Summary of our policy on complaint handling and dispute resolution
Our customer service, whose contact information is available on the Contact Us page, will be happy to help you with any communication related to:
- a request for information or documents
- a request for access or rectification made in accordance with the Act respecting the protection of personal information in the private sector
- a claim for an indemnity or other insurance claim
- a request to correct an administrative error
- comments or feedback.
1. What is a complaint?
A complaint expresses a reproach or dissatisfaction with our services or a product we offer and an expectation that we will take action to address it.
Rest assured that every complaint we receive is handled in a fairly and timely manner.
2. How to submit a complaint?
You can submit a complaint by completing the form available on our website at www.ia.ca/complaints.
You can also complete the form from the Autorité des marchés financiers and send it to us.
If you have any questions, need help submitting a complaint or sending us the Autorité des marches financiers form, please contact us by email at complaintsofficer@ia.ca. You can also reach us by phone at 1(800)463-6236 ext. 1200.
Home and Auto Insurance
If you have any questions, need help submitting your complaint or submitting the Autorité des marches financiers form, please contact us by writing to us at plainte@iaah.ca. You can also reach us by calling 1-877-700-7778.
3. Steps in handling a complaint
Some complaints are processed through a simplified process. This process is explained in point 4 below. If we are unable to resolve your complaint through this process or if the nature or complexity of your complaint does not lend itself to it, your complaint will be handled according to the steps below.
3.1 We confirm receipt of the complaint
A written acknowledgement of receipt will be sent to you within ten (10) days of receipt of your complaint.
3.2 We analyze your complaint
We make sure we understand your complaint and your expectations of us. If necessary, we will contact you to request additional information.
3.3 We provide a final written response
A final written response will be sent to you within sixty (60) days of receipt of your complaint. In this response, we will explain how we analyzed your complaint and what led to our response and, where possible, our proposed solution to resolve your complaint.
There may be times when your complaint takes longer or more complex than expected and we determine that additional time is required to continue the analysis. This additional period may not exceed thirty (30) days. We will notify you in writing and specify the reasons for this additional delay.
3.4 Evaluation of the offer and resolution of your complaint
Please take the time to analyze our response or evaluate the offer we make to resolve your complaint. In the latter case, we will give you a period of time to confirm that you accept our offer, reject it or present us with a counter-offer. At any time, you may contact us if you have any questions related to our response or the offer.
This time frame will allow you to get the advice you need to make an informed decision.
Once we agree with you on how to resolve your complaint, we have thirty (30) days to proceed unless we agree with you to a different time frame where it is in your best interest.
3.5 External review of the complaint file
We create a file for each complaint. We keep all the information or documents useful for the handling of your complaint.
You may contact us to request that your complaint file be reviewed by the Autorité des marchés financiers (Québec) at any time if you are dissatisfied with the way we have handled your complaint or the response we have provided to you.
We are required to send your complaint file to the Autorité des marchés financiers within a maximum of fifteen (15) days following your request.
You can also contact the OmbudService for Life and Health Insurance (Canada) at any time (except for home and auto insurance products).
You can also contact the financial services regulator in your province or territory.
4. Simplified process for certain complaints
The simplified process applies to complaints for which we are able to provide a satisfactory resolution within twenty (20) days.
We consider a complaint to be resolved to your satisfaction if you agree to our proposed solution to resolve your complaint or if the explanations we provide to you resolve the complaint.
As part of this process, these complaints may be handled by a member of our customer service team and dealt with, for example, in the context of a telephone call.
If we are unable to provide you with a solution or explanation that will resolve your complaint through this process, we will notify you in writing. Your complaint will continue to be processed in accordance with the complaint handling steps detailed above.
The time we take to attempt to resolve your complaint through a simplified process does not affect our obligation to provide you with our final written response within the required time.