Media Room

FCAC Quarterly Statistics

Between October 1 and December 31, 2004, the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC), received 12,617 contacts. This document provides a breakdown of the types of contacts FCAC received, the method used to contact FCAC and the province where the inquiries and complaints originated.

For the period October 1 - December 31, 2004
Consumer inquiries and complaints
	General inquiries	10,202
	General complaints	1,023
	Inquiries about compliance matters	8
	Complaints about compliance matters	181

Total consumer inquiries and complaints		11,414

Requests for Publications		994
Complaints and filings from financial institutions
	Self-reported complaints¹	170
	Filings by financial institutions²	39

Total complaints and filings from financial institutions		209

Total contacts		12,617

Method of contact
	Phone calls	11,899
	Letters	181
	E-mails	304
	In-person visits	5
	Other³	228

Total		12,617

¹	Includes consumer complaints that have been escalated to the reportable level of a financial institution’s internal complaint-handling process.
²	Includes documents that financial institutions are required to submit to FCAC, such as public accountability statements and branch closure filings.
³	Includes examinations, filings and cases initiated by FCAC.

Consumer Inquiries and Complaints

The following chart provides a breakdown of the types of consumer inquiries and complaints received for the period, excluding requests for publication.

Inquiries and Complaints Chart [D]

¹	Includes generic inquiries and complaints that FCAC receives in its role as the source for reliable information. Examples include requests for information, copies of complaint-handling procedures for financial institutions and inquiries regarding the reputation or viability of a financial institution.
²	Includes inquiries and complaints about compliance matters, excluding self-reported complaints and filings by financial institutions.
³	Includes miscellaneous inquiries and complaints received regarding automated banking machines (ABMs), bills, complaint procedures, debit cards, electronic and telephone banking, estate matters, exchange rates, identity theft, interest rates, privacy, quality of service, service fees and tied selling.

The following graph provides a regional breakdown of consumer inquiries and complaints received for the period.

Inquiries and Complaints Bar Chart [D]

* The province or territory was not indicated by the consumer.

A table providing a detailed breakdown of the number of contacts FCAC received by province and by category is available on our Web site. To view this table click here.

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Compliance Matters

FCAC opens and reviews hundreds of compliance cases each year covering a wide range of consumer issues under federal financial legislation. If a compliance officer, after gathering the facts of a case, believes that a financial institution may have violated a consumer provision, the case is forwarded to the Commissioner for his review and a decision. The information below summarizes the number of compliance cases opened and closed between July 1 and September 30, 2004.

For the Period July 1 - September 30, 2004
Total number of compliance cases opened (Includes consumer and self-reported complaints)		276

Total number of compliance cases closed		213
(Includes cases outstanding from previous periods)
	Number of violations of the law	18
	Number of cases of non-compliance to a public commitment	1
	Branch closure - Request for meeting not granted	2

The Commissioner's Decisions are posted on our Web site to inform consumers about their rights when dealing with federally regulated financial institutions. They also provide an overview of the types of compliance issues FCAC has reviewed, and the work FCAC has been doing to protect financial consumers.

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		Last Modified: 2005-03-09	Important Notices