Where to Get Help for Consumer Law Essentials

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 places that can help if you want to report a scam or if you need more information.

Access Pro Bono	Offers clinics where lawyers provide free legal advice to people who cannot afford a lawyer and who cannot get legal aid.	Website: www.accessprobono.ca Phone: 604-878-7400 (Greater Vancouver) Toll-free: 1-877-762-6664
Better Business Bureau of Mainland BC	Assists British Columbians (except Vancouver Island; see below) in dealing with consumer problems.	Website: www.mbc.bbb.org Phone: 604-682-2711 Toll-free (250 area code only): 1-888-803-1222 Office hours: 9:00am – 3:00pm Fax: 604-681-1544 Email: contactus@mbc.bbb.org
Better Business Bureau of Victoria	Assists people on Vancouver Island in dealing with consumer problems.	Website: www.vi.bbb.org Phone: 250-386-6348 Toll-free: 1-877-826-4222 Office hours: 9:00am – 4:00pm Fax: 250-386-2367
Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC)	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.	Website: www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca Phone toll-free: 1-888-495-8501 Overseas: 1-705-495-8501 Fax: 1-888-654-9426 Box 686 North Bay, Ontario P1B 8J8 E-mail: info@antifraudcentre.ca
Canadian Consumer Information Gateway	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.	Website: www.consumerinformation.ca E-mail: consumer.information@ic.gc.ca
Competition Bureau	The Competition Bureau deals with complaints about scams in the marketplace.	Website: www.competitionbureau.gc.ca Phone: 819-997-4282 Toll-free: 1-800-348-5358 Toll-free TTY: 1-800-642-3844 (for hearing-impaired only)
Consumer Protection BC	Information about how to prevent consumer problems and what to do if you have a problem.	Website: www.consumerprotectionbc.ca Phone: 604-320-1667 Toll-free: 1-888-564-9963 Email: info@consumerprotectionbc.ca
Credit Counseling Society of BC	Provides assistance with debt problems.	Website: www.nomoredebts.org Phone toll-free: 1-888-527-8999
Dial-A-Law	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.	Website: www.dialalaw.org Phone: 604-687-4680 Toll-free: 1-800-565-5297

Better Business Bureau	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. www.mbc.bbb.org/consumers
ConsumerInformation.ca	An online gateway that explains how to make a consumer complaint. www.consumerinformation.ca
Canadian Home Builders Association of BC	Helps consumers plan their renovation and explains what to do when there are problems. Call toll-free 1-800-933-6777. www.gvhba.org
Consumer Protection BC	Provides protections for BC consumers. Call toll-free 1-888-564-9963 and ask them to direct you to the right place. www.consumerprotectionbc.ca; go to "Help for Consumers" and select "How Can We Help?"
Clicklaw	A portal for public legal information and education in British Columbia. www.clicklaw.bc.ca
Credit Counseling Society	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 info@nomoredebts.org. www.nomoredebts.org
Dial-A-Law	Provides legal information in English, Chinese, and Punjabi, from the Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch. www.cba.org/bc/public_media/dal; select “Credit, Debt and Consumer” for information about consumer and debt issues.
Lawyer Referral	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. www.cba.org/bc/initiatives/main/lawyer_referral.aspx
People's Law School	View the online animations "You Owe Money" and "Someone Owes You Money". www.publiclegaled.bc.ca; click on "Media" and then "Videos".
Mediate BC	Mediate BC specializes in a wide variety of dispute resolution tools and processes. www.mediatebc.com

A person licensed to practice law in a particular jurisdiction by that jurisdiction's law society. See "barrister and solicitor."

In family law, this usually refers to one party obtaining a part of any property at issue before the property has been finally divided by court order or the parties' agreement, usually in order to help pay for that person's legal fees.

In law, any proceeding before a judicial official to determine questions of law and questions of fact, including the hearing of an application and the hearing of a trial. See "decision."

A sum of money or an obligation owed by one person to another. A "debtor" is a person responsible for paying a debt; a "creditor" is the person to whom the debt is owed.

Processes used to resolve legal disputes, including negotiation, collaborative settlement processes, mediation, arbitration and litigation.