How do I file a complaint with the Office de la protection du consommateur (OPC)?

✓ Verified answer Written from official pages, with checked citations and a verification date.

General information, not legal advice. To file a complaint against a merchant, you must contact the Office de la protection du consommateur (OPC) by phone, electronically or at one of its offices. An agent first checks whether your subject falls under the Office's responsibility; if it does, your complaint is entered in the merchant's file. Note that the OPC is not a court and cannot step in on your behalf to fix your problem. It is up to you to deal with the merchant, using the tools the Office can send you (information kit, formal notice form, online negotiation).

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Key facts

What the OPC does: Checks admissibility, enters the complaint in the merchant's file, sends you tools (information kit, formal notice form, access to Parle consommation). Complaints help it monitor merchants: it can send a reminder or non-compliance notice, impose an administrative monetary penalty or recommend a penal prosecution.
What the OPC does not do: It cannot step in on your behalf to fix the situation and does not systematically check every complaint. Dealing with the merchant is up to you.
How to reach the OPC: By phone (service offered Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.; toll-free elsewhere in Québec: 1 888 672-2556), electronically or at one of its 10 regional offices.
Useful documents: Contract, warranty, invoice, receipt, written estimate, etc.
Time limit to complain: The OPC pages read do not state any time limit for filing a complaint. Time limits to cancel a contract or to sue are a separate question.
Possible next steps: Negotiation with the merchant, formal notice, then small claims ($15,000 or less) or the Court of Québec, Civil Division (more than $15,000).

Your procedure, step by step

Start the official procedure Official page: How to file a complaint with the Office (OPC) (opens in a new tab)https://www.opc.gouv.qc.ca/consommateur/probleme-commercant/plainte

Check that your problem concerns a consumer subject covered by the Office. Some subjects are not covered by the laws the OPC is responsible for. If your problem is about a defective good or a contract, first look at the consumer section of the OPC website.
Gather your documents: contract, warranty, invoice, receipt, written estimate, etc. The agent may ask you to send them to the Office. Sort them from oldest to newest and write down what has happened since the purchase.
Contact the Office. To file a complaint, you can call, go through the electronic route (the website first asks you to state the reason and subject of your request) or go to one of its regional offices, without an appointment, according to each office's schedule. See the OPC's "Contact us" page for contact details and hours.
The agent checks whether your complaint is admissible, that is, whether the subject falls under the Office's responsibility. If it does, it is entered in the merchant's file. The agent may send you an information kit suited to your problem and other useful documents, such as a formal notice form.
Deal with the merchant yourself. The OPC advises you first to explain your problem to the merchant and negotiate. If that does not work, you can send a formal notice (mise en demeure); as a last resort, you can file a claim with the small claims court or the Civil Division of the Court of Québec, depending on the amount claimed.
Do not expect the Office to settle your case: your complaint mainly allows it to act against merchants who do not respect the law. The official page does not say whether the Office tells you how your complaint was followed up.

Start the official procedure Official page: How to file a complaint with the Office (OPC) (opens in a new tab)https://www.opc.gouv.qc.ca/consommateur/probleme-commercant/plainte

Your progress is kept on this device only: nothing is sent to Demande au Québec. Some steps only apply in certain situations: skip the ones that do not concern you.

General information drawn from official sources. It does not replace legal, medical or financial advice. For your situation, contact the organization concerned or a professional.

Sources

Marche à suivre pour porter plainte auprès de l'Office (Office de la protection du consommateur (OPC))
Étapes à suivre pour régler votre problème avec un commerçant (Office de la protection du consommateur (OPC))
Nous joindre : consommateurs (Office de la protection du consommateur (OPC))
Rôle de l'Office (Office de la protection du consommateur (OPC))
3 outils au secours du consommateur (Office de la protection du consommateur (OPC))

Checked on October 6, 2026. Rules, deadlines and fees can change: always confirm on the official page above. Demande au Québec is an independent website, not a government site.

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