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| How the dispute resolution process works
Step One • Customer AssistanceContact your insurance agent or broker and attempt to resolve the dispute with them. If you are unable to resolve your complaint at this point, contact your insurance company’s complaint liaison officer. Information about your insurance company’s complaint liaison officer can be obtained from your insurance agent or broker, the Alberta Finance website, or by contacting the General Insurance OmbudService (GIO). With your insurance company’s complaint liaison officer, you will follow the company’s formal complaint handling process. This process will most likely involve the clarification of the matters in dispute or areas of disagreement and the facts of the case, as well as the exchange of any relevant documents. At the end of this step, the insurance company will send you a final letter of position explaining how it plans to resolve the matters in dispute. Step Two • MediationTo start the mediation process, contact the General Insurance OmbudService with the details of the dispute. A GIO Information Officer will be assigned to your case and will ask you to sign a Complaint Registration for Mediation Services. This request may be sent by fax, mail or e-mail. Information and forms may be obtained from GIO's website, or by contacting GIO toll free at 1-888-421-4212 or in the Edmonton area at (780) 421-8181. The GIO Information Officer will appoint an independent and qualified mediator from GIO’s mediation roster for Alberta. All mediators used by the GIO are professional members of the Alberta Arbitration and Mediation Society and the ADR Institute of Canada Inc. Once all necessary documents have been received by GIO, the mediator will facilitate a mediation session (up to two hours) between you and a representative from your insurance company. During the session, the mediator will act as a neutral third party to help you and your insurance company to resolve the issues in dispute in an informal and confidential environment. If the dispute is resolved, the mediator will prepare a settlement agreement for signature of the parties. If you and the insurance company still disagree or cannot resolve all of the issues, the mediator will prepare a report that states mediation was unsuccessful. Step Three • ArbitrationIf you are not able to resolve your dispute in step two, you may apply to the Automobile Insurance Dispute Resolution Committee (AIDR) to have the dispute with your insurer investigated further or referred to arbitration. The AIDR can be reached at (780) 427-8322 or call Service Alberta toll free at 310-0000 and ask for the Office of the Superintendent of Insurance. You will need to complete an application form and submit it to the committee. A committee member will review the matter and determine:
Please note that an application to the AIDR Committee will not be considered until steps one and two of the dispute resolution process have been completed. Following your application for arbitration, the AIDR Committee will check with the General Insurance OmbudService to ensure that you have completed the mediation process and that your dispute was not resolved through mediation. Following settlement of the dispute or completion of the arbitration, you can provide feedback and recommendations to the AIDR, so that improvements can be made. Additionally, you may contact the Provincial Ombudsman, who can review the process used to address your dispute. |
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When
a disagreement arises and you believe that your premium for basic coverage
has been incorrectly calculated, or believe your insurer has treated you
unfairly under the 