Consumer Law Essentials

Cover of the Consumer Law Wikibook

This wikibook describes some of the most common consumer problems. It aims to help you:

• understand the laws that protect you when you buy items or hire someone to provide a service, such as home repairs,
• learn your options when someone owes you money, or you owe someone money, and
• learn how to identify scams and how to avoid them.

Content

• Glossary

• Problems with a Purchase
  • How do I start a complaint? · Steps to make a complaint

• Problems with Home Repairs
  • What should I put in a written contract?  · Tips about hiring a contractor  · Tips about paying for repairs  · Disagreements about the repair work

• Someone Owes You Money
  • How do I write a demand letter? · When do I go to court?  · Getting legal help from a lawyer

• Problems with Debt
  • Where do I start? · What do I put in my budget? · What can the Credit Counseling Society do to help me?  · How do I contact my creditors and what do I say?  · Debt collectors

• Identity Theft
  • What does identity theft mean? · How do they get the information? · Minimizing risks  · What can you do if your identity is stolen?

• Internet Scams
  • "Free trial" scams · Phishing and Smishing · Anti-virus scam · Smartphone app scams · Facebook link-sharing scam · Bogus internet services · Overpayment scams · Free government money · West African scams

• Loan and Credit Scams
  • Advance fee loan scams  · Bogus credit cards  · Wipe your credit report clean

• Work Scams
  • Work at home, make huge profits  · Mystery shopper scams  · Bogus franchises · Pyramid schemes

• Prize, Sales and Relative Scams
  • Prize and contest scams · Door-to-door scams · Relative scams

• Sources of Help for Consumers
  • Consumer Protection BC  · Options for information and assistance

About this Wikibook

• Acknowledgements & credits

• Visit other wikibooks from People's Law School, or learn more about Clicklaw wikibooks

About People's Law School

The People's Law School is a non-profit charitable society whose purpose is to provide British Columbians with reliable information about their rights and responsibilities under the law.

Suite 150 - 900 Howe Street

Vancouver, BC

V6Z 2M4

Tel 604.331.5400

Fax 604.331.5401

Email info@publiclegaled.bc.ca

This booklet and others are available on the People's Law School website.

www.publiclegaled.bc.ca

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."