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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 [http://www.consumerinformation.ca www.consumerinformation.ca] and look under "File a Complaint". | 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 [http://www.consumerinformation.ca www.consumerinformation.ca] and look under "File a Complaint". | ||
==Steps to make a complaint== | |||
There are three steps to make your complaint. You can use them if you make a complaint in person, by phone, or by letter. | |||
===Step 1: Explain the problem=== | |||
You can say something like this: | |||
<blockquote>''I bought my (write the item) _________________ on'' ____________(date), ''at'' ____________(location). ''The model number is _________________. I am contacting you because the product is:'' (choose one) | |||
:(a) ''not working right'' | |||
:(b) ''cannot do what it is meant to do'' </blockquote> | |||
===Step 2: Explain what you want=== | |||
You can say something like this: | |||
<blockquote> | |||
''I think it is only fair that you:'' (choose one) | |||
:(a) ''replace the product'' | |||
:(b) ''provide me with a refund'' | |||
:(c) ''repair the product free of charge'' | |||
</blockquote> | |||
The person from the store or company may agree to do what you ask for. In this case, ask ''when'' they will do this. | |||
If the person does not agree to do what you ask for, ask to speak to the manager of the company or to the head office. Get the phone number or the address. | |||
If you do not get what you want from the store or company, tell them what you will do next. You can say something like this: | |||
<blockquote>''I still hope we can reach an agreement on this. If not, I will stop buying from your company and I will tell other people about this problem. If I do not hear from you by''____________ (give a date)'' my next step will be to:'' (choose one or more)<br> | |||
:(a) ''file a complaint with Consumer Protection BC'' <br> | |||
:(b) ''file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau'' </blockquote> | |||
Then give your details: | |||
<blockquote> | |||
*''You can reach me at'' ____________(your address) | |||
*''I'll be waiting to hear from you by'' ____________(date) | |||
</blockquote> | |||
If you do not hear back, take the next step. Do what you have told the store or company you will do. | |||
===Step 3: File a complaint=== | |||
If you still do not get a satisfactory response from the store or company, you can file a complaint. Here are some places where you can file a complaint: | |||
:*'''Consumer Protection BC''' deals with complaints related to consumer problems. Visit [http://consumerprotectionbc.ca consumerprotectionbc.ca], look under "Help for Consumers" and select "Resolving Problems". | |||
:*'''Better Business Bureau (BBB)''' receives complaints about local businesses. Visit [http://mbc.bbb.org/consumers mbc.bbb.org/consumers] and look under "Complaints". | |||
==Small Claims Court== | |||
If you cannot solve the problem, your next step may be to make a claim in '''Small Claims Court'''. To find out how to make a claim in Small Claims Court, go to [http://www.clicklaw.bc.ca http://www.clicklaw.bc.ca], and type in "Small Claims" in the search box. The site links you to a [http://www.clicklaw.bc.ca/resource/1514 video about Small Claims Court] available in Chinese, Punjabi, Vietnamese, and English, among other resources. | |||
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