Making a Purchase

In Canada there are laws that protect you:

• when you buy items

• when you hire someone to provide a service, such as home repairs

• when you owe someone money

• when someone owes you money

This booklet gives you information about what you can do if you experience consumer problems.

Problems with a purchase

Suppose you bought something and you are not satisfied with it. What can you do? You have the right to make a complaint when something that you bought:

• did not do what it said it would do

• was not of satisfactory quality

• was not as described

You also have the responsibility to find out a store's policies before you buy and take proper care of things you buy and follow the instructions to use them.

How do I start a complaint?

1. Collect the information

• Prepare a description of the goods you bought. This can include anything the seller said to you about the goods, advertised, or gave you in writing.

• How much you paid, and receipts or other proofs of purchase.

• Copies of any documents, for example, a warranty.

• Details of the problem: what the problem is with the goods you bought, when you first noticed the problem, how long you have had the goods, or if you have not had the goods at all, when you were supposed to receive them?

2. Be ready to keep notes on what happens

• Who did you talk to? (Ask for the person's name or title - sales clerk, manager, etc.)

• When did you talk to them?

• What did you tell them:
  

- about the problem and

- about what you want them to do?

• What did they say to you?

• What was the next step that:
  

- you said you would take?

- they said they would take?

3. Let the company know you have a problem

The first step is to find the right person to talk to about the problem. You may contact the store or company in person or you may make a phone call.Have your information with you.You could start with something like this:

My name is __________ I would like to make a complaint about the product I bought from your company. Could you direct me to the person who handles complaints?

They may tell you that you have to make your complaint in writing. If they do this, ask for the name and address you send the letter to.The Canadian Consumer Association has an online complaint program, called the Complaint Courier. This is a program where you describe your complaint and the computer makes up a complaint letter in English. Visit www.consumerinformation.ca. Look under "File a Complaint".

Under the old Divorce Act, the schedule of a parent's time with their children under an order or agreement, replaced with "parenting time" and "contact" in the new Divorce Act. Access usually referred to the schedule of the parent with the least amount of time with the child. See "contact," "custody" and "parenting time."

In law, to formally deliver documents to a person in a manner that complies with the rules of court. Service may be ordinary (mailed or delivered to a litigant's address for service), personal (hand-delivered to a person), or substituted (performed in a way other than the rules normally require). See "address for delivery," "ordinary service," "personal service" and "substituted service."

In law, the directions given by a client to their lawyer about either the conduct of their affairs or a court proceeding.

In law, a document demonstrating ownership of a thing. See "ownership."

Under the Family Law Act, a term that describes the time a person who is not a guardian of a child, including a parent who is not a guardian, has with that child. Under the Divorce Act, a term that describes the time a person who is not a married spouse has with a child. See "guardian" and "parental responsibilities."