Dispute Resolution

​Consider These 4 Steps to Resolve a Dispute

If you have a complaint about your insurer or insurance professional, here’s an overview of options to help ensure your concerns are addressed. ​Please note that dispute practices vary from one province to another.

1. Get more information from your insurer.
1. Ask your broker, agent, insurance representative or claims adjuster for a more in-depth explanation regarding your concern. Insurance policies are legal contracts and the rights and responsibilities of both parties involved are written within the agreement however sometimes misunderstandings arise.
2. If you have further questions, ask to speak with the insurer’s claims manager/supervisor.
3. For general questions you can contact the IBC Consumer Information Centre (CIC). IBC's CIC staff have years of insurance experience and can answer questions about:
1. Technicalities of policy wordings and coverage
2. Factors that could impact your decisions when buying, renewing or updating insurance coverage
3. How to proceed with a complaint
4. How to find information about a Complaint Liaison Officer or Ombudsperson
2. Contact your insurance company's Complaints Liaison Officer or Ombudsperson. All licensed insurers have a dispute resolution process and the person assigned to make sure the dispute resolution process is enforced within the organization. That person is typically called Complaints Liaison Officer or Ombudsperson. Note that the role of Complaints Liaison Officer or Ombudsperson is defined by the provincial regulator. 



When you make a complaint:

1. Make your concern clear and clearly state what you expect
2. Have all pertinent information and documentation available
3. Allow time for your insurer’s ombudsperson to investigate and answer your complaint
4. Make sure you keep a record of the people you talked to and what was said.
3. Use the General Insurance OmbudService (GIO). If your matter is not resolved with your insurer's complaints liaison officer, request a final position letter and contact GIO. GIO is an independent, regionally based consumer dispute-resolution system for the insurance industry. Its members include most federally licensed and several provincially incorporated insurers. GIO helps you and your insurer resolve differences about claims-related matters and interpretation of policy coverage in a fair, independent and impartial environment


4. Contact a federal or provincial institutions listed below. If your dispute is not resolved by GIO or if your insurer is not a member of GIO, get in touch with a Financial Consumer Agency of Canada.

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