Many people wonder what is meant by Canadian pardon scam. If you’ve been shopping around for a company to handle your Record Suspension or US Entry Waiver, you may have come across this four-letter word.
You might start wondering if the pardons or the companies that assist with pardons are scams.
What is a Canada pardon?
The Canadian government does indeed pardon people with criminal records. They call this “Record Suspension.” This is just a name. The Record Suspension offered by the government does the same thing as pardons, which were offered until 2012.
In fact, the current government may change the name back to pardons in the future.
What is the most common Canadian pardon scam?
The most common Canadian pardon scam may not even be a scam. It may just be a matter of people with entrepreneurial intent getting over their heads very quickly.
This so-called “scam” involves companies abruptly shutting down. Sometimes they will try to return the files they have. Some unscrupulous operators will just unplug their phones and hope you don’t catch up with them. Needless to say, you won’t get a refund unless you pursue them through small claims court.
Some people think that processing pardons must be quite simple. However, this isn’t the case. There are many hours spent on each file. Often a single person will open a business, take out a few ads, and quickly find themselves overwhelmed with the amount of work they have to do. Combine this with a lack of knowledge and experience and you have a real problem.
How do I protect myself?
If you are looking for a Record Suspension or US Waiver there are a few things to avoid.
Advertising: In general, don’t bother with Craigslist. The company you choose should have enough money to advertise through paid channels.
Website: Look at the website carefully. Here are some questions to ask.
- Do they own their website or does it end with the words wordpress.com or weebly.com?
- Does the website seem professionally designed or do things run off the page, overlap, or link to nowhere?
- How’s the English? Is the site riddled with grammar and spelling errors? Some of these companies are not even in Canada.
- Is this site trying to model itself to look a government site? These sites will usually stick a maple leaf in the corner. Companies that assist with pardons and waivers are private companies. If they are trying to look like a government site they are behaving unethically.
- Is there complete corporate information? You should be able to find the name of the owner, the address, the phone number and an email. If not, how will you contact them if something goes wrong?
- Is this a good source of information about pardons and waivers? Good websites will not sugarcoat the information. This is a complex topic and you need to be fully informed before you proceed.
How long has the company been in business? Everyone has to start somewhere, but like I said, going out of business is the biggest problem for people without experience. Your pardon or waiver will take one to two years to process. Don’t take chances with your money.
Better Business Bureau: Check the company out before you sign up. A good place to do research is the Better Business Bureau.
If you have any questions about Pardon Services Canada, give us a call. We’ve been processing criminal records since 1989. We’d be happy to answer your questions about our qualifications and experience. Contact us today at 1-866-972-7366.