I am about to purchase some goods from a Canadian company. I have verified suppliers in the US. Is the process very much the same for Canadian businesses?

Verifying businesses is pretty much the same everywhere, I think. I have used the same methods for making sure US, UK and Canadian businesses are legitimate.

Here’s what I do:

1. I check the Better Business Bureau or a reputable business directory in whatever country I am researching.
2. Check the whoIs information. This tells you information about a company’s website including address, phone number and person in charge. It will also tell you when the company’s site expires and the last time the site was updated.
3. I always do a simple search using Google with the company name and the keyword “scam.” I also do a search with the company name and the letter v, which will bring up any legal proceedings against the company.

You mentioned business directories. Are there any of these available for just Canadian businesses?

As a matter of fact, there are. One is provided by Industry Canada. It’s pretty easy to use: You just put in a corporate name, number and business number. You can also search for a business using other parameters.

You can’t use this tool to look up certain kinds of businesses, such as financial institutions, insurance companies, etc. You can’t find companies created under provincial legislation or corporate legislation on here either.

There�s a Canadian Better Business Bureau, too! Here�s the link - Home - Canadian BBB.

You’re right, and I have used it in the past. Although I didn’t remember this information earlier, here is the link to the Canadian Better Business Bureau. It works the same way the US site works, except it lists Canadian organizations.

Another great site is called OnCorp Direct. It specializes in verifying whether Canadian companies exist. When you use the company look up tool, OnCorp direct gives you the legal name of the company, its jurisdiction, date of incorporation, status information and registration record in other provinces, if the company has any.

Do I need the company’s registration number to use OnCorp Direct? I only have its name.

No, you will be able to research a corporation just by its name. Then OnCorp Direct will provide you with the company’s registration number.

What you should know is that you will have to register with OnCorp Direct before using its services. That is different from a lot of other directories, which are usually free. However, OnCorp does a great job verifying a company, so it might be worth the price for you if you deal with a lot of Canadian businesses.