Write a consumer complaint letter

How this tool works

If you bought a product or service from a business and you're not satisfied, the first step is to write them a letter.

This tool creates a complaint letter that you can send to the business. After you answer a series of questions, you'll get an email with the contents of the letter.

Who the tool is for

In most cases, the same rules apply whether you buy a product or service from a store, a door-to-door salesperson, online, by phone, or by mail.

For example, you might have a problem with a used car, car repairs, maintenance or repairs on your home, an appliance, or an item of clothing you bought online.

After you send the letter, if the business does not fix the problem, you can complain to the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery. You must do this within 2 years of when you bought the product or service.

Note: It's best to make your complaint to the Ministry within 6 months of buying the product or service. Then, if the Ministry is not able to help, you'll still have time to file a claim in Small Claims Court. You have 2 years to do this.

What you need to get started

To use the tool, you need:

an email address
the name of the business you want to complain about
a mailing address or email address for the business
information about the product or service that you bought, including documents like pictures or sales receipts

Steps to Justice has more information on consumer rights.

CLEO does not store your personal information.

Your information

Fields marked with an asterisk * must be filled in.

My name is *

First

Last

My address *

Address line 1

Address line 2

Town/city

Province

Postal code

My email *

Email

Confirm Email

My signature (see instructions below)

Clear Signature

Adding your signature

You can add your signature now or when you get the email with your letter. If you wait, you'll have to print off and sign your letter before sending it.

You can sign using your mouse if you're on your computer. You can sign with your finger if you’re using a touch screen device like a phone or tablet.

If you want to re-do your signature, click on the X in the top-right corner of the box.

Information about the business

Name of business *

Business address

Address line 1

Address line 2

Town/city

Province

Postal code

Business email

Business website / URL

Problems with the product or service

Enter the date that you bought the product or service *

Enter the name of the product or service you want to complain about *

Enter the amount you spent on the product or service *

Choose: *

Name of the person you bought the product or service from
I don’t know the name of the person

Select the reasons for your complaint. (You can choose more than one. See the definitions below. ) The business: *

- made a false, misleading, or deceptive representation
- made an unconscionable representation
- improperly renegotiated a price

Reasons for your complaint

The Consumer Protection Act lists 3 reasons for making a complaint. You make a complaint based on one or more of these reasons.

1. The business made a false, misleading, or deceptive representation.

Select this reason if the business said that:

the product or service is of better quality than it is or that it's new when it's used
the product or service is available when it's not
repairs are needed, when they're not
you're getting a good price when that’s not true

2. The business made an unconscionable representation.

Select this reason if the business:

did not tell you something important about the product or service or lied to you so you’d buy it
put an unfair amount of pressure on you to buy the product or service
should have realized that:

you could not afford the product or service
you were not able to understand the contract because you have a disability or problems with reading

3. The business improperly renegotiated a price.

Select this reason if the business pressures you into changing your contract by keeping the product or service that you bought. For example, this might happen if a moving company won't deliver your things until you pay an extra fee.

Describe what the business did (see examples below) *

Describing what the business did

Use full sentences. Here are some examples of what you might write:

The store sold me a cellphone that they said was new. But when I took it home and started to use it, I realized it was refurbished.

I took my vacuum cleaner to get fixed and you told me that a part needed to be replaced. But there was nothing wrong with that part and it did not need to be replaced.

When I bought my new fridge, the salesperson told me it was the newest and highest-rated model. But that was not true. There’s a newer and better model available, and the salesperson knew that.

What you want the business to do

Describe how you want the company to fix the problem (see examples below) *

What you want the business to do

Use full sentences. Tell the business what you would like them to do to solve the problem. For example:

I want you to refund all or some of my money.
I want you to repair the product.
I want you to give me a replacement for free.
I want you to pay me back for the repairs I had to do.

List what you'll include with your letter (see instructions below) *

You must enter something in the box above to move to the next page. But you can edit or delete the information before you send the letter.

What to include with your letter

If you have more than one item, put each on a separate line. Here are some examples:

purchase agreement or contract
sales receipts
pictures of the product
cancelled cheques
photos of the problem

Make sure to keep copies of anything you send.

Enter the date that you'll send the letter *

Enter the date that you want to get a response (usually 5 to 7 days from when you send the letter) *

Get your consumer complaint letter

Before clicking "Submit"

When you get the email with the contents of your letter, read it over carefully. You may have to make some changes and add some words or take some out.

You can forward the email to the business. Or, you can copy the text into another program like MS Word and create a letter that you send by mail.

Make sure to keep a copy of the letter and any documents you send.