Are power factor correction appliances (KVAR units) even legal to lease to house owners under false pretenses?

My parents were deceived into leasing a smart thermostat + power factor correction unit to lower utility costs few years ago. They have been paying almost 50$ every month to a non existent company that now belongs to another. Term does not end for another 10 years so the only option to end the contract is it buyout which costs almost 6 grand. Doing a quick lookup shows that these exact units cost 350$ combined in amazon.com and other places. Their google review (1/10 ratings) is piled with people who were tricked into signing similar deceitful contracts so we are not alone. I did some more research and found reliable articles and reviews about the power factor scam,

http://www.nlcpr.com/Deceptions1.php?fb ... cJp54jQZ1s

They apparently don't contribute to anything in home settings. I was also told that these appliances most likely are not even CSA/CUL approved so its illegal to lease or sell. Its more convincing because on our enbridge gas bill, only the smart thermostat is listed in other company charges.

Where do i check if these have approval from the government and also what are some good ways to get out of this contract without having to pay 20x times the actual cost of units?