Tech experts are warning that a global memory chip shortage driven by technology giants is causing prices to soar for many consumer electronic products.

“All these AI data centres that are powering all these AI tools, they need huge amounts of RAM and they are basically gobbling it up right now,” said Mike Agerbo from GetConnected Media.

Memory chips or RAM (Random Access Memory) are in short supply around the world. RAM allows your computer to access data quickly and efficiently; however, major tech companies, including Google, Microsoft, and Meta are buying up the global supply to fuel their AI centres.

That’s leaving less RAM for the traditional electronics market. Given the shortage, industry experts predict prices for many consumer electronic products like laptops, tablets, and even smartphones will increase by as much as 20 per cent or higher.

“I think we’re going to be looking at rapid price increases over the next 12 to 24 months minimum,” Dwight Dubowits of North Vancouver’s Concept Computers told Consumer Matters.

Dubowits has been in the computer business for over 40 years and says the shortage of RAM is causing a seismic shift in the industry.

“I think the $600 laptop and cheap desktop market has pretty much disappeared at this point,” he said.

“Entry level is in the $800-$900 range. We see that going as high as $1,200 or $1,300 just to get a basic function, reasonable quality laptop computer.”

Dubowits also says some local dealers are being forced to reduce costs by offering systems with less RAM. “Consumers should ensure that these systems are, in fact, upgradable,” said Dubowits. “Many systems, especially laptops, have limited or no capacity for adding more RAM post-purchase.”

The shortage is also hitting the gaming industry especially hard. GamerTech Toronto builds custom gaming desktop computers and says it’s spending four times as much for RAM on its computers.

“Basically, the entire cost to build the computer has increased and so we are having to pass that along for the actual sale price,” said Niam Radia from GamerTech Toronto. “This may just be the new normal for RAM pricing and PC part pricing overall.”

Three major companies manufacture and control most of the world’s memory chips and experts predict this shortage could continue well into 2027.

“I would recommend looking at purchasing a computing device now. If you’ve been thinking about it in the next six months, I’d get it now because I can only see the prices basically going up,” Agerbo said.

&copy 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

An Uber rider is warning customers to check their receipts after she was charged an unexpected cleaning fee.

“I forgot about the whole incident until the next week when I noticed one of my Uber rides cost me $85,” said Karen Plangg.

The Vancouver resident says the incident happened in January when she ordered an Uber to pick up her children from school. Plangg brought her five-pound Yorkipoo along for the ride and selected the Uber Pet option, which costs a few extra dollars. However, Plangg says the trip shouldn’t have cost more than $25.

“When I emailed Uber and messaged through their app, they told me it was a $60 cleaning fee, plus an extra three-dollar tax on top of the $5 Uber Pet fee they already charged,” said Plangg.

Plangg says Uber sent her a link to its cleaning policy, which stated it charges cleaning fees for excessive messes like vomit or food spills. In addition, the company sent Plangg photo evidence of the mess her dog had supposedly made in the vehicle. Plangg says the photos didn’t fall in line with the company’s cleaning policy since the photos revealed a few pet hairs on the seat and a small amount of debris on the floor mat.

“They had sent me the cleaning policy and clearly the pictures they sent me as evidence didn’t support the fact I was charged a cleaning fee,” Plangg told Consumer Matters. “I feel like the mess on the floor mat is pretty normal. I’ve been in Ubers that are just as messy as the so-called mess that I left,” she added.

Trending Now

• Alcohol sales in Canada just saw ‘largest’ annual drop since tracking began

• The Bank of Canada says these are the 3 warning signs for mortgage default

Plangg reached out to Uber to dispute the charge, but says despite the ride-hailing company telling her she was a valued customer, it stood firm with its original position. “The company should be fair in the way they handle disputes and I don’t think they were fair at all,” said Plangg.

“At no point was there a phone number I could chat with a human to let them know I was upset with the extra fees.”

Digital and technology expert Andy Baryer says Plangg’s experience with Uber is common and could be prevented.

“The thing that I would like to see that if somebody is submitting a photo for evidence to an Uber about a cleaning issue, Uber needs to be able to access the metadata and inside the metadata it will tell you the time that photo was taken, the date it was taken, and all of that should align with the trip,” said Baryer.

When Consumer Matters reached out to Uber, Plangg received a refund within hours. However, Uber refused to answer questions around Plangg’s case.

She says she has since donated her refund to the BC SPCA and has deleted her Uber app.

“When there are so many options out there, I don’t have to go with a company that’s not going to help their customers when they have disputes,” said Plangg.

&copy 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Tax season is underway and security experts warn that artificial intelligence is making it easier for even inexperienced fraudsters to fool their victims.

“With AI, they can craft emails that are so believable compared to years past,” Kaseya cybersecurity expert Miles Walker told Consumer Matters.

The Canada Revenue Agency has stated that generative AI is creating more sophisticated malicious content, which would have previously required significant knowledge, time, and resources to design. Walker says this year he expects to see a significant rise in AI-generated voice calls, which weren’t part of a cybercriminal’s playbook in the past.

“It’s become so much easier to generate those life-like voice calls and what they are doing is that they will send you to a call centre where you are going to be giving out information that you shouldn’t be giving out,” said Walker.

Walker also expects to see an uptick in scams after the April 30 deadline to file your personal taxes.

“This year, more than any other, they are going to be looking at ways to attack you both before the April 30th deadline and after,” said Walker.

Trending Now

• At least 2 dead, 14 injured in Texas bar shooting

• Trump says Iran war timeline is likely 4-5 weeks but could go ‘far longer’

Common red flags to avoid being scammed include texts, voicemails, and emails created with a sense of urgency, a promise of large refunds, or a request to verify your personal credentials or banking information.

“Never click on any links and only go to the agency’s (CRA) official website,” said Walker.

The CRA is also reminding taxpayers that the agency will never send refunds or payments by e-transfer or text message, threaten to deport or arrest you or use aggressive and threatening language.

Walker also recommends people set up multi-factor authentication to add another layer of protection to personal devices and accounts. He’s also encouraging families to have an open dialogue around fraud.

“Have conversations with your parents. If you have kids that are at the tax-paying age, have a conversation about cybersecurity. They probably haven’t learned anything of this in school. When we are talking about older family members, they are the most vulnerable and that’s one of the prey that cybercriminals are looking to attack,” Walker added.

&copy 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

British Columbians stuck in Mexico are expressing frustrations with the lack of communication and support from travel companies and airlines.

Lillian Alexus, a Qualicum Beach, B.C., resident, arrived in Puerto Vallarta on Feb. 8 and was due to fly home on Feb. 22.

“We had checked out of our resort on the 22nd and we were waiting in the lobby for the bus to take us to the airport when everything was shut down,” she told Global News.

“So then we had to see if we could get accommodation here. The message that we got from WestJet was that there was an issue, it wasn’t safe, shelter in place and we would hear from them. And we also were in contact with the Canadian government and they also said, you know, shelter in place and just wait.”

Cartel violence hit the popular tourist area of Puerto Vallarta on Sunday, cancelling flights in and out of the town.

Canadians were told to “shelter in place” after violence erupted over the killing of cartel leader and drug lord Nemesio Oseguera, better known as “El Mencho,” in a military raid.

Alexus said that all they have been doing is waiting.

She said they did get one email from WestJet that they could try to manage their trip on the website or the app, but she said it wasn’t working.

“We were in contact with our travel agent and she was on hold with WestJet for like five hours,” Alexus said.

“So we have tried phoning, we tried emailing.”

She said they are hearing nothing, but have finally booked a flight home on March 3.

“Our vehicle is parked at Comox, so we need to get back to Comox,” she added.

“We’ve had to extend our health insurance, we’ve had to get more prescription medications. It would just be really helpful to get some information, like are they working on it or have they forgotten about us? I have a booking number and I put that in and it doesn’t know, it says they don’t know what that is.”

Gábor Lukács, founder of Air Passenger Rights, told Global News that WestJet is not following the law.

“The law requires WestJet to rebook passengers on competitor airlines at its own dime in such situations,” he said.

“If the airline is unable to re-book a passenger on its own or partner airlines departing within 48 hours of the original departure time, they have to buy the passenger’s seat ticket on the next available flight of any carrier. And that means including competitors. That’s what the law says, that’s what WestJet has to do. The problem is that WestJet is flouting the law. WestJet treats the law as if it was just friendly recommendations.”

Lukács also said this situation could lend itself to a class action lawsuit.

“I think the only question is why WestJet feels that they can get away with it and the reason is because the federal government is not enforcing passengers’ rights,” he added.

“What we see here is not so much a failure in the drafting of the regulations as much as a failure of the government to enforce the law as written.”

The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) confirmed to Global News in a statement that it is investigating the recent flight disruptions.

“As per the Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR), for flight delays or cancellations, airlines must try to minimize the impacts that they have on passengers and their travel,” the organization said. “They must always ensure that passengers can complete their itinerary as soon as possible.

Initially, the CTA said that “for large airlines and for situations outside their control, they must, at the passengers’ choice, refund any unused portion of the ticket or rebook them, free of charge, on their next available flight or on the next available flight of an airline with which they have a commercial agreement with from the passengers’ original airport within 48 hours after the departure time on their original ticket, or on a flight leaving another airport, if there is an option nearby, if they cannot book them on a flight leaving within 48 hours at the original airport.”

However, they later clarified their statement saying that “If airlines cannot book passengers on a flight leaving within 48 hours, they must rebook them on any flight by any airline, including at another airport, if there is an option nearby.”

It does not have to be an airline with which that airline has a commercial agreement.

Jonathan MacIntyre, from Kamloops, flew to Puerto Vallarta on WestJet on Feb. 16 and was due to fly home on Feb. 23.

He said they also haven’t had any communication from WestJet after hearing their flight was going to be rebooked, but then, nothing.

“We had no clue when we were going to be heading home,” MacIntyre said.

“So every time we had to extend our stay, we’re like, okay, are we staying one more night? And we just basically, every morning, our first step was go down to the hotel. Yep, we need to extend our stay. We have no plans to leave today. And then when you had breakfast, continue our day, wait to see what happens.”

He said he was able to find flights himself that would have suited him and his partner to get home, but they heard nothing about any availability from WestJet.

“They’re supposed to get you on the soonest flight possible on their carrier,” MacIntyre said. “And that’s the part that probably upsets me the most, because of all the flights that were there yesterday. The 48 hours is only if they use the competitors. And unfortunately for us, that ended at about 4:00 this evening. So they could have used the competitors tonight, but the fact they could’ve used their own yesterday and today and forever.”

He decided to take matters into his own hands and reached out to Lukács after getting nowhere with WestJet Vacations and Lukács gave him the information about the 48-hour window.

But when he called WestJet Vacations back with this information, he said he was told there were no available flights and they were not offered anything.

MacIntyre eventually booked flights home on WestJet, out of pocket, for $2,200.

“I’m also losing income right now,” he said. “I’m not working like I’m supposed to be. So I’m out of pocket, me, well, my partner is the one who paid for the flights, but me personally, I am going to be out of pocket almost $1,000 just in lost wages. That doesn’t include the fact that I potentially would have lost a concert that we had planned for this Saturday and a sporting event for Sunday that I’ve already paid for. So I would have been out of pocket over $1,500 most likely.”

MacIntyre said he also plans to take WestJet to the Civil Resolution Tribunal to get his money back.

“It’s completely bonkers because if I’m doing this and I’m a pretty tech-savvy guy and I know a lot of things to do, I can’t imagine what somebody else is going through right now,” he added.

“Somebody else in my situation might be sitting in an Airbnb, not an all-inclusive resort, with absolutely nothing that they can do other than sit on their hands, wait for the phone to ring, and WestJet to say, ‘Hey, get to the airport in the next two hours.’”

Lukács said MacIntyre did the right thing in this situation.

“When an airline fails to comply with its legal obligations to the passenger, the passenger is in a legal position to take things into their own hands,” he said.

“It’s important to first give the airline a chance to comply, and (MacIntyre) has done that. Once the airline failed to comply with its illegal obligations, you, as a passenger, can buy a ticket, incur expenses needed, come back to Canada, and then make WestJet pay for those expenses. Present the bill they received to WestJet; if they refuse to pay, take the airline to court.”

In a statement to Global News, WestJet said it has now scheduled 12 additional flights, aside from numerous scheduled daily flights, to Puerto Vallarta to help passengers return to Canada.

“Air-only guests can use our online Manage Trips tool and our call center to confirm new flights, or refunds if they prefer,” the airline said.

“Guests who booked via a travel agent may also contact their agent for assistance with rebooking or refunds. Guests travelling on Sunwing Vacations, WestJet Vacations or Vacances WestJet Quebec are also welcome to contact their vacation provider or travel agent for assistance.”

WestJet also said that if a passenger has not received communications from them by this point, it may be due to incorrect or missing contact details in their reservation and they recommend contacting WestJet, their vacation provider, or their travel agent to obtain a flight or a refund.

Alexus said the situation has left them frustrated.

“We’ve been very loyal to WestJet for years,” she said. “Like we have their credit card, we always fly WestJet… We’ve been ghosted. We just don’t hear anything.”

If you’re planning to travel this summer, travel experts say book now for the best rates.

“Airlines typically put flights in their system months out, around eleven and a half months out. You couldn’t book 12 months early, but people who take advantage of those time periods get the best rate,” said travel expert Claire Newell.

However, striking a great deal on a flight close to spring break may be a different story. Travel experts say last-minute deals are generally hard to find.

“It’s a huge misconception that you can get this last-minute deal, whether it be spring break or summer holiday,” personal finance and travel expert Barry Choi told Consumer Matters.

“The reality is all the airlines and hotels, cruise operators, they have so much data exactly when they’re going to sell out. If you’re trying to book that last-minute ticket, the odds are it’s going to be more expensive.”

Choi says it all comes down to dynamic pricing based on supply and demand. Prices for airfare and hotels can change daily, even hourly.

“The price you saw in the morning might be different at night,” said Choi.

Much of dynamic pricing is driven by artificial intelligence, says Choi. He says companies can track personal information to influence prices.

“Their predicted AI or human people can see what routes are going to sell out and even if they feel it’s not going to sell out, they can offer those promos earlier – they don’t have to wait until the last minute,” he added.

Still, while booking early is ideal, being flexible can create options.

Newell said for those who haven’t booked a spring break trip, the people getting the best deal have flexibility.

Trending Now

• Punch the monkey’s stuffed orangutan from Ikea sold out in stores

• Cuba’s ambassador says U.S. ‘suffocating’ people, calls on Canada for aid

Typically, traveling between Tuesday and Thursday is less expensive than flying between Friday and Monday. Going through a travel agent can also help consumers find an affordable rate, especially when booking cruises.

“Large agencies will take out group space at deployment. It’s years before sailings actually occur and those rates can’t be beat,” said Newell. “It might seem old school because we have so many tools like AI and the web, but the reality is they (travel agents) still can often get a better deal that you won’t be able to get yourself.”

Choi also recommends loyalty cards to offset travel costs and to consider airfare search sites to get notified when prices drop.

If you do have loyalty points saved, Newell says this might be the year to use them for certain trips, but plan early. “The best bang for your buck if you are looking – go for a long-haul flight, don’t use them on a short-haul flight,” she said.

&copy 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.