What if a business in Peru refuses to give you the complaints book?
Refusing to hand over the sheet or not displaying the notice is a sanctionable breach in itself, and having no book or refusing to attend to you is a more serious one. Document the moment and take it to Indecopi: that fact alone carries a fine, on top of your original problem.
VerificationVerified against the official sourceSee the sources ↓
- 4sources cited
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- 3official institutions
El Peruano · Peruvian State portal (gob.pe) · Congress of Peru
Checked 1 Oct 2026Next review 12 Dec 2026
What we read and what we did notClassifying these behaviours as type A, B or C infractions follows Table 3 of DS 032-2021-PCM and the fine ranges follow Table 4, both read in the official El Peruano publication hosted on gob.pe. Article 9 of the regulation (the notice) was read in the Third Official Edition of the Consumer Code; the exact format sits in annex II, which we do not reproduce. The Indecopi filing fee exists, but we did not confirm its amount.
The refusal is a separate breach
This is the point that changes everything. When a business will not give you the book, it is not just making your complaint harder: it is committing a separate breach, with its own fine, regardless of whether your original complaint has merit.
The Consumer Protection and Defence Code requires establishments to keep a complaints book (article 150) and to display a notice of its existence in a visible and easily accessible place (article 151). Ley 31435 added the duty to attend to complaints and answer them within fifteen business days, no extension.
How serious each behaviour is
Indecopi’s reference scale (Table 4 of DS 032-2021-PCM) ranks these failures in three levels. We were unable to confirm that table on El Peruano at the time of writing, and we say so again below.
| Behaviour | Type | Relative seriousness |
|---|---|---|
| No complaints book | A | Highest |
| Refusing to handle the complaint | A | Highest |
| Making the complaint conditional on prior payment | A | Highest |
| Not supporting the entry of the complaint; book not accessible | B | Middle |
| Not answering within the deadline | B | Middle |
| Not handing over the complaint sheet | C | Lowest |
| Not displaying the notice | C | Lowest |
The difference between A and C matters to the business. What matters to you is that all of them are on the table.
What a refusal looks like in real life
It is almost never a flat “no.” It tends to be:
- “The manager keeps the book and he’s not in today.”
- “That book is only for product complaints, not for this.”
- “Pay first, then complain.”
- “Write it here,” and they hand you a random notebook with no format and no copy.
- Premises with no notice in sight, where nobody knows what you are talking about.
All are versions of the same thing. The first two are, in practice, not handing over the sheet. The third is among the most serious. The fourth does not meet the sheet-with-copy format the regulation requires. The fifth is not displaying the notice.
Documenting it in three minutes
You need little, but it has to be concrete:
- Time and date. Type them into your phone right then.
- Who. Name, or if they will not give it, a description and apparent role.
- What they said. The sentence, as close to verbatim as you can.
- Photo. Of the notice if there is one, of the wall if there is not, of the unformatted notebook if that is what you were given.
- Video. Short, of the moment you ask and are refused. No need to argue or raise your voice.
- Receipt. The boleta, invoice or order screenshot.
With that you have more than most denuncias carry.
What comes next
Your original complaint is not lost because it never went through the book. Reclama Virtual takes it directly: it is free, you identify yourself with your document, and it seeks a conciliation with the business. Eight in ten complaints now come in that way.
If you also want the refusal to have consequences, that is a denuncia through the mesa de partes, with your evidence attached. They are separate routes and you can take both.
How to file
- Ask for the book clearly, once more«Quiero registrar un reclamo en el libro de reclamaciones.» If they refuse, do not argue. What you need now is to document, not to persuade.
- Note the time, date, name and what they saidThe name or description of who attended you, the exact wording of the refusal. If there is a complaints-book notice on the wall, photograph it; if there is none, photograph the wall where it should be.
- Record it if you canA short video of the moment you ask for the book and are refused is the best evidence. Keep the receipt or proof of what you bought or consumed.
- Log your complaint on Reclama VirtualIt is free. Describe your original problem and add that you were refused the book. Indecopi passes it to the business to conciliate.
- If you want the refusal sanctioned, file a denunciaThrough the Mesa de Partes Virtual, attaching your photos, video and notes. There is a filing fee whose amount we have not confirmed.
Want it drafted for you? Escrito listo — S/ 29 · available soon →
What people fail to ask in time
You decide to take it to Indecopi: do you know which channel it goes through and what they ask you for?
Find out before it matters →What most people believe — and what the law says
If they won't give me the book, I can't complain.
You can, directly to Indecopi through Reclama Virtual. And you now have two facts: your original problem and the refusal, which is a breach with its own fine.
They said the manager keeps the book and isn't in; that's a valid excuse.
The book must be on the premises and available. 'The person who keeps it is not here' is, in practice, not handing it over.
They'll only give it to me after I pay the bill.
Making the handling of a complaint conditional on prior payment sits among the most serious behaviours in Indecopi's scale (type A), next to having no book at all.
Without the book I have no proof of anything.
The time, the name of who attended you, a photo of the premises with no notice and a video of the refusal are proof. A denuncia stands on that.
They handed me some random notebook and I wrote in it, so that's done.
The book has a sheet format with a copy for you. If you got an unformatted notebook with no copy, ask for the *hoja de reclamación*. If there is none, document that too.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the business have to answer my complaint?
Ley N.º 31435 (Articles 24.1 and 152) requires the provider to attend to and answer your complaint within a maximum of fifteen business days, not extendable, regardless of whether they gave you the book at the time or not.
Do online-only businesses also need to have a complaints book?
Yes. Article 150 of Ley N.º 29571 requires every digital e-commerce platform to keep a complaints book, in physical or virtual form, the same as a physical establishment.
Where exactly must the complaints-book notice be posted?
Article 9 of the Regulation (Decreto Supremo N.º 011-2011-PCM) requires the notice to be "en un lugar visible y fácilmente accesible al público" (in a visible, easily accessible place). If you have to search for it or ask about it, it likely does not meet that condition.
What is the difference between using Reclama Virtual and filing a denuncia through Mesa de Partes Virtual?
Reclama Virtual is free and seeks a direct conciliation with the business over your original problem. Filing a denuncia through Mesa de Partes Virtual, by contrast, seeks to have Indecopi sanction the conduct itself (such as refusing you the book), and it carries a filing fee whose amount we have not confirmed here.
What the fine is
| Conduct | Severity | Range | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not handing over the complaint sheet; displaying the notice without the conditions in article 9 of the Regulation — micro business DS 032-2021-PCM, Table 4, breach type C The micro-business range runs from a warning (amonestación) up to 0.5 UIT. | variable | up to 0.5 UIT up to S/ 2,750.00 up to $795 | Indecopi |
| Not handing over the complaint sheet; displaying the notice without the conditions in article 9 of the Regulation — small business DS 032-2021-PCM, Table 4, breach type C | variable | 0.5 – 1 UIT S/ 2,750.00 – S/ 5,500.00 $795 – $1,591 | Indecopi |
| Not handing over the complaint sheet; displaying the notice without the conditions in article 9 of the Regulation — medium or large business DS 032-2021-PCM, Table 4, breach type C | variable | 1 – 2.5 UIT S/ 5,500.00 – S/ 13,750.00 $1,591 – $3,977 | Indecopi |
| No complaints book; refusing to handle the complaint — micro business DS 032-2021-PCM, Table 4, breach type A | variable | 1 – 2.5 UIT S/ 5,500.00 – S/ 13,750.00 $1,591 – $3,977 | Indecopi |
| No complaints book; refusing to handle the complaint — small business DS 032-2021-PCM, Table 4, breach type A | variable | 2.5 – 5 UIT S/ 13,750.00 – S/ 27,500.00 $3,977 – $7,955 | Indecopi |
| No complaints book; refusing to handle the complaint — medium or large business DS 032-2021-PCM, Table 4, breach type A | variable | 5 – 10 UIT S/ 27,500.00 – S/ 55,000.00 $7,955 – $15,910 | Indecopi |
Fines are set in UIT. When the UIT moves, every fine moves with it. UIT 2026 = S/ 5,500 (Decreto Supremo N.º 301-2025-EF). Reference conversion only. The debt is owed in soles.FX rate as of2026-10-12: US$ 1 = S/ 3.457.
The exact law
Ley N.º 29571Articles 150 and 151read
Consumer Protection and Defence Code — duty to keep a complaints book and display the notice
«Los establecimientos comerciales, así como toda plataforma digital de comercio electrónico, deben contar con un libro de reclamaciones, en forma física o virtual.»
Decreto Supremo N.º 011-2011-PCMArticles 4 and 9read
Complaints Book Regulation — the consumer's copy of the sheet, and the notice in a visible place
«en un lugar visible y fácilmente accesible al público»
Ley N.º 31435Articles 24.1 and 152read
Duty to attend to and answer reclamos and quejas within fifteen business days, not extendable
«proveedores están obligados a atender los reclamos presentados por sus consumidores y dar respuesta a los mismos en un plazo no mayor de quince (15) días hábiles improrrogables.»
Decreto Supremo N.º 032-2021-PCMTable 4read
Indecopi fine methodology — reference scale by breach type and company size
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What this page already lets you do
- Name the rule that protects you
- Copy the exact article and send it
- Follow the steps, in order
- Know how far the fine goes