more frequently the interest is charged, the more beneficial it is for the lender and the more costly it is for the borrower.

Even so, using the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada’s mortgage calculator to double-check and the findings were similar. The total cost of the $35,000 loan would be over $90,000:

Cheaper financing options

The interest rates on loans offered by alternative, private lenders (or “B lenders”) are typically much higher than the unsecured personal loans offered by banks and credit unions. A personal loan can be great for financial emergencies, but it isn’t ideal for most homeowners and should not be used for discretionary spending.

To get a better deal on financing your home improvement and energy efficiency upgrades, you could instead apply for:

• Canada Greener Homes Grant of up to $5,000 (Enbridge Gas Home Energy Rebate Plus program (HER+) in Ontario), and the Canada Greener Homes Loan of up to $40,000 repaid over 10 years, interest free to upgrade your home with insulation, windows and doors, heat pumps (to replace furnace, AC, water heater), solar panels, smart thermostat.
• Home equity line of credit (HELOC) – borrowing against home equity which offers lower interest rates (eg. prime +1%, or 8.2% at time of writing) than other types of credit (especially unsecured loans and credit cards) because it is secured against your home, and is available if you have enough equity in your home.
• Personal lines of credit interest rates are usually lower than for credit cards and personal loans.

These options may take longer to apply for and have more upfront fees, but will cost much less in the long term.

Even Reliance, which we suggest you avoid, will finance a new $6,500 air conditioner at a cheaper rate of 9.9% APR and a 120 month amortization.

10 year Total Home Protection Plan

Their Total Home Protection Plan covers the repair, replacement or adjustment – as they deem necessary – of certain parts of the “heating unit” or “cooling unit”, but according to their Terms & Conditions, their “Total Home” plan does not cover:

• for heating units (natural gas furnace, boiler, space heater, air handler, heat pump or high velocity unit):
  • More than one of: furnace, boiler, space heater, air handler, heat pump
  • Parts: heat exchanger, heating coil, heating sections, firebox, furnace filters, water cut-off valves, circulating pumps, zone valves
  • Boiler system drainage and refill (recommended maintenance)
  • Equipment using conversion burners
  • Fireplaces and ductless or wall units
  • Heating equipment that uses electricity or any fuel other than natural gas
  • Cleaning required due to insufficient maintenance prior to joining the plan (charged at $149/hour)
• for cooling units (electric central air conditioner, heat pump, high velocity AC):
  • Natural gas ductless or wall unit cooling units
  • Parts: compressor and condenser coil
• Redecoration and restoration costs required as a result of work performed (drywall, plaster, paint, etc.)
• Equipment serving more than one dwelling

The Protection Plan is provided for “free” (regularly $71.99) and has a term of 120 months (10 years). According to the T&C, the Plan is automatically renewed for one-month terms as long as a bundle package is still in effect until it is cancelled either by PSHS or the customer upon written notice.

Our understanding of these terms is that after 10 years (end of the free term) and before the end of the loan (20 years), a monthly fee of $71.99 will be charged for the Total Home Protection Plan since a bundle package will still be in effect.

Cancellation

The Invoice Terms & Conditions state that:

cancellations within 10 days of the contract, may be liable for the installation and un-installation costs of the products and equipment installed – charged to the credit card and/or cheque on file.

Cancellation of Protection Plan services by the customer is subjected to:

• Buyout or bill credits done by the company
• 1 year of protection plan penalties and any outstanding amounts owing on the account must be paid
• Remain liable for any outstanding amounts owing

Lien

The financing company involved, for example Simply Financial or VaultPay, puts a lien known as a Notice of Security Interest (NOSI) on customers’ properties for the equipment installed. Liens can cost thousands to discharge, can prevent the sale of a home from going through and gives the financing company the right to take possession of the home if the customer can’t pay the loan.

As part of the terms and conditions of your Payment plan, you grant us the right to register a security interest against you and against title to the address, where the Property is to be located. Unless prohibited by law, you waive your right to receive a copy of such registration where required and you appoint us as your lawful attorney for registration and receipt of notice.

We may sell, assign or otherwise dispose of or grand a security interest in, all or part of our right and interest in this agreement to anyone else, without notice to you or your consent.

Reviews of Provincial Smart Home Services

The BBB has an alert warning that they are offering compensation or incentives to individuals who post reviews.

Both ex-employees we spoke to confirmed this, one saying they give customers gift cards for reviews the same day of install and the other saying that the company offers $20 or $50 gift cards to homeowners who decline their sales pitch in return for leaving a review on Facebook, Google, Bark and TikTok.

At the time of publication (Dec. 2022), had an F rating on BBB, which has since been changed to “Not Rated” (NR), meaning there is insufficient information about a business or ongoing review/update of the business’s file.

In Dec. 2022, the company had the following reviews and ratings:

• Google: 606 reviews with a rating of 4.8
• Facebook: 63 reviews with a rating of 3.7
• HomeStars: 32 reviews with a rating of 7.5
• TrustPilot: 97 reviews with a rating of 3.9
• Bark: 63 reviews with a rating of 5

As of August 21, 2023 PSHS has the current reviews and ratings, with some platforms having 2-3x the reviews compared to 8 months prior:

• Google: 1,568 reviews with a rating of 4.6
• Facebook: 64 reviews with a rating of 3.6
• HomeStars: 136 reviews with a rating of 8.2
• TrustPilot: 299 reviews with a rating of 4
• Bark: 70 reviews with a rating of 4.5

Google reviews

I answered an ad on instragram for a “free energy smart kit”‼️ Turns out I should have been more “buyer beware smart” as the ad did not contain full disclosure about a company representative who said the kit could not be mailed but must be delivered by a company rep thru a booked appt for consultation. Rep shows up with NO ENETGY SMART KIT to qualify me. Instead a proposed contract for a furnace installation & protection plan for $15,000 with $1,000 rebate from my energy supplier. Such a disappointment after not getting the FREE ENERGY SMART KIT even after the consultation appt.

After everything been set up, the credit they promised just never came true.

TrustPilot reviews

They were very quick to install but when I reached out to them regarding the buy out of my energy company and the rebate from Enbridge no response

As promised I did not receive buy out of my furnace, ac and thankless water. I was suppose to receive $1200 in enbridge account and Inspector inspection and nothing to be paid (fee)

Rebate cheque, I am still waiting.

I had an offer through Facebook for free thermostat and further how to save energy and get government rebates and if I would like my water heater to save me more money they would buy out my existing heater from Embridge. I have not received any government rebate my water heater is in my garage and I got a tankless water heater, plus a water softener, plus a hepa filter system and insulated my attic. All this at a cost of $15,000.00 payment by weekly plus interest I was deceived and tricked all this was to be free or with rebates

I was told, and this was signed off by Michael, that I would get a credit of $300 and a cheque for $1500 from Enbridge within 2 months but this never happened. When I contacted customer svc, I was told that an audit has to be done first and I will have to pay $735, which will be refunded within 6 months. This was never discussed initially.

Also I was suppose to receive $1200 in enbridge account and Inspector inspection and nothing to be paid (fee). Now I am been asked to pay.

They still haven’t paid the buy out for the rental hot water tank after almost 5 months.

HomeStars reviews

Haven’t received any of the rebates yet and will not return our calls regarding them. Paying double for our water system monthly. Big problems here with follow up. Just be aware of what you are getting in too! cost of services: $15,000.00

It is now more than a full week and service person (s) have not shown up to fix the gas line on the fireplace or put on the cap to the 6″ open exhaust pipe.

Still have our water tank that they have not bought out or arranged to have picked up. They promised a google nest which has still not been delivered or installed.

failed to mention that i had to pay Enbridge to get the promised rebate. 

I’ve been calling the past few weeks and months to get someone to investigate on why we haven’t received our rebate yet and no one has gotten back to me.

Everything was installed in March, was promised a rebate, had 2 inspectors cancel appointments, service reps not calling back, I think this was all a slick sales pitch to a single senior.

The rep said he would visit the home when the work is complete, which he never did, and they were going to send someone to check the door bell which didn’t happen either. Also he said he would be taking care of a check from Ontario Government for the energy saving upgrade, and there has not been any follow up to this.

Bark reviews

we had Reliance issues and they showed up saying they would buy out all our Reliance, if we used them to install a new combination hotwater /Boiler. Reliance called and are sending me to collections because Provincial Smart Home are liars and didn’t pay it off.

It has been 3 days now with numerous phone calls but as of today while I am writing this review, I still don’t have an appointment to fix the problem.

Reviews mentioning poor quality installation

“Broke my garage entrance door step while taking the old water heater.”

“The AC system was installed incorrectly and have been trying to book a repair for 4 weeks now.”

“When the company installed our furnace the techs wired it up the wrong way, blowing the control board ($800+ dollar part on it’s own)”

“The Installer was not a certified electrian or gas fitter. Blew my entire 1 year old fuse panel sending potentially fire starting sparks across the room. Left without power for 2 day’s in the cold -15⁰c nights. Installed the hot water tank with the hot and cold backwards. Intake and exhaust air ports too close and facing each other.”

“Our furnace is not hooked up correctly, causing our basement to not receive any heat.”

Provincial Smart Home Services staff seem to be submitting fake 5-star reviews about themselves to Cansumer

On June 15, 2023, 32 x 5-star reviews of Provincial Smart Home Services were submitted to Cansumer on the bottom of this very page in less than an hour and a half, more than had previously been submitted and approved since the page was published in December 2022 (28):

We won’t publish the email addresses publicly to protect users’ privacy, however, by using an IP Lookup Tool to check the IP addresses the reviews were submitted from, the organization as Provincial Smart Home in Etobicoke, Ontario for 13 of the reviews:

Here are a few examples:

Installed around $20,000 of updates with Provincial Smart Home ended up receiving rebates back of almost $6000 plus I have free protection on all my equipment. This was a great plan compared to Enercare.

“Mark Johnston” providing a Rogers email address including the name Christian Burel

Received over $6500 in rebates with Provincial Smart Home ‘s after installing new heating and cooling equipment. Received free protection on all my gear.

“CARL B” providing a Provincial Smart Home email address including the name Christian

Christian Markus Burel happens to be the name of the VP of Sales for the company.

Having work done with this company is amazing – super smooth and quick!! Had all of my needs taken care of!

“SM” providing an email address with the name Shehr Malik, which happens to be the name of a Regional Sales Closer for Provincial Smart Home

Another was submitted by Sahil Sehrawat, which happens to be the name of another Regional Sales Closer for Provincial Smart Home.

Negative reviews left on Cansumer being resolved by PSHS

That same day, Cansumer started receiving requests from past reviewers who had left 1-star reviews asking to have their review deleted as their complaints had been resolved:

• One stated that they Shae from Provincial Smart Home Services had seen their negative review and reached out to resolve the issue. Shae had reportedly just gotten back from maternity leave and came back to work when she realized that none of the rebates were going through. The rebate payment would be sent within the next couple of weeks. This individual would also be updating their Google Review to 5 stars and recommends that others with complaints contact Shae.
• Another reviewer stated that after months of calling, contacting their MP and MPP and lawyers, PSHS called after an audit was done. They were compensated for the trouble they experienced. They were also told that Shae had been on maternity leave and just got to work to resolve the rebate problems.
• One had been promised a bill reduction of 15-20% and rebates of over $1,500 and hadn’t received it at the time of writing the review (4 months after installation). They were unable to reach customer service and were complaining to the Consumer Protection Act. 6 months after posting their review, they requested that their review be removed after being in contact with Shae and having their concerns resolved.

Negative reviews on Google being resolved by PSHS

There are more than a few reviews that mention adjusting their review after being in contact with Shea, a Customer Relations Manager:

• Received a request from a reviewer here on Cansumer to remove their review – Provincial Smart Homes (Shae in particular) are sending me my rebate within the next 2 weeks and I am happy now that the money is on the way. I will be reevaluating my review with Google Reviews to update them to 4 stars today and 5 stars when I receive the money.
• 1 star to 5 – They still haven’t paid the buy out for the rental hot water tank after almost 5 months. Shae went above and beyond to make things right. They took care of the energy audit and the buy out of my hot water tank
• Shae has reached out to me and promised all would be looked after. As of this morning all issues have been resolved.
• 1 star to 3 – I gave this company a very bad review because of my experience with the company. They have fixed most of my issues, and will have the rest fixed this week so i’m not as upset as I was.
• 1 star to 3 – I will give 2 more stars for Shae.
• after four months Shea came through for us, Shea was awesome. Thanks Shea for making us happy customers
• A great claps to Shea (Customer Relations Manager)who makes everything smooth.
• I contacted Shae Customer relations manager through instagram and I received a great deal and service.
• I loved the service and shae is so friendly and accommodating. … Shea explained everything in details and also gave me the best deal.

Multiple Reddit threads discuss how at best, rental contracts are a terrible deal, and at worst, you won’t receive the rebates, or maintenance service as promised.

Customer’s close-call dealing with a Provincial Smart Home Services salesperson

The following is experience with Provincial Smart Home Services was sent to us by a Cansumer reader after they “dodged a bullet” by cancelling their contract during the 10 day “cooling off” period under the Consumer Protection Act after the equipment had been installed. The company had to (eventually) come and remove the equipment from her property.

They wanted to share their story so hopefully this doesn’t happen to anyone else.

Jane (not her real name) was finding it cold and drafty in her home. She saw an ad on TikTok for a company called provincial smart home services that she believed was offering incentives with Enbridge. She thought this would be a great way to upgrade her home and improve the living conditions for her soon-to-be-born child.

Jane wrote to the company and they called her back the next day, setting up a time that a salesman would come to her home.

On the day of the visit, the salesman enters her home, shakes her hand and sits down at the dining table. They chit chat about themselves for a short time, and Jane tells him that she is pregnant and wants to make the house comfortable for the baby.

Coincidentally, the salesperson says that they are going to be a parent soon too and that they’re having twins. They chat for a while about how expensive weddings are.

The salesperson shifts the conversation to how he can improve Jane’s home with available incentives. He points out the possibility of a tankless water heater, HEPA filter, attic insulation and security cameras – the whole 9 yards. He says that he will pay off Jane’s existing reliance equipment in full, give her a rebate of $1,999 from Enbridge and a $150 rebate on her next Enbridge bill.

He then gets her to visualize what she could do with the rebate money and savings by suggesting that this money can be used for whatever she wants – maybe they could finish their basement or keep the money.

To qualify for these incentives he gives the final amount of $35,000 at 2.99% APR, which jumps up to 12.9% APR after the first year and says that it will only change by $10.00 after that year.

Here are the details of that contract:

As many would, Jane responded by stating that she would have to talk the deal over with her spouse.

This is when the salespersons friendly demeanor shifted, and with a condescending voice asked:

“why do you need to talk to anyone it’s easy decision its improvements in your home. Why why?? Call him talk to him now”

Jane told him that he’s working and cannot talk. She said that she doesn’t usually make decisions off the bat.

In the end, Jane signed the document and agreed to the install before the salesman leaves her home.

The company showed up the next day to install the equipment and insulation. She got a call from the company asking for her drivers license and SIN number.

Jane was driving home when she got a call asking her to sign off on the final bill. She told the caller that she is driving and asked if they can call back. The rep said that they need to do this now and insisted that she pull over and sign.

Jane pulled over to look over the documents and the price had shot up by $15,000 dollars to $53,000. Upset by this, but feeling she had no choice because the job had already been done, she signed off.

After this change to their agreement, she is concerned about how they will pay off her Reliance equipment so she texted the salesman. He replied “oh no we take care of all that for you, you don’t have to do anything at all in fact if you get a bill forward it to me and I’ll take care of it.”

She wondered how would he do that, but it felt like great customer service, so she carried on and put her trust in him. Jane told herself that it will keep my family warm and safe, improving her financial situation and home at the same time.

Jane texted him again that same day, saying it would have been nice to have more transparency with the final amount before signing and installation.

About a hour later he called, making pleasantries: hey how was your drive home? Where do you drive thru? On the highway?

Quickly changing the subject, Jane asked: why is it more money then before?

The salesman shrugged her off and says, “if I had a 100 dollars for every person that said that to me I’d be rich. You’re going to be fine”.

The next day, Jane’s mother suggested that she call Reliance and ask them if they are affiliated with this company and if anyone can call and pay off someone’s equipment or bill, so Jane did.

Reliance confirmed that they absolutely 100% will not talk to anyone other then the person on the account. This is when she realized that the company couldn’t possibly pay off the Reliance bill as they said they would.

Jane then called Enbridge to ask if they are affiliated with Provincial Smart Homes Service. They confirmed there is no rebate offer from outside companies and they don’t credit your account for a job that was done.

This is when it hit her. She would be stuck with this huge loan in addition to your existing Reliance bills. She felt her whole world come in on her and began to have a severe pain attack, in complete shock that someone could enter her home and lie to her at the most vulnerable time in her life.

Jane started doing her own research, searching reviews online, the Better Business Bureau and got the same results everywhere: multiple people being victims of fraud and false claims. Waiting and waiting on their refunds that they were promised but never got. People calling and calling on faulty equipment. Innocent people being defrauded over and over again and being stuck with high loans. She couldn’t believe it, why her! This can’t be happening.

Jane contacted Consumer Protection Ontario, who guided her to write a letter stating I had a 10 day cooling off period and that she wanted to:

• end the contract
• cancel the loan
• company pick up the equipment
• any lien on the property to be removed

They had 10 days to reply back in writing.

She sends the salesman the letter too because she wasn’t hearing from anyone.

The salesman calls her the morning after, starts yelling at her telling her that she needs to shut the f*** up and listen to him. How does she sleep at night ruining a company? He was so mad and yelling at Jane and her husband. He said he would cancel everything. He then hung up on and blocked them.

A few days later, Jane gets a call from Reliance asking to schedule a pick up for the hot water tank. She said she never gave permission. The representative said that someone called 4 days ago giving the okay to do so. She said it absolutely was not her and the company called on behalf of her without her permission.

She got a email back from Provincial Smart Home Services stating they would send a technician out in a couple days and they would take the equipment back and cancel any agreement. The company no showed on that date. Jane emailed and phoned with no response back. The company did come the day after and took their equipment back.

A day or so goes by before Jane got an email that said she has to pay for the insulation because the job was done.

Jane was relieved to have everything else cancelled, so she agreed to make the payment. She waited and waited and no phone call. She emailed the company and requested to make payment. She hasn’t heard from anyone at the company and doesn’t know if she is stuck with a $2,000 dollar bill for the insulation. She even emailed and called Simply Financial Group where the loan would come out of and no answer.

Jane only found the name of the financial institution because she called Equifax. The company did not disclose the financial institution or “vault home credit” which is another financing company. (This is Vault Credit Corporation a non-bank private mortgage lender with a specialty in residential construction financing co-founded by Daniel Wittlin in 2013)

“We really dodged a bullet. This is a really shady company!

If a company comes into your home making it sound all great and can install the next day BUYER BEWARE!!! We also noticed the trucks had no company name and they were not in uniform. Also on one of the financial letters it stated you will not receive statements. We think that is really weird.

If we can just help one person we will sleep better at night!”

We reached out to Provincial Smart Home Services for comment

We reached out to both Khalid and Mohammed with the following questions:

Good afternoon Khalid,

I’m working on a story for Cansumer about Provincial Smart Home Services (PSHS) and how customers are reporting not receiving the rebates and contract buyouts they were promised. 

To ensure we get both sides of the story, I am reaching out to ask you the following questions:

1. Why has PSHS used multiple operating names to advertise services eg. Provincial Rebates, Green Energy Savings, Energy Star Rebates, Home Care Now?
2. Why does the PSHS Better Business Bureau page state that the company is offering compensation or incentives to individuals who post reviews, which was also confirmed to us by an ex-employee?
3. Why are many customer reviews reporting not receiving the credit/rebate/cheque or buyout of their existing equipment rental contract that they were promised?
4. What is the amount, source and reason for the rebate cheque that PSHS offers?
5. Why are customers having to wait weeks and months for PSHS to return their calls and emails?

The article will be published Tuesday at 9AM. Please respond before then to have your statements included.

Thanks,
Alex

Their response

And received the following response from Khalid at 9:30AM on Tuesday. He did not answer any of our questions, but refuted the ex-employees claims, PSHS’ affiliation with Home Care Now, and the allegations on the BBB:

Good Morning Mr. Wideman, 

While we appreciate you reaching out, we will not tolerate any false or misleading statements about Provincial Smart Home Services (“PSHS”) or be threatened with unknown sources such as an alleged disgruntled employee. We have already reached out to this previous employee and our lawyers are in the process of exercising an NDA which was signed.

PSHS is not affiliated with Home Care Now. PSHS only recently became aware of the allegations made on the Better Business Bureau website. As such, PSHS is still investigating the matter with our legal team and is not in a position to comment. PSHS takes all customer complaints seriously and will continue to resolve all issues directly with individual customers as necessary.

If you have genuine intentions, I extend an open invite to meet face to face at our head office here in Etobicoke. We take pride in our operation and truly put our customers first.

Accordingly, we demand that you refrain from publishing false information in connection to PSHS. Otherwise, we reserve the right to escalate this matter to our legal counsel and commence legal proceedings against you for defamation and any other ground as may be necessary.

Regards,

Khalid

Provincial Smart Home Services manages the Home Care Now Facebook page

Contrary to Khalid’s claim, Home Care Now’s Facebook page and Advertising account both state that they are managed by Provincial Smart Home in Etobicoke ON, M8X 1Y9 Canada +15198202310:

which is the same location as Provincial Smart Home Services:

Timeline of brands and companies with links to PSHS

There is a long history of churn-and-burn HVAC sales entities and brands in Ontario. New corporations and business identities are created when the previous ones develop a bad reputation or fall under regulatory pressure.

The owners of Provincial Smart Home Services have been involved with a number of entities and brands in the HVAC industry.

The owners Mohammed and Khalid have connections to other companies that they may have worked at in the past such as Ontario EcoSmart and Just Green Home Services and according to the 2 ex-employees, before operating as Provincial Smart Home Services, they operated under the names Trusted Home Services and Home Care Now.

The organization has also used many brand names over the years (see the full timeline) to run ads on social media including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, including, but not limited to:

• Trusted Home Services
• Home Care Now
• Green Energy Savings
• Energy Star Rebates
• Smart Energy Rebates
• Save on Water
• Provincial Rebates

Here are the details we could find about each of the entities. The date for each is when the website’s domain name was first registered or company was incorporated.

Ontario Standard Home Services (Jul 2015)

Connection: Shared the same address and phone number as Just Green Home Services.

Ontario Standard Home Services Ltd. was incorporated in July 2015 at the same address as Just Green Home Services and dissolved in May 2019. BBB lists “Just Green Home Services” as an alternate name.

Mr. Sean Seecharan was the owner of Ontario Standard Home Services.

• Web: http://www.ontariostandard.ca/
• Phone: 1-888-846-9994 (BBB) and 1 (800) 698-6151
• Mail: 55 Eglinton Ave E #800, Toronto, ON M4P 1G8

Trusted Home Services (2016 – ~2020)

Connection: Shares the same corporate entity (2553989 ONTARIO INC – 559 Leighland Drive, Waterloo, Ontario N2T 2H4 Canada) and operating address (1243 Islington Ave Unit 403, Etobicoke, ON M8X 1Y9) as Home Care Now below. Several reviews mention a Mohammad/Moe/Mo Osman and state that he was a sales manager.

Directors Welid Abdulkader and Amar Osman were listed on Ontario’s Consumer Beware List for a number of charges including:

• Unfair Practice – False Misleading
• Fail to Refund
• Direct Agr – Fail to Deliver Valid Contract
• Soliciting a consumer, while in the consumer’s home, to enter into a direct agreement
• Fail to take reasonable care as director

Christian Burel, a Sales VP at Provincial Smart Home and Regional Sales Manager at Trusted Home Services according to revonect.

According to Google and Scam Pulse reviews, they no longer had responsibility of the customer’s contract in 2020 because it had been taken over by CHICC.

Other individuals connected to this company according to Google reviews include:

• Nicholas Connell
• Moe Tork
• Ahmed, the part owner

Two guys come to my house asking if I received my “free” Google Nest thermostat.

• Web: trustedhomeservice.ca
• Email: customercare@trustedhomeservice.ca
• Phone: 1-866-878-7804
• Mail: 1243, Islington Avenue, 403, Etobicoke, On M8X 1Y9, CA

National Green Home Services Inc. (Dec 2015 to Oct 2018)

Connection: Mohamed Osman was the sole director of the corporation and a LinkedIn profile of the same name states they were President of Sales. National Green Home Services Inc. was incorporated in December 2015 at the same address as Just Green Home Services and was dissolved in October 2018.

• Mail: 267 Matheson Blvd E, Mississauga, ON L4Z 1X8

Just Green Home Services (Feb 2018 – permanently closed)

Connection: Khalid Elmi’s LinkedIn states that he worked for Just Green Home Services for around 2 years from Sept 2015 to Aug 2017 in roles as D2D sales and Operations Manager on a full time contract. It shares the same address and phone number as National Green Home Services and phone number of Ontario Standard.

The now-closed Just Green Home Services was based at that address and had a 1.2 star rating and 10 reviews.

They were previously part of Enbridge’s open bill program.

• Web: http://www.justgreenhomeservices.com/
• Phone: 1-888-846-9994
• Mail: 267 Matheson Blvd E, Mississauga, ON L4Z 1X8

Just Green Home Services Alberta Ltd. formerly Alberta Energy Group Inc. (July 2015)

Incorporated July 16, 2015 at 559 Leighland Dr., Waterloo ON N2T 2H4 (same address as 2553989 ONTARIO INC doing business as Home Care Now and Trusted Home Services) was ordered to cease engaging in unfair practices and received an Administrative penalty of $3,000 as a result of contraventions of the Consumer Protection Act. The sole registered director was Mohamed Osman.

Ontario EcoSmart (May 2019)

Connection: According to a post on RedFlagDeals, an individual named Moe Osman was a salesperson for this company.

Ontario EcoSmart was incorporated in May 2019. Travis Curry was listed as director.

• Web: ontarioecosmart.com
• Phone: 1 (866) 666-9692
• Mail: 2201 – 250 Yonge St, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5B 2L7

Home Care Now (Oct 2019)

Connection: Same corporate entity (2553989 ONTARIO INC) and operating address (1243 Islington Ave Unit 403, Etobicoke, ON M8X 1Y9) as Trusted Home Services above.

Incorporated in 2016, and previously operated as Trusted Home Services, 2553989 ONTARIO INC. later operated as Home Care Now.

The company is listed on Ontario’s Consumer Beware List for missing/inadequate/misleading disclosures, Business Failed to Respond and Deficient goods/services, Business Failed to Respond:

The company has an F rating on BBB.

Their sole Google review reads:

Beware of these scammers, I was their victim. They sold me a contract of $65 a month for a water heater, after 7 months I sold the house and contacted them to move the heater contract to the new owner. They refused and demanded me to pay $7,650 to stop the contract. Now I have to pay that big money for a heater that I will leave to the next tenant for free

Comments on their Facebook page include:

it’s been 6 months and they didn’t offer my rebate yet. I called so many times no reply.

They do not do what they say and once they have your money, they don’t return your text, phone calls or emails.

According to the ex-employee and a Reddit post, they were partnered with Pinnacle for the financing and Koch Management Group for the equipment.

Here is now the process went:

1. Received a call from a company called Home Care Now that said I signed up for a promotion online to look at rebates I could take advantage of offered by the Ontario Government
2. They would completely buy out our contract with Reliance at “no extra cost” to us.
3. They would then remove our gas water heater and install a tankless water heater in its place. They would also install a Hawk Environmental AirWash HEPA filter.
4. After installing both pieces of equipment, they would get us on a financing plan for $15000 at 2.99% over 20 years. If we were to sell the house before that, the contract would go with the house and we wouldn’t be responsible for it any longer. This option would bring our monthly payments from $210 down to $77.

• Web: http://www.homecarenow.ca/
• Email: info@homecarenow.ca
• Phone: 1-833-552-8647
• Mail: 1243 Islington Ave Unit 403, Etobicoke, ON M8X 1Y9
• Facebook page was created June 29, 2020

Name change to Provincial Smart Home Services and move to a new unit

According to the ex-employees, this is when they moved from Unit 403 to 800, telling employees that it was in order to expand, hire more employees.

Under PSHS, they created a number of Facebook pages with different names to use to run social media ads:

• Smart Energy Rebates, renamed to Energy Star Rebates and finally Green Energy Savings
• Save on Water, later renamed to Provincial Rebates
• Clean Energy Program

Smart Energy Rebates and Energy Star Rebates (Aug 2021)

For reference, this is the official Energy Star logo:

Connection: The website looks basically identical to Provincial Rebates’ and uses the exact same number “628,972 Rebates claimed“. They also use the exact same testimonials by Jefferson Patterson Doe, Sarah Palmer L, etc. as Provincial Rebates.

• Web: https://energystarrebates.com
• Changed Facebook page name August 10, 2021:

Green Energy Savings (Oct 2021)

Connection: Provincial Rebates’ privacy policy mentions “Energy Provincial Rebate, www.GreenEnergySavings.ca”, a website that looks nearly identical and also claims the exact same number of “628,972 Smart Kits Claimed” – as if the website was copied and pasted. The site advertises rebates for home energy efficiency upgrades referring to them as “Energy Star rebates”.

Green Energy Savings advertises free smart doorbells on Facebook:

• Web: http://greenenergysavings.ca
• Changed Facebook page name October 13, 2021

Provincial Rebates (May 2022)

Connection: PSHS also operate the official-sounding Provincial Rebates. Their Facebook page lists its location as 542 Evans Ave, Toronto, ON, which according to the ex-employee is the address of a storage company where PSHS reportedly has a unit where they store their equipment.

According to their website, they “work as a non-government organization, which offers free energy saving kits tailored to specific needs of your home” and that 628,972 Smart Kits have been claimed – a number that seems impossibly high for a company in Ontario.

To get you to submit your personal information, the website states: “Homeowners are qualified to register in Home Energy Tax Rebate program and can get up to $1250 in rebate on home energy bill.” They do not provide additional details about this program and I cannot find any programs by that name which offer that incentive amount anywhere in Canada.

It seems like they are invoking the concept of the Home Efficiency Rebate Program which is the official, legitimate program managed by Enbridge and offers up to $5,000 in rebates towards energy efficiency upgrades such as insulation, water heaters, furnaces and assessments. The program requires a registered energy advisor to do an energy assessment in your home, but Provincial Smart Home Services is not registered with Enbridge and not part of the program.

After you submit your information into the form on their website or through Facebook or Instagram, they will:

1. Call you to make an appointment with one of their Registered Energy Advisors.
2. The advisor will audit your gas, water and hydro bills to provide you a custom energy rebate report.
3. When you successfully meet efficient energy usage, our advisor will collect and submit all the necessary paperwork for the rebates & incentives you were eligible
4. You will receive you Energy Star rebate in 1-2 billing cycles.

They display the logos of the Ontario Power Authority, Union Gas, Enbridge, Ontario Energy Board and more on their homepage, which gives the impression that they are associated, partnered, certified or do business with these organizations in some way. They state – but only in the fine print, that they are not affiliated with any Provincial or Government agency.

• Web: https://provincialrebates.ca
• Email: info@provincialrebates.com
• Facebook page created February 14, 2022 as “Save on Water” and the name was changed May 24, 2022
• See all their Facebook ads

Clean Energy Program (May 2023)

Connection: Clean Energy Program’s website that looks nearly identical to Energy Star Rebates, Green Energy Savings’ and Provincial Rebates’ and also claims the exact same number of “628,972 Smart Kits Claimed” and same testimonials – as if the website was copied and pasted. The site advertises “Energy Star rebate” in 1-2 billing cycles for home energy efficiency upgrades.

The Clean Energy Program Facebook page was set up May 4, 2023 and lists the same usual storage company’s address (542 Evans Ave. Etobicoke) and advertises free Smart Water Kits, Free Attic Insulation and Free Smart Thermostats on Facebook:

• Web: https://cleanenergyprogram.ca
• Facebook page
• See all their Facebook ads

Other potentially connected brands

Canadian Quality Home Services (April 2018 – permanently closed)

Connection: Another brand used by PSHS according to the ex-employee.

According to this Facebook page, Patrick Duchownik, now in Kelowna salesman at the time called Reuben Hwang

“CQHS started in 2016 specializing in providing water filtration systems and water softener systems in Edmonton and area.”

Google reviews:

after almost a year after installation and still no word on our $500 utility credit

Where are all the additional products that were to be received of approx $5,000! 

• Web: https://cqhs.ca/
• Phone: 1-888-655-2747
• Email: customers@cqhs.ca
• Mail: 9932 70 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB T6E 0V7

Canada’s Green Home Solutions (Aug 2022)

Connection: The phone number of this company (416-705-4060) was provided to us as one of Moe’s contact numbers.

• Address: 1 King Street W. Suite 1400, Hamilton, L8P 4X9, CA
• Web: canadasgreenhomesolutions.com, now canadasgreenhome.com
• Phone: 1-416-705-4060, 1-888-391-5216, (416) 705-4060
• Email: welid@canadasgreenhomesolutions.com, info@canadasgreenhome.com
• Facebook page was created September 29, 2022

Green Home Rebates (Dec 2022)

Based on their phone number 1-888-391-5216, they operate greenhomerebates.ca which promises a “Senior home safety tax credit” of $2,500 and “Emergency utility support” of $1,000 and a $2500.00 utility bill credit, their Instagram ads promise $2,500 Carbon Tax Rebates:

• Address: 40 King St W, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5H3Y2
• Web: greenhomerebates.ca
• Phone: 1-888-391-5216
• Email: info@greenhomerebates.ca
• Facebook page was created December 6, 2022

How to cancel a Provincial Smart Home Services contract?

If you are a PSHS customer and you would like to cancel your contract with them, you have a few options:

1. If you didn’t contact them and ask that they come to your home, the contract is void.
2. Cancel within the 10 day cooling off period. You can cancel a contract for any reason within 10 days of receiving a written copy of an agreement that you sign in your home (“direct agreement”). To request a cancellation, send the company a message in writing either by email or by registered mail so that you have a record of when you sent it and have a record of the communication. Keep a copy of your letter.
3. Cancel within 1 year for unfair practices. Any agreement entered into through an unfair practice may be cancelled and get a full refund by sending a written request to the business. Additional remedies may be available in law, including damages. Unfair practices include:
   • False/misleading representations: If the business has represented their goods or services in a false, misleading or deceptive way. Check the full list of representations to see if any apply to your situation. You can also report instances to the Competition Bureau using the online complaint form or by telephone at 1-800-348-5358.
     • Claiming to be affiliated with, or endorsed by other companies or government programs. If the salesperson falsely posed as a representative of a legitimate corporation such as Enbridge or Google or a government entity or program such as the Ontario Energy Board or Greener Homes Grant, report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre toll-free at 1-855-495-8501, contact the organization that they were claiming to be affiliated with, and/or contact local police.
   • Unconscionable representations: If the business knew or ought to know that the consumer cannot protect his or her own interests (perhaps because of a disability, illiteracy, impairment, etc.), was put under too much pressure, or received a misleading opinion that that the consumer relied on to make their decision, among others. Check the full list of representations to see if any apply to your situation.
4. Direct agreement/contract is missing information. If the contract was signed at your door or in your home, it is a Direct Agreement. If it does not include all the requirements direct agreements are required to have about the goods or service and your rights as a consumer, you can cancel the contract within 1 year of entering into the agreement.
5. Delivery of goods and services is 30+ days late. If the business hasn’t delivered any of the products or services and it’s been more than 30 days from the date stated in the contract, or 30 days from the date you signed the contract if there is no date stated in the contract, then you can cancel the contract at any time before they deliver or start the services.
6. Failure to refund or breaking the Consumer Protection Act. File a complaint with Consumer Protection Ontario if the business fails to refund you as requested, you’re outside the 1 year timeframe, or you think the company has violated the Consumer Protection Act. These complaints eventually lead to provincial investigations. Charges commonly laid against these kinds of companies include:
   • Unfair Practice – False Misleading
   • Fail to Refund
   • Direct Agreement – Fail to Deliver Valid Contract
   • Door-to-door selling (banned under section 43.1 of the Consumer Protection Act)
7. Failure to provide rebate/buyout/device as advertised. Report this misleading marketing practice to the Competition Bureau, file an official complaint with the BBB, and a formal complaint with Consumer Protection Ontario.
8. Leave an honest review. On Cansumer, Trustpilot, Google, BBB and others. Customers we spoke to reported having their rebate and contract buyout issues resolved in return for deleting or adjusting their reviews.
9. Post to social media – Such as Reddit, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. These companies must maintain their online reputation in order to get new customers. The more people post about their experiences online, the harder it is for bad experiences to be covered up.
10. Contact the media – Ask CBC Go Public, Global News, and CTV News to publish your story. They all publish stories about HVAC scams those who have their stories published typically have their contract concerns resolved by the company.
11. Check for illegal liens on your house – Do a title check to see if a company has registered any illegal liens against your property. Have a lawyer check to see if the lien was illegally placed. See https://www.ontariohvacscam.com
12. Get a lawyer – A lawyer will be able to tell if the contract you have is enforceable, whether the lien on your house is legal and what your options are.
13. Buyout the contract/payoff the loan – It is cheaper in the long run to pay the contract cancellation fee/penalty get rid of the rental/financed equipment and replace it with units that you own or pay off the loan using another, lower interest loan. Section 76 of the Consumer Protection Act states that loans must be “open” – ie. you can pay off the outstanding balance at any time without any prepayment charge or penalty.

How to report Facebook and Instagram ads

To report a Facebook or Instagram ad that you think is inappropriate or misleading after seeing it:

1. Go to the Meta Ad Library.
2. In the Search ads box, enter keywords that are related to the ad or the advertiser name. Then tap the enter key.
3. Scroll to find the ad that you want to report and click  next to it.
4. Choose Report ad and then follow the on-screen instructions.

Reports eventually trigger their ad review algorithm to initiate a review.

To report TikTok videos:

1. Go to the video you need to report.
2. Press and hold on the video.
3. Select Report and follow the instructions provided.

Send us your story

You can add to this story by sending us a message or files here.

Note: Section 184 of the Criminal Code states that recording private conversations is legal as long as one of the parties involved in the call consents to the recording.

Contact

• Web: https://provincialsmarthome.com/
• Email: customerservice@provincialsmarthome.com
• Phone: 1-877-376-7589
• Mail: 1243 Islington Ave, Unit 800, Etobicoke, Ontario M8X1Y9 Canada
• LinkedIn

They list the following additional addresses on their Contact page:

• Suite 3400 – 10180 – 101 Street, Edmonton, AB T5J 3S4
• Suite 300 – 330 St. Mary Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3C 3Z5
• 107 Charlotte Street, Saint John, NB E2L 2J2
• Suite 2010 – 11th Avenue, 7th Floor, Regina, SK S4P 0J3
• Suite 1500 – 701 West Georgia St, Vancouver, BC V7Y 1C6
• Suite 100 – 2 Ralston Avenue, Dartmouth, NS B3B 1H7

Customer reviews

Leave a review or submit a complaint

If you have experience with Provincial Smart Home Services or one of their associated brands, we’re interested to know your thoughts. How long have you been with them and what do you think about their service, contracts and value? Let us know by leaving a review and sharing your experience below!