{"id":"u385","name":"Report a collection agency or a business that breaks Ontario's consumer rules: a complaint to Consumer Protection Ontario (free)","help":"direct","type":"program","typeLabel":"Consumer complaint","what":"Consumer Protection Ontario, run by the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement, enforces Ontario's consumer protection laws, investigates alleged violations and handles complaints about businesses and collection agencies. The ministry recommends writing to the business first; if it does not resolve your complaint, file one online, on paper or by email, and the ministry contacts you within 15 business days and examines each complaint to decide what action, if any, to take. There is no cost. A collection agency cannot harass you, use threats or misleading information, or, once it has spoken with you, contact you more than 3 times in 7 days for the same debt without your consent; filing a complaint does not cancel a debt you owe. It may not be able to help with events more than two years ago, business-to-business matters, or claims beyond a refund of money paid or cancelling an agreement.","forWhom":"People in Ontario whose consumer rights were violated by a business or a collection agency.","cost":"Free","tags":["consumer protection","consumer complaint","collection agency","debt collector","scam","refund"],"topics":["money","legal"],"place":{"label":"Ontario-wide","country":"Canada","cc":"CA","region":"Ontario","city":null,"scope":"region"},"website":"https://www.ontario.ca/page/filing-consumer-complaint","sources":["https://www.ontario.ca/page/filing-consumer-complaint","https://www.ontario.ca/page/consumer-protection-ontario","https://www.ontario.ca/page/stop-collection-agency-calls"],"checked":"2026-10-14","added":"2026-10-14","verified":"checked","checkEvery":90,"deadline":null,"deadlineNote":null,"status":"listed","serves":"all","provider":{"name":"Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement","url":"https://www.ontario.ca/page/ministry-public-and-business-service-delivery-and-procurement","source":"https://www.ontario.ca/page/filing-consumer-complaint","read":"2026-10-14"},"routes":[{"kind":"Application form","url":"https://www.consumerbeware.mgs.gov.on.ca/esearch/compform/english/complaint.jsp","value":null,"seen":"2026-10-14","source":"their own site"},{"kind":"How to apply","url":"https://www.ontario.ca/page/filing-consumer-complaint","value":null,"seen":"2026-10-14","source":"their own site"},{"kind":"Office phone","url":null,"value":"1-800-889-9768","seen":"2026-10-14","source":"their own site"},{"kind":"Organization email","url":null,"value":"consumer@ontario.ca","seen":"2026-10-14","source":"their own site"}],"primaryRoute":{"kind":"Application form","url":"https://www.consumerbeware.mgs.gov.on.ca/esearch/compform/english/complaint.jsp","value":null,"seen":"2026-10-14","source":"their own site"},"routeCount":4,"channels":[{"kind":"website","url":"https://www.ontario.ca/page/filing-consumer-complaint","label":"Website","reach":null,"unit":null,"seen":"2026-10-14","source":"their own site"}],"spaceCount":1,"spacesSeen":"2026-10-14","phone":"1-800-889-9768","contact":{"email":"consumer@ontario.ca","url":"https://www.ontario.ca/page/filing-consumer-complaint","route":"Application form"},"qualify":["The ministry recommends writing to the business first","The events are less than two years old"],"needs":["Copies of your supporting documents","The online form, or the paper form by mail or email"],"reach":0.02,"reachGroups":[],"reachBasis":"only after a complaint to the business itself went unanswered","reachSet":"2026-10-14","steps":[],"languages":[],"welcomes":[],"reachNum":null,"reachUnit":null,"reachKind":"none","reachSource":null,"reachSeen":null,"intents":{"reach":false,"grow":null,"job":false,"volunteer":false,"specialist":null,"opps":false,"housing":false,"money":true,"info":false,"marriage":false},"country":"CA","region":"CA-ON","currency":"CAD","lang":"en","shelf":"consumer-rights","audiences":["anyone"],"reachKey":"narrow","kind":"service","need":"other","payer":"government","hidden":false,"amountKind":"none","dates":{"deadline":"","opens":"","closes":"","nextPayment":""},"aliases":["consumer complaint","debt collector","collection agency","scam","refund","collector harassment","consumer rights"],"reverses":"A business or collection agency broke Ontario's consumer rules: the ministry examines your complaint and decides what action, if any, to take.","oldNames":["Stop a collection agency or a business that breaks Ontario's consumer rules: a complaint to Consumer Protection Ontario (free)"],"amount":null,"page":"/o/report-a-collection-agency-or-a-business-that-breaks-ontario-s-consumer/","stale":false,"staleDays":0,"checkedNote":"Facts read from the source pages on 2026-10-14; spaces read from their site on 2026-10-14; re-checked every 90 days.","spaces":[{"kind":"website","label":"Website","url":"https://www.ontario.ca/page/filing-consumer-complaint","reach":null,"unit":null,"seen":"2026-10-14","note":null}],"missing":["follower or subscriber counts (platform pages do not expose them to readers; ask the organization or check the platform)","what they welcome from outside parties (their pages do not say)","audience number for the organization as a whole (not public)"]}