Did you purchase a defective item from a merchant? Is the delivery of the item you purchased late? Is the merchant refusing to honour the warranty provided with the item? Even the most cautious consumers can experience problems with a merchant.

The Office de la protection du consommateur suggests steps to follow to help solve a problem with a merchant.

Steps to follow with the Office

If your problem relates to a subject that does fall within the Office’s jurisdiction, contact us to file a complaint. We will inform you about your rights and recourse options. We will also provide tools that will help you settle the situation.

However, it remains your responsibility to communicate and negotiate with the merchant. It is impossible for the Office to intervene in every situation that is reported to us by consumers. Consult the page Rôle de l'Office (in French only) to learn more about our role regarding the monitoring of the activities of merchants.

Steps to follow with the merchant

You should first address the problem with the merchant before taking legal action.

You can contact the Office to check whether you can use Parle consommation, a quick, free service provided entirely online, to try to settle your dispute with a merchant.

The Negotiating with a merchant page can also guide you in the negotiation process; most merchants are open to negociation. If it does not give you the results you wished for, you can send a formal demand to the merchant. Another option is to file a complaint with the small claims court or the Civil Division of the Court of Quebec, depending on the dollar amount claimed. Some legal support organizations may provide you valuable advice to help you prepare your case.

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