Alberta tables bill for more consumer protections on cars, electronics, show tickets

EDMONTON — The Alberta government is proposing new rules to give consumers more protection when buying vehicles, tickets, electronics and more.

“Whether you’re buying a vehicle, fixing something you own, protecting your credit or buying tickets to your favourite events, you deserve to know you’re protected if something goes wrong,” Service Minister Dale Nally said in a statement.

Nally introduced a bill on Wednesday that, if passed, would create a so-called lemon law to give consumers some power to fight back when they purchase defective vehicles that cannot be properly repaired.

The goal is to allow vehicle owners to take court action to have their vehicle declared defective and seek remedies like refunds or replacements from a dealership or manufacturer.

The government said it would only apply to a three-year window from when a vehicle was first purchased — or within the first 60,000 kilometres driven. A vehicle would also only qualify if a problem was unsuccessfully repaired three times or when multiple issues were unsuccessfully repaired 12 times.

There are to be new rules around event ticket resales, such as for concerts and sporting events. The government is considering limits on markups for ticket resellers as well as an overall price cap.

There would also be right-to-repair rules. Manufacturers would have to produce repair manuals and make tools and parts available to consumers and third-party repair service providers. Exactly which products would be covered would be determined later.

There is no timeline for when the regulations could be in place.

Nally’s bill would also see the provincial surface rights board reconstituted. The province amalgamated it with the provincial Land and Property Rights Tribunal in 2021. The government said the board, once stood up again, will handle disputes over the use of private land, including unpaid oil and gas lease fees and taxes.

The bill also sets the stage for a future pilot project to let liquor stores sell lottery tickets.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 28, 2026.

Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press