We are committed to safeguarding your rights when you shop for insurance and when you submit a claim following a loss. Your rights include the right to be informed fully, to be treated fairly, to timely complaint resolution, and to privacy. These rights are grounded in the contract between you and your insurer and the insurance laws of Ontario. With rights, however, come responsibilities including, for example, the expectation that you will provide complete and accurate information to us and to your insurer. Your policy outlines other important responsibilities. Insurers, insurance brokers, and governments also have important roles to play in ensuring that your rights are protected.
You can expect access to clear information about your policy, your coverage, and the claims settlement process. You have the right to an easy-to-understand explanation of how insurance works and how it will meet your needs. You also have a right to know how insurers calculate price based on relevant facts.
You have the right to ask who is providing compensation to us for the sale of your insurance. We will provide information detailing for you how we are paid, by whom, and in what ways. (click here for details)
Insurance companies will disclose their compensation arrangements with their distribution networks. We are committed to providing information relating to our ownership, financing, and other relevant facts that could influence the independence of our recommendations.
To safeguard your right to purchase appropriate coverage at a competitive price, you should ask questions about your policy so that you understand what it covers and what your obligations are under it. You can access information through brochures and this website, as well as through discussions with our licensed professionals. You have the option to shop the marketplace for the combination of coverages and service levels that best suits your insurance needs. To maintain your protection against loss, you must promptly inform your insurance company or us of any change in your circumstances.
We, and the insurance companies that we represent, are committed to high standards of customer service. If you have a complaint about the service you have received, you have the right to access a formal complaint resolution process. We, or your insurer, can provide you with information about how you can ensure that your complaint is heard and promptly handled. Disputes involving claims settlement matters may be handled by the independent General Insurance OmbudService www.gio-scad.org where your complaint may be referred to an independent mediator.
You should always enter into the dispute resolution process in good faith, provide required information in a timely manner, and remain open to recommendations made by independent observers as part of that process.
You have the right to deal with insurance professionals who exhibit a high ethical standard, which includes acting with honesty, integrity, fairness and skill. We are committed to exhibit extensive knowledge of the product, its coverages and its limitations. These standards are outlined in A Consumer's Guide to Property and Casualty Insurance Transactions, supported by members of the Insurance Brokers Association of Canada. For more information, go to www.ibc.ca.
Because it is important for you to disclose any and all information required by an insurer to provide the insurance coverage that best suits you, you have the right to know that your information will be used for the purpose set out in our Code of Conduct. Your information will not be disclosed to anyone except as permitted by law. You should know that insurers and brokers are subject to Canada's privacy laws.