Complaint Criteria

The Competition Bureau is an independent agency that contributes to the prosperity of Canadians by protecting and promoting competitive markets and enabling informed consumer choice.

Headed by the Commissioner of Competition, the Bureau is responsible for the administration and enforcement of the Competition Act, the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act, the Textile Labelling Act and the Precious Metals Marking Act.

The Competition Bureau is not a consumer protection agency and cannot act on your behalf to obtain reimbursement or to settle a dispute between two parties.

Any complaint examined by the Competition Bureau must fall within the scope of the:

• Competition Act
• Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act
• Textile Labelling Act
• Precious Metals Marking Act

Your complaint might be outside the Bureau’s jurisdiction. Have a look at various issues the Bureau does not deal with:

• Bad service dealings with a person or business
• Billing problems
• Collection Agency harassment/problems
• Contractual disputes
• Information enquiry about a person and/or businesses standing or legitimacy
• Refund issues
• Store return and/or refund policy
• Unethical behavior issues

You may also want to visit the Canadian Consumer Information Gateway’s Complaint Courier. The Canadian Consumer Information Gateway is a central gateway where all of the trustworthy information and services are offered by Canada's governments and NGOs. Its Complaint Courier tool is a powerful database that will educate you on the best steps to take in order to complain effectively and will also channel your complaint to the appropriate agency.

And at the international level...

As a result of joint efforts by the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN) and the Consumer Sentinel Network, www.econsumer.gov users can file complaints about misleading cross-border electronic commerce, get tips for safe shopping online and learn how to contact consumer agencies around the world.