CBC Marketplace

Today we have a special bonus episode for you from our podcast sibling, Cost of Living with Paul Haavardsrud. This intrepid team out of Calgary also looks out for Canadian consumers; and they're extra good at connecting the dots between our everyday financial choices and the economy-at-large. Hope you enjoy!

Police say these movers quote low, but charge high once they pick up your stuff — effectively holding it ransom for payment. As the list of charges grows to the hundreds, we update you on our months-long undercover investigation into the world of movers who are accused of scamming customers. Listen as a major police operation unfolds and our journalists push for answers from company bosses.

Darrell Wolfe, a self-described health practitioner who calls himself the “Doc of Detox”, is selling unproven alternative treatments in Mexico for everything from chronic pain to cancer, an undercover CBC Marketplace investigation found. These procedures and devices are not only costly and ineffective, but clients say can often cause physical suffering. We reveal the false claims and speak to those who regret subscribing to his treatment.

Phone scammers have stolen millions from Canadian victims and the losses are staggering. We take you inside an investigation we’ve been working on for more than five years and introduce you to an inside man at an illegal call centre who’s putting his life on the line to help people. Stay with us as we uncover phone scams in progress and race to stop vulnerable victims from losing money with help from famous white-hat hacker Jim Browning who confronts scammers. We push for answers from an alleged scammer caught in the act. And we find out how to prevent a phone scam from happening to you.

Guest interview:

Jim Browning: White-hat hacker and YouTuber

We expose a broken home care system that's failing families and workers. Our investigation reveals a system with few checks and balances and secrecy around for-profit companies' use of public funds. Plus, we travel to Denmark with geriatric physician Dr. Samir Sinha to show Canadians a better, more dignified and more affordable way to provide care at home.

Guest interviews:

Erica Johnson: Senior reporter for CBC’s Go Public, former co-host of CBC Marketplace

Dr. Samir Sinha: Leading geriatrician at Sinai Health who consults on health policy

Long wait times can cause undue pain and suffering. We take a hard look at why Canadians can't get the surgery they need. Follow along as a teenage boy waits nearly two years to get his back fixed, his condition becoming more severe with each month he waits. It's a crisis that has some doctors pushing for private care, while others urge Canadians to keep their faith in the public system. We investigate possible solutions.

Guest interview:

Travis Dhanraj: TV co-host of CBC Marketplace

We tackle fees you've told us you hate: from sneaky add-ons to bills at one of Canada's biggest tourist spots, to a chain restaurant with a charge many diners find distasteful. We reveal the worst offenders and seek answers from those behind the big bills.

Our investigation into CDI College has uncovered a pattern of using misleading information and questionable tactics to enroll prospective online students. Hundreds of bad reviews reveal students thousands of dollars in debt, and no further ahead in their career. Operating undercover, we document the pressure, the misleading claims about accreditation and reveal the real cost of dropping out.

Guest interview:

Travis Dhanraj: TV co-host of CBC Marketplace

We put takeout to the test, ordering from some popular sit-down restaurant chains and revealing healthy-sounding options that contain shocking amounts of sodium — some more than daily recommended limit. New York City requires some chain restaurants to have warning labels on menu items that contain more than the daily recommended amount of sodium, so we're asking: why don't we have more transparency on restaurant menus here in Canada?

Guest interview:

Rosa Marchitelli: Host of CBC’s Go Public, contributor to CBC Marketplace

Asha Tomlinson and David Common are investigative journalists that want to help you avoid clever scams, unsafe products and sketchy services. Their award-winning TV show has been Canada’s top investigative consumer watchdog for over 50 years — and this is their podcast debut!