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» March 2010 Archives
Behind the Scenes with Erica Johnson
Tuesday, March 30, 2010, 4:15 PM    2
Go on the road and behind the scenes with Marketplace co-host Erica Johnson. During the production of our report, "Something's Fishy", Erica travelled to the University of Guelph to get our fish lab results. Watch Friday's Marketplace report to find out if you're really getting what you pay for when you buy fish at the supermarket.

Back treatment ads may twist the truth
Friday, March 26, 2010, 9:08 AM    26
These days, it's hard to miss the ads promising relief for back pain. They're marketing something called "non-surgical decompression therapy," with headlines that claim the treatment comes "with a guaranteed success rate between 80 and 90 per cent!"  

This back-pain treatment is a high-tech form of traction. Patients get strapped onto a table that pulls apart the vertebrae, supposedly allowing damaged discs to be rehydrated, and move back into position. The treatment is not cheap -- up to $5,000 for 20 sessions.
Counting calories at Canadian chain restaurants
Tuesday, March 23, 2010, 4:23 PM    1
Chain restaurants in the U.S. will soon be forced to post the calories of menu items as part of the Obama administration's health care reform bill.

But will Canada follow suit? As Marketplace's Wendy Mesley revealed in 2007, the food served at your neighbourhood casual-dining chain restaurant is loaded with fat, calories, and sodium, in amounts far surpassing those usually found in fast-food meals.

Click here to view the web feature and watch the full episode of Wendy Mesley's report, "Calorie Confidential".

Do your homework on retirement homes
Friday, March 19, 2010, 9:09 AM    6
Geri and Peter Crawshaw thought they had picked out a great retirement home in Orillia, Ont., for Peter's aging mom Betty -- until a fire broke out last year and she suffered major smoke inhalation. Four other residents died.

What they learned too late was the home wasn't equipped with sprinklers -- a device firefighters say is key to controlling not just flames, but smoke. Smoke is what kills most people in a fire.
This week on Marketplace: "Burning Question"
Tuesday, March 16, 2010, 11:57 AM
Firefighters know there's one thing that can help save lives in a fire, so you'll be surprised to learn this one thing is still missing in thousands of buildings across Canada. Host Erica Johnson has a video preview of Friday's Marketplace investigation, Burning Question.
The proper way to protect your plastic
Friday, March 12, 2010, 9:15 AM    18
There's a good chance you've had that call from your bank or credit card company telling you your credit card has been compromised and you need a new one. That happened to me two months ago. And when I asked the customer service rep how my card was stolen, she mentioned thieves stealing the information off computers. It's kind of ironic, because at Marketplace that was just the story we were working on -- the newest way crooks are stealing your debit and credit card numbers.
Your cellphone questions... answered
Thursday, March 11, 2010, 11:03 PM    2
You had a lot to say about last week's Marketplace episode, Canada's Worst Cellphone Bill. Most of the questions sent our way were technical, so we took them to our featured wireless technology expert, Srinivasan Keshav of the University of Waterloo.

Read on to find out what Professor Keshav has to say about the price differences between voice and data roaming, how he arrived at the figures presented in the show, and what he says you can do to save on roaming costs.

'No foolproof way to avoid ID theft'
Wednesday, March 10, 2010, 4:39 PM    1
mp_credit_cards_190.jpgCredit card scams are hard to avoid because you often don't know when you're being scammed -- until the bank contacts you.

Some people may take steps to protect themselves by buying identity protection services - but buyer beware.
Video: Erica Johnson previews Friday's Marketplace
Tuesday, March 9, 2010, 3:34 PM    0
This Friday's Marketplace investigation, "Who's Minding the Store?" reveals the newest way thieves are stealing your credit card and debit card numbers. Host Erica Johnson, in this exclusive video preview, shows what the crooks are up to, how it can affect you, and why buying that latte may cost you a lot more than you think.
What you can do if there's a problem with your cellphone bill
Friday, March 5, 2010, 10:16 AM    39
Dale Bass is a cellphone customer from Kamloops, B.C. with a text-mad son. Dale decided to add Liam to her family plan. She believed she was buying an unlimited text message package but when she got her bill, discovered she was getting charged for extra text messages at the rate of 15 cents a pop.

We've been investigating stories like Dale's and, in fact, have put out a call for Canada's Worst Cellphone Bill. As part of our research, we've learned that navigating the cellphone company plans and contracts can be a minefield. And so we have put together some tips for you -- so you can avoid the ugly surprise that Dale got.
Ontario distracted driver law issues 470 fines in first month
Wednesday, March 3, 2010, 6:11 PM    7
Thumbnail image for mp_gps_tipsheet_584.jpgDuring the first month of Ontario's new distracted driver law provincial police issued 470 charges to people caught breaking the rules.

The law, which bans drivers from using hand-held devices such as cellphones and looking at display screens such as GPS devices and laptops, came into effect on Oct. 26.
How do you feel about your cellphone bill costs?
Wednesday, March 3, 2010, 5:58 PM    29
This week on Marketplace, Wendy Mesley investigates the story behind huge bills many Canadians rack up from using their cellphones. We asked for your bills and whittled them down to a handful of finalists (find out who has Canada's Worst Cellphone Bill on Friday night). So how do how you feel about your bill? Is the price too high, fair, or too low?

'United Breaks Guitars' guy releases third video and a website
Wednesday, March 3, 2010, 5:54 PM    3
Halifax musician Dave Carroll, who shot to fame with his YouTube video, United Breaks Guitars, has launched a consumer-venting website, plus the third and final video of his tale-of-woe trilogy.
Will Canada's telecom industry open up to foreign competition?
Wednesday, March 3, 2010, 5:20 PM    3
wind_mobile.jpgCanada's closed-shop telecommunications industry may no longer be so, as the federal government is setting the stage for more wireless players and possibly lower rates for cellphones and other telecom services.

The government signalled in the throne speech Wednesday it is opening key sectors, including the satellite and telecommunications industries, to both venture capital and investment from outside the country.
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