How to file a complaint about your insurance company

If you have a problem with your insurance company, you can take the following steps to resolve it.

Step 1: Address the problem with your company, agent, or broker

You may have an issue about your policy, claim, or any dealings with your company, agent or broker. If so, contact the company directly to file your complaint. All insurance companies have an internal complaint-handling process which is available on their website. The complaint-handling process may include several steps. You could deal with a front-line company representative, the complaint department or a senior individual responsible for investigating complaints.

The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada provides the complaint-handling process for all federally regulated insurance companies on its website.

Find the complaint-handling process for your federally regulated insurance company.

When you file a complaint, you should:

• provide your name and policy number
• provide the name of the agent or broker if you didn’t deal directly with a company representative
• state the facts, such as why you think there is a problem and what you'd like to happen
• provide copies of documents, such as account statements, contracts and medical information, if needed
• keep a record of who you talked to and what they said
• ask for a letter that clearly states your insurer’s final decision regarding your complaint

Step 2: Contact a third-party

If you’re not satisfied after following the complaint-handling process, you can contact one of these organizations for a third-party review:

If your unresolved complaint is about life and health insurance, you may contact:

• OmbudService for Life and Health Insurance (OLHI)
• L'Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) (for Quebec residents only)

If you have an unresolved complaint about home, auto or business insurance, you may contact:

• General Insurance OmbudService (GIO)
• L'Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) (for Quebec residents only)

Contact the insurance regulator

Insurance companies, agents and brokers must follow the law or rules of each province and territory where they carry on business. These rules deal with insurance policies and other products of the insurance company such as investments. They also deal with the conduct of company representatives, agents or brokers that offer and sell those insurance products.

If you’re not satisfied with your dealings with one of them, you can file a complaint with your provincial insurance regulator. This can be done separately from following the insurance company’s complaint-handling process or taking your complaint to one of the organizations noted in step 2 above.

Contact the insurance regulator in your province or territory.

Related link

• Cancelling your insurance
• Making an insurance claim