Complaints Handling Protocol

Information for Consumers on Travelers Canada’s Complaints Handling Protocol and the Role of Our Complaints Liaison Officer

The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company, St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company and Travelers Insurance Company of Canada (collectively, “Travelers Canada” or the “Company”) are committed to treating all our customers with respect, consideration, and fairness. Notwithstanding our commitment to excellent customer service, on occasion, you may have concerns about your policy, your claim, or our service, or that you have not been treated fairly or there may be some misunderstanding that needs to be resolved. If you are a Travelers Canada customer, we want you to be completely satisfied with your insurance purchase or claims settlement and set out below is our Complaints Handling Protocol, and the steps we take to help ensure all Travelers Canada customers are treated fairly and communicated to regularly, throughout their insurance journey with Travelers Canada.

The Complaints Handling Protocol provides information and clarity on how to file a complaint with Travelers Canada, the process Travelers Canada will follow upon receipt of a complaint and the next steps for a complaint that remains unresolved.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding our Complaints Handling Protocol or if you require any further information on how to make a complaint, please feel free to contact our Complaints Liaison Officer (“CLO”) at the email, fax, phone number, or mailing address, provided below.

The Complaints Liaison Officer has a mandate and duty to carry out a fair and independent review of the complaint and provide recommendations as to its resolution.

The Complaints Liaison Officer is responsible for:

• Overseeing our complaint handling process;
• Ensuring your complaint is addressed;
• Ensuring that you receive a letter outlining our final position if your complaint cannot be resolved;
• Working with the General Insurance OmbudService (“GIO”) to address any complaints that have been raised to them; and
• Working with the various provincial regulators or the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada on complaints pertaining to consumer protection that have been raised to them.

The Complaints Liaison Officer is the person in charge of applying this Policy. They monitor employee training and ensure that employees are provided with the necessary information for compliance with this Policy. They are also responsible to file periodic reports with federal and provincial regulators detailing the number and type of complaints received in the respective reporting period, regardless of whether any complaints were received.

For all matters other than matters relating to accessibility for persons with disabilities:

Step 1: Contact Your Broker

Your first step should be to contact your broker, as your broker may be able to resolve the matter with you. Your broker works for you and not Travelers Canada. Your broker can speak to us on your behalf and also provide us with your contact information, if required. If the matter remains unresolved after having discussed it with your broker, then we encourage you to contact Travelers Canada directly.

Step 2: Work with a Travelers Canada Representative

If you know the name of the Travelers Canada representative who is responsible for your policy or claim, please contact that person directly. If you are unsure of who to contact, ask your broker to provide you with general contact information for Travelers Canada, or to refer you to the Underwriter or Claims Service Representative assigned to your file. You may also call Travelers Canada Customer Service at 905-825-6422 or email: CustomerServiceCDN@travelers.com.

Before calling, please have your details and documents, including your policy or claim number, accessible by you. In speaking with the Travelers Canada representative, explain your concerns and ask questions. Describe your circumstances and note the outcome you are seeking. Travelers Canada employees are knowledgeable and experienced, and in most cases will be able to answer your questions and explain our decisions.

Should your complaint remain unresolved after speaking with the Travelers Canada representative, you may request that the complaint be escalated to management. A manager or another senior person directed by management will review your complaint and discuss it with you further.

You are encouraged to seek assistance from your broker or agent and the appropriate business unit of Travelers Canada before contacting the Complaints Liaison Office in writing.

For all matters relating to accessibility for persons with disabilities and for all other matters which remain unresolved after having gone through the above process:

Step 3: Contact Travelers Canada’s Complaints Liaison Officer (CLO)

Please submit your complaint to the CLO by phone or in writing (email, fax or letter):

Telephone:    1.800.268.8447 Ext. 72510 or 416.947.2510
Fax:                 1.800.470.8381 or 416.366.6229
Mail:                Complaints Liaison Officer
                         Travelers Canada
                         165 University Avenue Toronto, Ontario M5H 3B9
Email:             ComplaintsLiaison@travelers.com

**Please note that email is not considered a secure method of communication. Therefore, please consider the security, confidentiality and sensitivity of your information when determining the appropriate method of communication.

Your letter should include:

• Your name, address and policy or claim number.
• A phone number or email address you can be reached during normal business hours.
• The nature of the dispute.
• A description of your expectations and what you want Travelers Canada to do.
• And who you have been in communication with.

If a lawyer for the matter in dispute represents you, he or she should write to the Complaints Liaison Officer. Alternatively, Travelers Canada should receive written authorization from your lawyer to deal directly with you to resolve your complaint. If you are writing on behalf of someone else (a Travelers Canada customer), Travelers Canada must receive an email sent by (or a letter signed by) the Travelers Canada customer stating that you are authorized to act for them in this matter.

The CLO will investigate your complaint and may request you provide additional information or documentation.

While your complaint is being reviewed, you will receive regular updates from us. Our service expectation is that the complaint review will be completed in 30 days from receipt of all necessary documentation. Some reviews may take longer depending on the complexity of the situation.

If we are unable to resolve the matter to your satisfaction, our Complaints Liaison Officer will ensure that you receive a letter outlining Travelers Canada’s final position. This Final Position Letter will explain Travelers Canada's position, confirm that your complaint has gone through our complaint handling process and advise you of your available options (referred to as Final Response Letter in Quebec).

If you are not satisfied with Travelers Canada’s position as stated in the Final Position Letter, you may contact the General Insurance Ombudservice (“GIO”). The GIO is a Canada-wide external independent body that can assist consumers with most complaints that consumers have been unable to resolve with their insurer. Travelers Canada has selected the GIO to handle complaints that are not resolved pursuant to this Complaints Handling Protocol. The GIO may be contacted by any of the following methods:

Telephone:    1.877.225.0446 (National Toll Free)
Fax:                 416.299.4261
Mail:               General Insurance OmbudService (GIO)
                        4711 Yonge Street, 10th floor
                        Toronto, ON M2N 6K8
Website:        www.giocanada.org

Additional Information

Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (“FCAC”)

If you have a complaint regarding Travelers Canada’s complaint handling process, you may raise your concerns with the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (“FCAC”). The FCAC is a Canada-wide independent governmental body that supervises federally regulated financial institutions to ensure they comply with federal consumer protection measures applicable to them. 

Contact FCAC

Financial Consumer Agency of Canada
427 Laurier Avenue West, 6th Floor, Ottawa, Ontario K1R 1B9
Telephone: 1-866-461-FCAC (3222 or 2232)
Fax: 1-866-814-2224

For complaints involving a consumer provision of the Insurance Companies Act:

If a complaint involves a consumer provision of the Insurance Companies Act, the consumer is free to contact the FCAC. You can learn more about the FCAC by visiting www.fcac-acfc.gc.ca.

(In British Columbia)

For complaints involving a consumer provision of the BC Homeowner Protection Act: 

If a complaint involves a consumer provision of the BC Homeowner Protection Act and/or a New Home Warranty, the consumer is free to contact The Licensing & Consumer Services, as set forth below:

Telephone:    604.646.7050 or 1.800.407.7757 (National Toll Free)
Fax:                 604-646-7051
Mail:               Licensing & Consumer Services
                        Branch of BC Housing
                        Suite 203-4555 Kingsway 
                        Burnaby, BC V5H 4T8
Website:       www.bchousing.org/licensing-consumer-services/new-homes

(In Alberta)

For complaints involving a consumer provision of the Alberta New Home Buyer Protection Act: 

If a complaint involves a consumer provision of the Alberta New Home Buyer Protection Act and/or a New Home Warranty, the consumer is free to contact The Government of Alberta Treasury Board and Finance, as set forth below:

Telephone:    780-644-1010 (within Canada and United States)
Toll free:        1-866-421-6929 (within Canada)
Mail:               Municipal Affairs Government of Alberta
                        Residential Protection Program
                        16th Flr, Commerce Place
                        10155 102 St NW
                        Edmonton, AB T5J 4L4
Email:            MA.RPPCompliance@gov.ab.ca
Website:       www.alberta.ca/filing-complaints-with-the-residential-protection-program

(In Quebec)

Residents of Quebec:

For residents in Quebec, if our review of the complaint is not completed and continues beyond 60 days from the date you submitted your complaint, you may report the delay to the General Insurance OmbudService (“GIO”). Please refer to the Regulation respecting complaint processing and dispute resolution in the financial sector (“Regulation”) at this link for more information. 

In addition, if you are not satisfied with the outcome or with the examination of your complaint, you may request, at any time, for your file to be transferred to the Autorité des marchés financiers (“AMF”). Travelers Canada complies with the rules governing the protection of personal information in Quebec. Please note the AMF may offer dispute resolution services, if deemed appropriate, and that filing a complaint with the AMF does not interrupt any prescriptive period for civil remedies that may be available to you.

The AMF may be contacted by any of the following methods:

Telephone:    1.877.525.0337 (Toll Free)    418.525.0337
Mail:               Autorité des Marchés Financiers
                        Place de la Cité, tour PwC
                        2640, boulevard Laurier, bureau 400
                        Québec, Québec
                        G1V 5C1
Website:        https://lautorite.qc.ca/en/general- public/assistance-and-complaints