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| {{Consumer Law Wikibook TOC}} | | {{Consumer Law Essentials TOC}} |
| It’s not always easy to spot scams and new ones are invented every day. If you suspect that you may be a target of a scam, remember that you are not alone.
| | Here are options for further information and assistance with consumer problems. |
| Here are places that can help if you want to report a scam or if you need more information. | |
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| {| class="wikitable"
| | ===Access Pro Bono=== |
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| | Volunteer lawyers provide free legal advice to qualifying persons who cannot obtain legal aid or afford a lawyer. |
| | width="20%" | Better Business Bureau of Mainland BC
| | :Lower Mainland: 604-878-7400 |
| | width="40%" | Phone: 604-682-2711 <br>
| | :Toll-free: 1-877-762-6664 |
| Toll free (250 area code only): 1-888-803-1222 <br> | | :[http://www.accessprobono.ca www.accessprobono.ca] |
| Office hours: 9:00am – 3:00pm <br>
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| Fax: 604-681-1544 <br>
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| Email: contactus@mbc.bbb.org <br>
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| Website: [http://www.mbc.bbb.org www.mbc.bbb.org]
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| | width="40%" | contact info
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| | === Better Business Bureau of Mainland British Columbia=== |
| | width="20%" | Better Business Bureau of Victoria
| | A non-profit organization that assists people in the Lower Mainland and interior BC in finding businesses they can trust. |
| | width="40%" | Phone: 250-386-6348 <br>
| | :Toll-free: 1-888-803-1222 |
| Toll free: 1-877-826-4222 <br> | | :[mailto:contactus@mbc.bbb.org contactus@mbc.bbb.org] |
| Office hours: 9:00am – 4:00pm <br>
| | :[http://www.mbc.bbb.org www.mbc.bbb.org] |
| Fax: 250-386-2367 <br>
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| Website: [http://www.vi.bbb.org www.vi.bbb.org]
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| | width="40%" | contact info
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| | ===Better Business Bureau of Vancouver Island=== |
| | width="20%" | Consumer Protection BC
| | A non-profit organization that assists people on Vancouver Island in finding businesses they can trust. |
| | width="40%" | Information about how to prevent consumer problems and what to do if you have a problem.<br>
| | :Toll-free: 1-877-826-4222 |
| Phone: 604-320-1667 <br>
| | :[mailto:info@vi.bbb.org info@vi.bbb.org] |
| Toll free: 1-888-564-9963 <br>
| | :[http://www.vi.bbb.org www.vi.bbb.org] |
| Email: info@consumerprotectionbc.ca <br>
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| Website: [http://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca www.consumerprotectionbc.ca]
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| | width="40%" | contact info
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| |- valign="top"
| | ===Competition Bureau=== |
| | width="20%" | Credit Counseling Society of BC
| | A federal agency that helps consumers make informed purchasing decisions. They help combat deceptive selling practices and scams. |
| | width="40%" |The Credit Counselling Society of BC provides assistance with debt problems. <br>
| | :Toll-free: 1-800-348-5358 |
| Phone toll free: 1-888-527-8999 <br>
| | :Toll-free TTY: 1-800-642-3844 (for hard of hearing) |
| Website: [http://www.nomoredebts.org www.nomoredebts.org]
| | :[http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca www.competitionbureau.gc.ca] |
| | width="40%" | contact info
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| |- valign="top"
| | ===Consumer Protection BC=== |
| | width="20%" | Dial-A-Law
| | A non-profit organization that helps protect consumers in BC. They provide assistance and investigate complaints relating to certain types of consumer problems and contracts. |
| | width="80%" | Dial-A-Law is a library of practical legal information. It is operated by the BC Branch of the Canadian Bar Association. You can listen to the Dial-A-Law scripts over the phone, or read them on the website. The scripts are available in English, Chinese and Punjabi.<br>
| | :Toll-free: 1-888-564-9963 |
| Phone: 604-687-4680 <br>
| | :[mailto:info@consumerprotectionbc.ca info@consumerprotectionbc.ca] |
| Toll free: 1-800-565-5297 <br>
| | :[http://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca www.consumerprotectionbc.ca] |
| Website: [http://www.dialalaw.org www.dialalaw.org]
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| | ===Lawyer Referral Service=== |
| | width="20%" | Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC)
| | A service of Access Pro Bono, offering referrals to lawyers who can provide a free half-hour consultation. |
| | width="40%" | The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre investigates reports of scams whether by telephone, facsimile, postal mail or the internet. You can report fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.<br>
| | :Lower Mainland: 604-687-3221 |
| Phone toll free: 1-888-495-8501 <br>
| | :Toll-free: 1-800-663-1919 |
| Overseas: 1-705-495-8501 <br>
| | :[mailto:lawyerreferral@accessprobono.ca lawyerreferral@accessprobono.ca] |
| Fax: 1-888-654-9426 <br>
| | :[http://www.lrsbc.org www.lrsbc.org] |
| Box 686 North Bay, Ontario P1B 8J8 <br>
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| E-mail: info@antifraudcentre.ca <br>
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| Website: [http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca]
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| | width="40%" | contact info
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| | width="20%" | Competition Bureau
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| | width="40%" | The Competition Bureau deals with complaints about scams in the marketplace.<br>
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| Telephone: 819-997-4282 <br>
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| Toll-free: 1-800-348-5358 <br>
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| Toll-free TTY: 1-800-642-3844 (for hearing-impaired only)<br>
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| Website: [http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca www.competitionbureau.gc.ca]
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| | width="40%" | contact info
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| | {{Consumer Law Essentials Navbox}} |
| | width="20%" | Canadian Consumer Information Gateway
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| | width="40%" |An internet portal site from Industry Canada’s Office of Consumer Affairs.It provides useful information about how to protect yourself from scams, including identity theft, advance fee loan scams, telephone scams and more.<br>
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| E-mail: consumer.information@ic.gc.ca <br>
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| Website: [http://www.consumerinformation.ca www.consumerinformation.ca ]
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| | width="40%" | contact info
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| |- | | {{Creative Commons for PLS |
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| {{Consumer Law Wikibook Navbox}}
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| {| class="wikitable"
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| | width="20%" | Access Pro Bono
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| | width="80%" | Offers clinics where lawyers provide free legal advice to people who cannot afford a lawyer and who cannot get legal aid. Call 604-878-7400 in Greater Vancouver or toll-free at 1-877-762-6664 from anywhere in the province. <br>
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| [http://www.accessprobono.ca www.accessprobono.ca]
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| | width="20%" | Better Business Bureau
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| | width="80%" | Assists people dealing with consumer problems. Call 604-682-2711 in Greater Vancouver, 1-250-386-6348 on Vancouver Island, or 1-888-803-1222 in the interior of the province. <br>
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| [http://www.mbc.bbb.org/consumers www.mbc.bbb.org/consumers]
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| | width="20%" | ConsumerInformation.ca
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| | width="80%" | An online gateway that explains how to make a consumer complaint. <br>
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| [http://www.consumerinformation.ca www.consumerinformation.ca]
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| | width="20%" | Canadian Home Builders Association of BC
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| | width="80%" | Helps consumers plan their renovation and explains what to do when there are problems. Call toll-free 1-800-933-6777. <br>
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| [http://www.gvhba.org www.gvhba.org]
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| |- valign="top"
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| | width="20%" | Consumer Protection BC
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| | width="80%" |Provides protections for BC consumers. Call toll-free 1-888-564-9963 and ask them to direct you to the right place.<br>
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| [http://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca www.consumerprotectionbc.ca]; go to "Help for Consumers" and select "How Can We Help?"
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| | width="20%" | Clicklaw
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| | width="80%" | A portal for public legal information and education in British Columbia.<br>
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| [http://www.clicklaw.bc.ca www.clicklaw.bc.ca]
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| |- valign="top"
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| | width="20%" | Credit Counseling Society
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| | width="80%" | The Credit Counseling Society can help you manage your finances and deal with your debt problems. Call toll-free 1-888-527-8999, or email [mailto:info@nomoredebts.org info@nomoredebts.org]. <br>
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| [http://www.nomoredebts.org www.nomoredebts.org]
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| |- valign="top"
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| | width="20%" | Dial-A-Law
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| | width="80%" | Provides legal information in English, Chinese, and Punjabi, from the Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch.<br>
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| [http://www.cba.org/bc/public_media/dal www.cba.org/bc/public_media/dal]; select “Credit, Debt and Consumer” for information about consumer and debt issues.
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| | width="20%" | Lawyer Referral
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| | width="80%" | Offers advice and information from a lawyer for a fee of $25 plus taxes for the first 30 minutes. Call 604-687-3221 in Greater Vancouver or toll-free 1-800-663-1919 from anywhere else in the province. <br>
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| [http://www.cba.org/bc/initiatives/main/lawyer_referral.aspx www.cba.org/bc/initiatives/main/lawyer_referral.aspx]
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| | width="20%" | People's Law School
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| | width="80%" | View the online animations "You Owe Money" and "Someone Owes You Money". <br>
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| [http://www.publiclegaled.bc.ca/ www.publiclegaled.bc.ca]; click on "Media" and then "Videos".
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| | width="20%" | Mediate BC
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| | width="80%" | Mediate BC specializes in a wide variety of dispute resolution tools and processes. <br>
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| [http://www.mediatebc.com www.mediatebc.com]
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