Understanding the OPC complaint process and Quebec’s right to repair law
Quebec’s Office de la protection du consommateur (OPC) plays a key role in protecting consumers and ensuring fair business practices under the Consumer Protection Act (CPA). With the Loi protégeant les consommateurs contre l’obsolescence programmée et favorisant la durabilité, la réparabilité et l’entretien des biens—Quebec’s right to repair legislation now in effect—Quebec has also become a leader in the right to repair movement—strengthening consumers’ ability to repair and maintain their goods, including vehicles, while promoting sustainable practices.
About Quebec’s right to repair framework
Adopted a month ago on October 5, 2025, Loi protégeant les consommateurs contre l’obsolescence programmée et favorisant la durabilité, la réparabilité et l’entretien des biens—amends the CPA to fight planned obsolescence.
It requires manufacturers and merchants to:
- Make replacement parts, repair services, and maintenance information available for a reasonable period after sale.
- Avoid designs or practices that make repairs unnecessarily difficult.
- Clearly disclose whether parts or repair information are available.
For the auto care sector, this law reinforces the right of consumers to have their vehicles serviced at the repair shop of their choice and promotes fair competition across the industry.
What the OPC does
The Office de la protection du consommateur (OPC) is a public agency under the Government of Québec responsible for enforcing the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) and its regulations. Its mission is twofold: to educate consumers about their rights and obligations, and to oversee business practices to ensure fairness, transparency, and compliance with the law.
The OPC receives and analyzes complaints related to goods and services offered by merchants, including cases involving defective products, misleading advertising, abusive contract clauses, or refusal to honor warranties. When a complaint is admissible, the Office may investigate, request corrective measures, or impose administrative penalties. It can also conduct inspections or legal proceedings against non-compliant merchants.
Filing a complaint: Admissible vs. inadmissible
Need to file a complaint? To begin, you need to know what is admissible. Essentially, a complaint is admissible if it falls within the Office’s legal mandate and meets the following conditions:
- It concerns a consumer contract between a consumer and a merchant.
- The consumer has attempted to resolve the issue directly with the merchant before filing the complaint.
- The complainant can provide evidence, such as a contract, invoice, warranty, email exchange, etc.
- The complaint includes enough information to identify the merchant and describe the facts.
- The complaint involves a situation covered by the Consumer Protection Act, such as:
- Non-conforming or defective product
- Misleading advertising
- Abusive contract clause
- Deceptive credit practices
- Cancellation or non-performance of a distance contract
- Refusal to honor a legal or extended warranty
- Non-compliant activities in a sector regulated by the OPC
On the other side of things, there are complaints that are inadmissible, in which the OPC cannot intervene. This includes:
- Disputes between two merchants (Business-to-business relationships).
- Disputes between individuals, like the sale of a used item between two private parties.
- Services provided by professionals regulated by an order, like lawyers, doctors, or accountants.
- Residential rental conflicts (under the jurisdiction of the Tribunal administratif du logement).
- Issues related to insurance, employment, or immigration.
- Any situation where no merchant, as defined under the CPA, is involved.
How to file a complaint
In order to file a complaint, one needs to be aware of the process. It is as follows:
- Admissibility verification: The OPC assesses whether the complaint falls within its jurisdiction.
- Complaint registration: If admissible, the complaint is recorded in the merchant’s file.
- Analysis and follow-up: An officer contacts the complainant to obtain necessary documentation.
- Intervention: Depending on the case, the Office may investigate, request corrective measures, or impose administrative penalties on the merchant.
- Consumer notification: The Office informs the complainant of potential next steps and other available recourses, including judicial ones.
It is important to note be aware of the processing time for a complaint. The OPC aims for a maximum of 15 business days to acknowledge receipt and analyze a complaint related to the quality of its services. However, depending on the case’s business sector and complexity, it may take longer.
Tools and resources
We encourage members to consult and share the following OPC materials to ensure proper understanding and application of the right to repair framework:
Questions or experiences to share?
While AIA Canada does not process complaints, member insights are welcome. Please contact Emily Holtby, vice president, government relations, at AIA Canada.