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) |
| Better Business Bureau of Mainland BC | Assists people dealing with consumer problems. | Website: www.mbc.bbb.org Phone: 604-682-2711 |
| Better Business Bureau of Victoria | Assists people dealing with consumer problems. | Website: www.vi.bbb.org Phone: 250-386-6348 |
| 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. | Phone toll-free: 1-888-495-8501 Overseas: 1-705-495-8501 |
| 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. | E-mail: consumer.information@ic.gc.ca Website: www.consumerinformation.ca |
| Competition Bureau | The Competition Bureau deals with complaints about scams in the marketplace. | Phone: 819-997-4282 Toll-free: 1-800-348-5358 |
| Consumer Protection BC | Information about how to prevent consumer problems and what to do if you have a problem. | Phone: 604-320-1667 Toll-free: 1-888-564-9963
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| Credit Counseling Society of BC | Provides assistance with debt problems. | Phone toll-free: 1-888-527-8999 Website: www.nomoredebts.org |
| 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. | Phone: 604-687-4680 Toll-free: 1-800-565-5297 |
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| 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. |
| ConsumerInformation.ca | An online gateway that explains how to make a consumer complaint. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
