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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=== |
| | Volunteer lawyers provide free legal advice to qualifying persons who cannot obtain legal aid or afford a lawyer. |
| | :Lower Mainland: 604-878-7400 |
| | :Toll-free: 1-877-762-6664 |
| | :[http://www.accessprobono.ca www.accessprobono.ca] |
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| | === Better Business Bureau of Mainland British Columbia=== |
| | width="20%" | Access Pro Bono
| | A non-profit organization that assists people in the Lower Mainland and interior BC in finding businesses they can trust. |
| | width="40%" | Offers clinics where lawyers provide free legal advice to people who cannot afford a lawyer and who cannot get legal aid.
| | :Toll-free: 1-888-803-1222 |
| | width="40%" | Website: [http://www.accessprobono.ca www.accessprobono.ca]<br/>
| | :[mailto:contactus@mbc.bbb.org contactus@mbc.bbb.org] |
| Phone: 604-878-7400 (Greater Vancouver)<br/>
| | :[http://www.mbc.bbb.org www.mbc.bbb.org] |
| Toll-free: 1-877-762-6664
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| | ===Better Business Bureau of Vancouver Island=== |
| | width="20%" | Better Business Bureau of Mainland BC
| | A non-profit organization that assists people on Vancouver Island in finding businesses they can trust. |
| | width="40%" | Assists British Columbians (except Vancouver Island; see below) in dealing with consumer problems.
| | :Toll-free: 1-877-826-4222 |
| | width="40%" |Website: [http://www.mbc.bbb.org www.mbc.bbb.org]<br/>
| | :[mailto:info@vi.bbb.org info@vi.bbb.org] |
| Phone: 604-682-2711<br/>
| | :[http://www.vi.bbb.org www.vi.bbb.org] |
| Toll-free (250 area code only): 1-888-803-1222<br/>
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| 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
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| |- valign="top"
| | ===Competition Bureau=== |
| | width="20%" | Better Business Bureau of Victoria
| | A federal agency that helps consumers make informed purchasing decisions. They help combat deceptive selling practices and scams. |
| | width="40%" | Assists people on Vancouver Island in dealing with consumer problems.
| | :Toll-free: 1-800-348-5358 |
| | width="40%" | Website: [http://www.vi.bbb.org www.vi.bbb.org]<br/>
| | :Toll-free TTY: 1-800-642-3844 (for hard of hearing) |
| Phone: 250-386-6348 <br/>
| | :[http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca www.competitionbureau.gc.ca] |
| Toll-free: 1-877-826-4222 <br/> | |
| Office hours: 9:00am – 4:00pm<br/>
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| Fax: 250-386-2367
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| |- valign="top"
| | ===Consumer Protection BC=== |
| | width="20%" | Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC)
| | 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="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.
| | :Toll-free: 1-888-564-9963 |
| | width="40%" | Website: [http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca]<br/>
| | :[mailto:info@consumerprotectionbc.ca info@consumerprotectionbc.ca] |
| Phone toll-free: 1-888-495-8501 <br/>
| | :[http://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca www.consumerprotectionbc.ca] |
| Overseas: 1-705-495-8501 <br/>
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| Fax: 1-888-654-9426<br/>
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| Box 686 North Bay, Ontario P1B 8J8 <br/>
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| E-mail: info@antifraudcentre.ca
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| |- valign="top"
| | ===Lawyer Referral Service=== |
| | width="20%" | Canadian Consumer Information Gateway
| | A service of Access Pro Bono, offering referrals to lawyers who can provide a free half-hour consultation. |
| | 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.
| | :Lower Mainland: 604-687-3221 |
| | width="40%" | Website: [http://www.consumerinformation.ca www.consumerinformation.ca ]<br/>
| | :Toll-free: 1-800-663-1919 |
| E-mail: consumer.information@ic.gc.ca
| | :[mailto:lawyerreferral@accessprobono.ca lawyerreferral@accessprobono.ca] |
| | :[http://www.lrsbc.org www.lrsbc.org] |
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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.
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| | width="40%" | Website: [http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca www.competitionbureau.gc.ca]<br/>
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| Phone: 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)
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| |- valign="top"
| | {{Consumer Law Essentials Navbox}} |
| | width="20%" | Consumer Protection BC
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| | width="40%" | Information about how to prevent consumer problems and what to do if you have a problem.
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| | width="40%" | Website: [http://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca www.consumerprotectionbc.ca]<br/>
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| Phone: 604-320-1667 <br/>
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| Toll-free: 1-888-564-9963 <br/>
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| Email: info@consumerprotectionbc.ca
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| |- valign="top"
| | {{Creative Commons for PLS |
| | width="20%" | Credit Counseling Society of BC
| | |title = Consumer Law Essentials |
| | width="40%" | Provides assistance with debt problems. | | |author = |
| | width="40%" | Website: [http://www.nomoredebts.org www.nomoredebts.org]<br/> | | }} |
| Phone toll-free: 1-888-527-8999
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| | __NOGLOSSARY__ |
| | width="20%" | Dial-A-Law
| | __NOTOC__ |
| | width="40%" | 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.
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| | width="40%" | Website: [http://www.dialalaw.org www.dialalaw.org]<br/>
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| Phone: 604-687-4680 <br/>
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| Toll-free: 1-800-565-5297
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| {{Consumer Law Wikibook Navbox}}
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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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| |- valign="top"
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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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| |- valign="top"
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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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| |- valign="top"
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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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Consumer Law Essentials © People's Law School is, except for the images, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International Licence.