How do you file a complaint with Indecopi? Reclamo vs. denuncia, step by step

Two tracks, two different outcomes

The most common confusion with Indecopi is assuming that “complaining” and “reporting” are the same thing under different names. They are not.

Indecopi writes it in these words: «Un reclamo no es una denuncia ni inicia un proceso sancionador contra un proveedor» — a reclamo is not a denuncia and does not start a sanctioning procedure against a provider. If what you want is your money back or a replacement, a reclamo is usually enough and faster. If what you want is for the company to be punished, only a denuncia gets there.

Fast track or ordinary: the amount decides, except in five matters

You do not choose the route. Article 125 of the Code fixes it, and it is worth knowing before you file anything.

Fast track (sumarísimo) — before an Órgano Resolutivo de Procedimientos Sumarísimos (OPS). This route takes anything worth up to 3 UIT (S/ 16,500 with the 2026 UIT). It also takes, whatever the amount, breach of conciliation agreements, failure to answer reclamos and information requests, abusive debt-collection methods, delay and failure to deliver a product, and breach of corrective measures, precautionary measures and the assessment of costs. Indecopi gives an average of 30 business days across four stages.

Ordinary — before a Comisión de Protección al Consumidor. This route takes anything above 3 UIT and, whatever the amount, five matters article 125 expressly excludes from the fast track:

1. Dangerous products or substances.
2. Acts of discrimination or differentiated treatment.
3. Medical services.
4. Acts affecting collective or diffuse interests.
5. Anything above 3 UIT.

Indecopi gives an average of 120 business days across six stages, including a conciliation hearing.

This matters in practice: if you were refused entry to a venue over your appearance, your case is not fast-track however cheap the drink was. It goes to a Comisión — and that is the route that can impose the largest fines.

If you disagree with the decision, you appeal to the same authority that issued it and it passes the case up: an OPS decision goes to a Comisión de Protección al Consumidor; a Comisión decision goes to the Sala Especializada en Protección al Consumidor.

The order we recommend

1. The libro de reclamaciones. Every business must have one, and it gives you a legal deadline in your favour: the regulation obliges the business to answer «en un plazo no mayor a quince (15) días hábiles» — no more than fifteen business days. Keep your copy of the sheet; it is your first piece of evidence.
2. Reclamo via Reclama Virtual. If they did not answer, or the answer solves nothing. Free, online, identifying yourself as the consumer. Indecopi contacts the business and seeks an agreement.
3. Denuncia via Mesa de Partes Virtual. If you also want a sanction, or the conduct is serious and you have no interest in settling. This one has a procedure, a fee and a decision.

You do not have to go through all three. You can file a denuncia directly. But the book and the reclamo usually fix the concrete problem sooner and with less effort, and they generate evidence for a denuncia if you end up needing one.

What to bring

• The receipt — boleta or factura — for the purchase or service.
• Photos of the product, the premises, the price tag.
• Your copy of the complaints-book sheet, with the business’s reply if there was one.
• Screenshots of the website, app, email or chat where the purchase or the broken promise happened.
• The business’s RUC (tax ID). It is on the receipt. Without it, Indecopi does not know whom to direct the case against.

What can happen at the end of a denuncia

If Indecopi finds an infraction of the Consumer Code, it may impose a warning or a fine. The ceiling depends on the classification: up to 50 UIT if minor, up to 150 UIT if serious and up to 450 UIT if very serious. How that fine is graded is explained on the page about minor, serious and very serious infractions.

How many people complain, and about what

According to a press report, Indecopi received 30,348 reclamos in the first quarter of 2026. The sectors with the most complaints were banking and finance (22.58%), telecoms (15.65%) and air transport (4.16%). These are reported figures, not a norm: we cite them so you know that complaining is routine and that banks, mobile operators and airlines account for a large share of cases.

Foreigners and companies

Nothing in the norms we read for this page distinguishes by nationality: the regulation speaks of the consumer and article 110 of the offending provider. A foreigner identifies with a carné de extranjería or passport where a Peruvian uses a DNI. Expect the portals and the helpline to be in Spanish; if your Spanish is limited, prepare a short written description of the problem before you start. If you are a company and the problem is with one of your own suppliers, whether you count as a consumer is assessed case by case and is not covered here.

Phone numbers

Indecopi’s citizen service: (01) 224-7777 in Lima and 0-800-4-4040 from the rest of the country. No phone call replaces a written reclamo, but it helps to find out which track suits your case.

What if the company you reported doesn’t pay the fine?

That runs on a separate track from your complaint — Indecopi has its own collection power. What happens if they don’t pay the fine?

What if you bought from a Facebook or Instagram seller, not a store?

Indecopi only clearly has jurisdiction when the seller qualifies as a “habitual proveedor” under Law 29571. If the seller was occasional or genuinely informal, your complaint may be dismissed and you’ll need a different route. See buying from informal sellers or on social media in Peru.

Lost money to crypto or an informal scheme?

Before filing an Indecopi complaint over a crypto scam, it helps to know Indecopi generally has no jurisdiction over those cases. Read crypto and informal investment scams: who to report to to find the real path forward.

Is the problem a subscription you can’t cancel?

If you’re being charged for a subscription without your authorization, or can’t easily cancel it, check unauthorized recurring charges and subscriptions in Peru before filing: Legislative Decree N° 1729 requires even foreign platforms to keep a complaint channel open.

Is your complaint about a taxi or ride-hailing app?

Indecopi has internally contradictory rulings on whether a ride-hailing app is liable as a mere intermediary or as the actual service provider. Before filing, check taxi and ride-hailing apps in Peru: passenger rights.

Is your complaint about a security camera rather than a product or service?

If the issue is about your image being captured by a surveillance camera, the right channel may not be Indecopi but Peru’s data protection authority. See video surveillance: your rights regarding security cameras.

Complaints about short-term Airbnb-style rentals

If your complaint is against a short-term rental host or platform, first see short-term rentals and Airbnb in Peru: what rules apply to understand your rights as a guest before filing.