Non-Judicial Consumer Recourse (in French only)

Author

Michel Tanguay, Charles Tanguay, Me Marcel Boucher

Organization

Union des consommateurs

Published

2009

Summary

Based on an inventory of the most problematic consumer sectors and practices, we identified the organizations that can be approached by a consumer victimized by a recurrent reprehensible practice.

We examined to what extent the mandate, operating rules and powers of organizations that receive and process consumer complaints enable them to effectively, permanently, independently and transparently resolve recurrent problems.

To begin our research, we identified three sectors that – due to their relative importance in family budgets and to the rapid evolution of technologies and consumer practices – are more problematic for consumers: housing, cars and telecommunications.

In the three sectors we selected, we observed that provincial consumer protection organizations receive an impressive number of consumer complaints and requests for information. However, a study of the organizations clearly indicates that complaint processing is not part of their mandate. Their strength, which is not negligible, resides in the force of conviction that a company may perceive when such an organization intervenes as a mediator in order to resolve a dispute.

In each sector we studied, there are specialized organizations whose mandate is specifically to process and settle consumer complaints, and whose decisions are enforceable on the merchants. Of the organizations studied, few actually have the mandate or powers to resolve consumer disputes effectively, transparently and independently.

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French only

OCA Funded Research
This research received funding support through the Office of Consumer Affairs' Contributions Program.

Contact information

Source: Consumer Policy Research Database