Complaint Handling Policy

Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc. (“iA Financial Group”) is committed to ensuring the fair treatment of complaints related to the products and services it provides or distributes, in full accordance with this policy.


PURPOSE OF THE POLICY
This policy explains the process put in place by iA Financial Group to:

• Handle and resolve complaints
• Transfer complaints that cannot be resolved to a regulatory or external complaints body

WHAT IS A COMPLAINT?
A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction or a reproach, the identification of a dispute or a claim for corrective action involving a product or service provided or distributed by iA Financial Group. A complaint must:

• Be made in writing
• Set out the specific details of the concern or dispute
• Require a solution or remedy

FIRST STEP: DISCUSS YOUR CONCERN
If you are dissatisfied with a product or service, you must first:

• Contact the advisor or agency that sold the product or service, if applicable. Their contact information can be found on the product documentation.
• Contact Customer Service at 1-800-463-6236 or the Complaints Department for the product or service.

This first step may allow you to obtain the information or assistance to resolve the dissatisfaction or dispute.


SECOND STEP: CONTACT US IN WRITING
If, after attempting to resolve the dissatisfaction or dispute, you are still not satisfied and wish to file a complaint, you must contact us in writing. We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint and reply to you in writing within 90 calendar days.


THIRD STEP: CONTACT THE COMPLAINTS OFFICER IN WRITING
If, after receiving a written response, your complaint has still not been resolved, you can forward your complaint to:

COMPLAINTS OFFICER
The Complaints Officer is responsible for applying this policy. The Complaints Officer’s main responsibility is to ensure that complaints received by iA Financial Group are handled in compliance with this policy. The Complaints Officer is an authority independent of the lines of business.

The Complaints Officer also represents the company in dealings with the various regulatory bodies to which iA Financial Group reports with respect to complaint and dispute resolution.

The Complaints Officer may also designate an alternate complaints officer to receive, analyze and respond to complaints. Any decision taken by this officer is considered a final decision of the Complaints Officer.
The Complaints Officer must also report on complaints received by regulatory or external complaints bodies.


WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE COMPLAINTS OFFICER?

Receipt of the complaint
Upon receipt of your complaint, the Complaints Officer will ensure that it has been handled in accordance with the process outlined in this policy. If your complaint has not been handled in accordance with the process outlined in this policy, the Complaints Officer will redirect the complaint to the proper party to ensure that the established process is followed.

If your complaint has been handled in accordance with the process outlined in this policy, the Complaints Officer will confirm receipt within five calendar days of opening the file. Additional information may be requested from the complainant.

Investigation and response to the complaint
The Complaints Officer gathers the facts relating to the complaint and analyzes them thoroughly to ensure the complaint is handled fairly. 

During the investigation, the Complaints Officer may request additional documentation and contact parties with information or knowledge of certain facts relating to the complaint.

After receiving all the documentation and/or information needed for analysis, a final decision will be made within 90 calendar days and sent to the complainant." 


TRANSFER TO A REGULATORY AUTHORITY
When issuing a final decision, the Complaints Officer will notify the complainant of the regulatory authorities with proper jurisdiction to which they could request that their complaints file be transferred. 

Complainants dissatisfied with the Complaints Officer’s final decision or with the actual handling of their complaint may ask to have their file transferred to a regulatory authority with the proper jurisdiction. Where a complainant requests the transfer of the file, iA Financial Group will provide all documents making up the complaint file to the regulatory authority within 30 calendar days. 

The complaint file includes the complainant’s written request, supporting documentation, acknowledgement of receipt of the complaint, and any documentation and/or information the Complaints Officer used to reach a final decision, as well as a copy of the final decision. 


LEGAL ACTION
Where the complaint is subject to a formal demand, the Complaints Officer will offer the complainant the option of going through the process outlined in this policy or proceed through the legal process. Where the complainant prefers to go through the legal process or where the complaint is subject to an application before a court, the Complaints Officer will inform the complainant in writing that the complain will not be investigated by the Complaints Officer due to the ongoing litigation.


POLICY UPDATE
iA Financial Group will review this policy every two years.