The Office of Consumer Affairs provides leading-edge information, advice and tools to assist consumers in protecting their interests in a rapidly changing and complex marketplace. The aim of OCA is to decrease research time and to tailor information to the individual needs of consumers. OCA’s online services reduce the time required for consumers to research topics and offers improved access to information and complaint instructions.

What’s available online for clients?

Information services:

The Canadian Consumer Information Gateway includes over 40 federal government departments and agencies, over 250 provincial and territorial ministries and agencies, and 150 national and regional NGOs. These organizations have come together in a unique partnership to promote Canadian consumer interests and awareness.

The Consumer Complaints Registration and Distribution Project is an online complaints-channeling process that seeks to provide consumers with 24 hours-a-day centralized accesses to complaints registration and distribution services. It assembles key partners from the many jurisdictions and builds upon the CCIG inter-jurisdictional partnership committee's success.

Consumer Connection is the corporate site of the Office of Consumer Affairs (consumer@ic.gc.ca). The content includes practical online tools that help consumers make better-informed choices (e.g. credit card cost calculator) and protect their interests. The website also offers relevant publications and consumer policy information.

Transaction services: None

Clients and benefits of online service

Clients:

Consumers;
Non-profit organizations; and
Businesses.

Benefits:

Instant and easy access to information that consumers seek;

Reductions in the time required for consumers to research topics;

Increase in database of information, enabling consumers to make sound choices with respect to what to buy, where to buy, how to buy and how to respond when expectations are not met;

Improved availability of information when consumers need it. Partners are better able to share their information on consumer protection initiatives, advisory services, standards and safety services;

Access to information that could not be delivered off-line, such as calculators and self-assessment tools;

Faster, more effective access to consumer complaint handling;

Easier access to tools that help consumers prepare their complaints and determine their validity; and

Increased ability of an organization to address complaints.

Our journey to success

The OCA has launched a series of web-based information products designed to help consumers protect their interests when dealing with key aspects of the changing marketplace. These products are located at “Consumer Connection” on Strategis, Industry Canada’s business and consumer information website. They include information and interactive tools that deal with privacy, secure and safe online transactions, money management, fraud protection, and web-based calculators that help consumers compare the costs and benefits of credit cards, banking packages and mutual funds.