Policy

At Optimum Insurance Company, we strive to offer our clients the best service possible. Occasionally, an issue will arise where a customer is not completely satisfied with the service they have received. In these cases, we have the following procedure in place to deal with these situations.

Procedure

The first level of service for our customers is their Insurance Broker. Should a customer have a complaint, concern, or inquiry, they should first be encouraged to speak to their broker. Insurance Brokers work on behalf of their customers and represent their best interests. They offer independent advice and understand the importance of insurance to their customer's financial security and peace of mind.

Note

If the customer's service issue is with regards to their broker or our claims handling process, customers should be directed to the second level of our complaint process, not back to their broker.

Our second and final level of service for our customers is our Consumer Complaint Officer. If the broker is unable to resolve the customer's dispute to their satisfaction, or if the complaint is with regards to their broker or claims handling process, the customer should be encouraged to contact our Consumer Complaint Officer, also referred to as our Ombudsman.

The Ombudsman handles the complaints that persist after being considered and examined at the operational level capable of rendering a decision. A complaint is the expression of one of the following three elements:

• a reproach against the organization;
• the identification of a real or potential harm that a consumer has experienced or may experience;
• a request for a remedial action.

It is recommended that formal complaints to the Consumer Complaint Officer be made in writing. The Consumer Complaint Officer may be contacted by mail, phone or e-mail at:

Consumer Complaint Officer
Optimum Insurance Company Inc.
425, de Maisonneuve West Boulevard, Suite 1500
Montreal (Quebec) H3A 3G5
Phone: 514 288-8725 extension 178
E-mail: [email protected]

The Consumer Complaint Officer, Claude Gauthier, will ensure the settlement of your complaint within the 10 days following the reception of all information required for the handling of this one. The Consumer Complaint Officer shall record your complaint in the complaint register. A file is created for each complaint recorded in the register. Only those persons responsible for the processing of complaint files will have access to the register and the associated files via our systems.

If you aren’t entirely satisfied with the resolution of your case or of its handling by the Consumer Complaint Officer, you may request that your complaint file be transferred to the Autorité des marches financiers (AMF). The AMF is the regulatory body in charge of regulating the financial sector in Quebec and assisting financial consumers. They may also recommend mediation if the parties involved are resigned to do so. For any additional information, you may contact the AMF at  1 877 525-0337 or visit their website at www.lautorite.qc.ca.