PRIVACY
Our Privacy Commitment to You
Optimum General Inc. values your business and is committed to
providing excellent customer service. One essential component
of our customer service is ensuring the privacy of the personal
information of its customers including applicants, insureds, former
insureds, claimants and other individuals involved in claims.
As of January 1, 2004, the federal Personal Information Protection
and Electronic Documents Act ("PIPEDA") applies to the
operations of insurance companies. The act balances an individual's
right to the privacy of personal information with the need of
organizations to collect, use or disclose personal information
for legitimate business purposes. Our pledge is to safeguard the
privacy rights defined in PIPEDA and all other relevant laws.
How are we complying with the privacy principles of PIPEDA?
1. Accountability: We have designated an individual as
the person who is accountable for ensuring we use personal information
in an appropriate manner. We have developed and implemented personal
information policies and procedures.
2. Identifying Purposes: We will identify the reasons for
collecting personal information before or at the time of collection.
3. Consent: We will collect, use or disclose personal information
only with the individual's knowledge and consent, before or at
the time of collection, as well as when a new use is identified.
4. Limiting Collection: We will limit the amount and type
of information we gather to what is necessary for the identified
purposes.
5. Limiting Use, Disclosure and Retention: We will not
use or disclose personal information for purposes other than those
for which it was collected, except with consent or as required
by law. Personal information will be retained only as long as
necessary for the fulfillment of those purposes.
6. Accuracy of Information: We will ensure that personal
information will be as accurate, complete and up-to-date as is
necessary for the purposes for which it is to be used.
7. Safeguards: Personal information will be protected from
unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use or modification,
by security safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information.
8. Openness: We will make readily available to individuals
specific information about our policies and practices relating
to the management of personal information.
9. Individual Access: Upon request, an individual will
be informed of the existence, use and disclosure of his or her
personal information and will be given access to that information.
An individual can challenge the accuracy and completeness of the
information and have it amended as appropriate.
10. Challenging Compliance: An individual can address a
challenge concerning compliance with the above principles to our
Privacy Officer, who is accountable for our compliance with these
principles.
What information do we collect?
We only collect personal information that we require to provide
you with the insurance protection that you have requested and
to administer any claims that you may have. Information collected
may include:
· Name
· Address
· Birthdate
· Marital status
· Employment information
· Phone Number
· E-mail address
· Policy type and number
· Social insurance number
· Driver's License Number
· Accident/Violation history
· Lien/leaseholders
· Vehicle information
· Mortgagee
· Banking information
· Credit rating information
How do we obtain your consent?
We will obtain your consent (which may be written, oral or implied)
before or at the time your personal information is being collected
from you, but only as permitted or required by law.
How do we collect personal information?
Most of the personal information collected by Optimum General
is provided by insurance brokers. We believe that we deal with
the most professional and respected brokers in the insurance industry.
By providing your broker or us with personal information, we consider
that you do so with the knowledge and understanding that it is
collected, used and disclosed for the identified purposes.
How do we use your information?
Personal information that is collected is used for:
· Considering your application for insurance and offering
you insurance
· Establishing and maintaining communication with you
· Underwriting purposes
· Servicing your policy
· Investigating and paying claims
· Detecting and preventing fraud
· Compiling statistics
· Complying with the requests from regulatory and law enforcement
authorities
· Activity which we undertake under federal, provincial
or territorial legislation
· Accounting - credit card/bank account numbers to pay
premiums
Protecting Your Privacy
Your personal information is kept in strict confidence. We maintain
physical, electronic and procedural safeguards to protect your
information from unauthorized access. We restrict access to your
personal information to those employees who we have determined
need to know in order to provide products or services to you.
Personal information is retained only as long as it is needed,
or to meet any legal, regulatory or tax requirements.
Accuracy
Optimum General Inc. is committed to keeping personal information
as accurate, complete and up-to-date as necessary taking into
account its use and the interests of the individual.
Access to Personal Information
You have a right to submit a written request to access your personal
information that is in our possession and make corrections to
it. Such a request is to be made to our Privacy Officer at the
address listed below. We will respond to your request within 30
days or advise you if additional time is required to respond to
your request. We will amend personal information that is demonstrated
to be inaccurate or incomplete.
Further Information
Requests for further information, access to personal information
or complaints about Optimum General Inc.'s handling of personal
information should be referred to the Optimum General Privacy
Officer as follows:
Optimum General Inc.
147 McIntyre Street West, Suite 200, P.O. Box 1288
North Bay, ON P1B 8K5
Attention: Privacy Officer
Telephone: 1-800-461-6110
Fax: 1-705-476-8938
Email: privacyofficer@optimum-general.com
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