Make a Complaint

i We are currently experiencing very high volumes of complaints directed to our office; therefore, we are unfortunately unable to meet the usual service standards that we promise our customers.

As soon as your case is assigned to one of our Managers, Investigations, you will be contacted to confirm when you can expect the results of our review.

We apologize for this delay and thank you for your patience.

The complaint resolution process ensures that Canada Post has every opportunity to resolve your complaint. Therefore, you must contact Canada Post Customer Service online or at 1-800-267-1177 (1-416-979-8822 from outside Canada) before appealing to the Ombudsman.

Customer Service agents will attempt to resolve your complaint and provide you with a file number referencing your complaint.

If Canada Post has completed its review of your complaint and you are not satisfied with the proposed solutions, you may appeal to the Ombudsman.

Submitting your complaint

Download Complaint (pdf)

The Adobe Acrobat Reader is required. The Reader is available free of charge from the Adobe website.

You can submit your complaint online, by mail or fax to the Office of the Ombudsman by completing our complaint form. Please ensure that you provide the following information:


  • Contact information
  • Canada Post Customer Service file number
  • Summary of your postal complaint
  • Details on how Canada Post offered to resolve your complaint
  • Description of the outcome that you believe would be fair
  • Information pertaining to the loss, damage, or delay of an item, if applicable
  • Copies of all relevant documentation, including postage receipt, proof of value of contents, etc.

Ready to submit?

Download a Complaint form (pdf) to submit your complaint by mail or fax, or submit your complaint online using our convenient online form.

You may also have our complaint form mailed or faxed to you by calling our office at 1-800-204-4198 between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (EST), Monday to Friday (holidays excepted).

Important things to note:

  • The Ombudsman will not assess your complaint without a Canada Post file number referencing your complaint.
  • The Ombudsman’s recommendations are based on the available facts and circumstances specific to each complaint. Therefore, it is in the best interest of all parties involved to provide all relevant information.
  • A review of your complaint will not be initiated until all relevant information is provided.
  • It is important that you submit your complaint to the Ombudsman in a timely manner. Complaints more than 12 months old will not be investigated unless there are extenuating circumstances.

How we process complaints:

  • Initially, your complaint will be reviewed to determine whether the matter in dispute falls within the Ombudsman’s mandate.
  • If the complaint cannot be investigated, you will be notified and provided with an explanation of our decision.
  • If your complaint can be investigated, you will be notified that an investigation is under way.
  • Once the investigation has concluded, the Ombudsman’s findings will be communicated to you.

Making a difference one case at a time

The Ombudsman takes every case seriously, whether it’s a misdelivered letter, a lost parcel, a disappointing retail experience or any other type of service failure.

Read some examples of real-life complaints, investigations and findings »

The Top 10 List

Although the Ombudsman receives thousands of requests for assistance every year, most complaints investigated can be categorized into this top 10 list.

  1. Lettermail™ Service
  2. Customer Service
  3. Delivery Employee
  4. Xpresspost™ Service
  5. Domestic Parcel
  6. International / USA Parcel
  7. Mode of Delivery
  8. Delivery Depot
  9. Retail
  10. Redirection