Miss something this week? Don't panic. CBC's Marketplace rounds up the consumer and health news you need.
Want this in your inbox? Get the Marketplace newsletter every Friday.
Montreal's No. 1 restaurant on Tripadvisor didn't really exist
On Tripadvisor, restaurant Le Nouveau Duluth boasts high ceilings and even higher ratings. Eighty-five reviews for the restaurant are five stars, making it the No. 1 restaurant in Montreal on Tripadvisor.
The only problem? Le Nouveau Duluth doesn't exist.
Most reviewers left only a single comment on Tripadvisor for Le Nouveau Duluth, a clear sign the review may be fake.
"If you look at the reviews, a lot of the time they're so vague, like 'Great job,' 'Keep it up,' it has nothing to do with what the review is about," said cybersecurity expert Terry Cutler.
The page was taken down after CBC News sent a request for a response from Tripadvisor. The popular travel site responded saying stunts that create a fake restaurant listing are "uncommon occurrences and do not share the characteristics of genuine instances of fraud." Read more
Marketplace previously reported how some use fake reviews to fake you out. You can watch it any time, on CBC Gem.
The grocery price freeze is over — so brace yourself for even bigger food bills soon
The holiday price freeze put in place by some of Canada's biggest grocery chains has hit its expiry date, so shoppers should brace themselves for news that could be hard to swallow: Get ready for your food bill to go up. By a lot. Again.
Loblaws pledged in October that No Name-branded grocery staples wouldn't see price increases until the end of January, at least. Now that that's over, the company says some prices may increase, but they're trying to hold most No Name prices flat. "The cost to stock our shelves has gone up, month after month," the chain told CBC News in a statement.
Montreal-based chain Metro sang a similar tune at its annual general meeting last month, with CEO Eric La Flèche telling reporters that the retailer had received more than 27,000 requests from its suppliers last year to raise prices by more than 10 per cent. That's more than three times the normal level.
"There are cost increases coming, and we expect that some of these cost increases will be reflected at retail," he told reporters at a media briefing on Jan. 24.
Snack giant Frito-Lay, owned by Pepsi, is among those upping the pressure. The company has raised prices on its products in Canada by 10 per cent, according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers.
Looking to snack fresh instead? It probably won't help your wallet. Statistics Canada has released data that shows a slew of grocery items that have seen double-digit price increases, beyond what's normal during winter months, including tomatoes, celery and grapes.
But there's hope. Experts say we may see some relief in spring when Canadian food production ramps up and we rely less on imported food. Read more
Your stolen car may have left Canada through the Port of Montreal
If you're one of the thousands of people who had their car stolen recently, you probably already know this, but vehicle thefts spiked in 2022.
If you haven't found your car yet, it's likely it may have left the country via Canada's largest port on the East Coast: Montreal.
Experts say the slowdown in the production of new vehicles during the pandemic has contributed to a recent spike in thefts.
The port spans 30 kilometres and routinely handles more than 1.5 million containers a year, which makes detecting stolen vehicles a challenge.
Renato Schipani, a criminal intelligence officer at Interpol, says more vehicles from Canada are being found abroad.
"We find hundreds of stolen Canadian cars in Italy being shipped through Italy to the Middle East, then hundreds of Canadian cars tracked and located in West Africa," said Schipani, who specializes in vehicle theft.
Even if you take precautions, like using "the club" to lock your steering wheel, or a signal-blocking pouch, it's still possible for your vehicle to be stolen. But police and the insurance industry still encourage people to take steps to prevent theft in the first place. Read more
Last season, Marketplace followed a trail of stolen vehicles all the way to West Africa. You can watch that full investigation on CBC Gem.
What else is going on?
Why the golden age of flying is never coming back — and it might not be a bad thing
Flying used to be a pricey luxury. Now it's cheap but basically a "bus in the sky."
This car burst into flames after a routine servicing
The 2015 Hyundai was only 15 minutes post-servicing when it caught fire, and there's still no official cause.
Health Canada is reviewing the safety of a controversial breastfeeding drug
The review follows a CBC News investigation into the withdrawal effects from domperidone.
Marketplace needs your help
Do you try to buy items with ingredients that have been responsibly sourced? Do you keep an eye out for cocoa, soy, or palm oil? We want to hear from you! Reach us at marketplace@cbc.ca.
Have you seen a buzz-worthy product that seems too good to be true? Bought a product online and it didn't live up to expectations? We want to hear about it. Email us at marketplace@cbc.ca.
Catch up on past episodes of Marketplace on CBC Gem.
