Good morning. This is Hanna Lee.
CBC's Marketplace team used hidden cameras to investigate more than a dozen car dealerships in Ontario and found that some are adding extra charges and features. We'll get into that below.
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THE LATEST
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- The Liberals, Bloc Québécois and NDP voted down a Conservative sub-amendment on the budget Thursday evening that, if passed, would have forced a new election.
- Canadians could see some cancellations and delays due to the cascading effects of the U.S. federal government shutdown. Flights at 40 U.S. airports are affected.
- Statistics Canada will post jobs numbers for October today.
- Nominations for the 68th Grammy Awards will be announced at 11 a.m. ET.
- More than a month into rotating Canada Post strikes, workers and businesses that use the postal service are grappling with uncertainty.
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Buying a new car? Hidden cameras show some Ontario dealerships add extra charges and features
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(Tomasz Zajda/Adobe)
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Some Ontario dealerships are adding costs to the advertised prices when car buyers ask about vehicles in person, a Marketplace hidden-camera investigation has found.
What's happening: According to the provincial car sales regulator, the advertised price in a dealership ad must include all expected fees, outside of HST and licensing. But viewers have told Marketplace they've been charged for add-ons like floor mats and rust protection. The team sought quotes for new vehicles based on ads from 15 dealerships; out of them, six charged more than the advertised price.
What else: Four of them showed a photo of a more expensive version of the advertised vehicle than the one they were actually selling, while six had extra features the undercover shoppers didn't ask for — although most of those extras were built into the advertised price and were removed upon request. But one consumer advocate says cheating has become more advanced in the average car buyer's experience. "Low-ball pricing has not disappeared," said George Iny of the Automobile Protection Association.
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Worried about being fingerprinted? What snowbirds need to know about U.S. registration requirement
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(Shutterstock/MS Mikel)
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Many snowbirds looking to head down south this year may be looking at a new U.S. registration requirement for the first time.
What's happening: Since April, the U.S. has required Canadians staying longer than 29 days to register with the government. Sounds straightforward, but it's actually quite complex — not all long-term travellers need to apply; those who do may face different methods to complete the process. In addition, there's no central U.S. government website laying out all the options for travellers. Meanwhile, those who register at the border will likely be photographed, fingerprinted and charged $30 US.
What else: My colleague Sophia Harris laid out the current registration options available to Canadians. They include registering at the border or in the U.S. Nexus card holders will also have to register, and facial biometrics are expected to be fully implemented at land borders by next year.
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Sudanese fighters accused of massacres use Canadian-made rifles
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(Instagram/streakingdelilah, Telegram/RSFSudan)
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Weapons with the logo of a Canadian arms manufacturer have been identified in the hands of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the paramilitary group in Sudan responsible for the massacres of civilians.
What's happening: Photos posted online by RSF fighters show rifles with the logo of Sterling Cross Defense Systems, based in Abbotsford, B.C., CBC's visual investigations unit found. The weapons have been seen in the fighters' hands since at least 2023. The company didn't answer specific questions about CBC's findings, stating that its policies aligned with Global Affairs Canada, and that it is subject to the Export and Import Permits Act.
More context: The proliferation of foreign weapons in Sudan has helped prolong the war, said Kholood Khair of the Confluence Advisory think-tank. Canada has maintained an arms embargo on the country since 2004, as well as material and financial sanctions against entities and individuals implicated in the conflict since 2024. It's unclear how the weapons made their way to Sudan, though experts said countries like the United Arab Emirates have rerouted Canadian equipment before.
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PICTURE THIS
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Sudan's paramilitary force has agreed to a U.S. proposal for a humanitarian ceasefire. The war between the Sudanese military and the Rapid Support Forces began in 2023, when tensions erupted between the two former allies. At least 40,000 people have been killed in the fighting, with another 12 million displaced. The RSF last week seized El Fasher, a famine-stricken city that has been under siege for more than 18 months. It was the last Sudanese military stronghold in the western Darfur region. Read more here.
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