Marketplace Season 40, Episode 19: Mike Holmes: Home Ripoffs

Lousy Labels: Home Edition

"They're on your bedding, your kitchenware, and the cleaning products you use: labels claiming products are ""non-toxic"", ""biodegradable"" and include ""natural ingredients."" But are these common household products really as eco-conscious - or as safe - as you think? Erica Johnson investigates so-called ""green"" household products, putting them to the test, and uncovering surprising truths about some popular brands. She counts down ten products which deserve a Lousy Label for their claims to be greener and safer."

When The Repairman Knocks: Pools

"Marketplace is back at it again, putting home repairmen to the test. We're wiring up homes with hidden cameras, rigging a simple, everyday household problem, to find out if repairmen we invite in can figure it out. Turns out, not every repairman can diagnose the problem. This week, we wade into the world of backyard pools. In the pool business any type of handyman could show up. How would you know if they're really doing a good job? Can you trust them to fix your problem? Is your money well spent? Or will you be sunk? When it comes to testing pool repairmen, Marketplace didn't find much depth."

Fighting for Fido

Thousands of dogs are ill or dying across North America and it's been going on for years. No one can say what, exactly, made the dogs sick. But owners say they fed their dogs a seemingly harmless product: a popular chicken jerky treat. There are warnings on both sides of the border about the treats, which are made in China and marketed by some of the biggest pet food companies. But there is no definitive link between the treats and the illness. And there have been no recalls. Tom Harrington is on the trail of the mysterious illness, putting the treats to the test, and asking questions about a product that is not regulated in Canada. We ask: when things go wrong, who is fighting for Fido?

Getting Squeezed

"Buying a new car can be a gamble: you could end up landing a lemon. So what happens if you buy a faulty car that just can't be fixed? After hearing from car owners across the country who claimed they bought a lemon, Erica Johnson goes searching for answers. She discovers just how difficult it is for owners to get help - from dealerships and from automakers. And she reveals a possible solution on the other side of the border: lemon laws that protect owners from getting squeezed when something goes wrong. Plus - Erica Johnson takes a closer look at Apple's latest smartphone. Is it as consumer-friendly as it claims? Check out this week's Busted!"

Too Good To Be True

"In four decades of Marketplace, we've come across a lot of products - and a lot of pitchmen - that proved to be too good to be true. We're revisiting three of the most outrageous stories, and the people behind them: from an outrageous inventor pitching a $20,000 electronic cure-all; to guarantees of a job in a troubled economy; to a juice marketed as a miracle in a bottle. Where are they now?"

Money Where Your Mouth Is

"When it's time to get our teeth checked, most of us trust our dentist to determine the treatment plan and how much it will cost. They are the experts, aren't they? Co-host Erica Johnson puts dentists to the test: how does one know for sure what work needs to be done and how much it should cost? We reveal that dentists themselves can't even agree. In Money Where Your Mouth Is, we send a researcher with hidden cameras to 20 different dentists in Toronto and Vancouver. We want to know: what treatments are recommended for her pearly whites? We discover a wide variation in treatments and costs. It seems dentistry is not that black and white after all -- there are various shades of grey. Marketplace wants to know why -- to get answers for the millions of Canadians who visit their dentist every year."

High Steaks

"Is the steak you buy as safe as you think? We're taking a sharp look at a little-known process which could affect what you eat. It's a common industry practice that makes steaks and roasts tender, but critics say it can also make beef more susceptible to bacterial contamination. Tom Harrington puts beef to the test, shows you the risks, and reveals what you're not being told."

Pump Fiction

"The price for premium gas blends is as much as 15 cents more per litre than regular gas. Gas companies make the pitch that premium's better for your car. While it's true that some car makers recommend putting premium fuel in their high-end models, what about most of us who drive regular cars? Marketplace takes on Canada's big gas station chains and asks whether Canadians are being misled into paying millions more at the pumps than they need. It's the Marketplace gas challenge: Premium vs. Regular. You won't believe what we find out"

The Dirt on Hotels, Part 1

"Marketplace puts six of the largest hotel chains in Canada to the test. We're investigating the cleanliness of Canadian hotels - in the most comprehensive test of its kind, ever. This month, we'll reveal the risks you don't see - and what you can do about them."

The Dirt on Hotels, Part 2

"Last week's investigation of hotel cleanliness got Canada talking last week. Now, we're digging deeper - testing how well chains are maintaining their hotels. We reveal some of the most surprising results yet, and what the companies could be doing to clean up their act and protect their guests."

When The Repairman Knocks: Garage Doors

"What happens when you give shady repair companies a second chance? Last season we put garage repair companies to the test - and some of them tried to rip us off. Now we're putting them to the test again. We want to know: have they changed their ways?"

Burned

"Tom Harrington investigates flame retardants in our homes and reveals the toxic chemicals used to prevent or slow down the spread of fire may be making us sick, and may not be as effective as you think. From blood tests to fire tests to hidden camera, Marketplace is putting flame retardants in the hot seat. We want to know: are you getting burned?"

To Catch A Telemarketer

This week on Marketplace: telemarketers from hell. We're out to catch them breaking the rules. We go undercover half a world away, inside a call centre that might be calling you.

When The Repairman Knocks: Air Ducts

This time, we're testing air duct cleaners; yup air ducts... the things that carry hot and cold air from your furnace through your house. Watch what happens when the duct cleaners discover our hidden cameras and we discover they're better at cleaning wallets than air ducts.

Busting The Banks

"Are you frustrated with banking fees? Marketplace reveals three sneaky ways the banks fatten their profits at your expense. We also give one family a financial makeover and reveal easy money-saving tips."

Back On The Case

"We revisit two stories, and see what happened after the Marketplace bust. Dirty Hospitals: have they kept their promise to clean up? Clean Water, Dirty Tricks: Are they still spouting the same old scam?"

Price Tag Confidential

"What they don’t want you to know about prices You've sent us e-mail after e-mail asking why things cost as much as they do. It's a mission that people behind the prices don't want us to take. But we're choosing to accept it. Marketplace investigates shocking secrets about pricey cosmetics, the massive mark-up on hearing aids and the real reason we pay more than Americans for everything."

Who's Watching the Kids?

The Great Salt Shakedown

Hospital Parking Pain

"We investigate the costs of parking at hospitals in Canada, find who's really making money off those lots and how it's affecting ordinary Canadians. In many cases, people told us that high hospital parking rates are keeping them from visiting loved ones or cause them to skip their own appointments. The cost and the stress doesn't belong in our health care system, one doctor said. “Parking fees are a penalty for having a disease,” says cancer specialist Dr. Bob Winston. “It seems like an unfair tax on my patients.” Do high hospital parking rates keep you from your appointments? Should we pay for hospital parking at all?"

The Busted Edition

"We're on the trail of false claims, rounding up big names with their hands in your pockets. We're cracking five cases that will have you yelling, ""You're Busted!"" Has Air Canada come through on its promise to improve punctuality? And is that high-end Kobe beef you're paying for actually Kobe beef? Tom Harrington and Erica Johnson are on the case."

What’s The Deal?

"If a deal sounds too good to be true... then it probably is. We delve in Dealfind, the largest Canadian-based e-retailer. It claims to offer unbeatable deals... so why are so many people not getting what they paid for? How can it offer a $299 service for just 24 bucks? Many Canadians are finding it can't. ""I'm beyond angry,"" says one Dealfind customer. Find out why in What's The Deal?"