Step One: Initial Consultation

You’re frustrated with your home, auto or business insurance provider. You can’t seem to find a fair solution to your problem. GIO’s experts are here to help you through this process.

When you first contact GIO, we will assign one of our experienced, courteous Consumer Service Officers to your case. They will listen to your concerns and engage in a friendly, informal discussion aimed at guiding your issue toward resolution.

Often, they will suggest you contact your insurance company's Complaint Liaison Officer, who will help guide you through the company's formal complaint handling process. This will include clarification of the issues in dispute, confirmation of the facts of the case and the exchange of any relevant documents. At the end of this process, the insurance company will send you a final letter of position, explaining what action they plan to take to resolve your complaint.

If you are not satisfied with your insurance company's proposed settlement, you may ask GIO to arrange for mediation. Before you contact GIO to take this action, however, you must first have tried to resolve your problem with your insurance company.

Step Two: Dispute Resolution

Based on the final position from your insurance provider, you want to request mediation.

To begin the mediation process, please provide GIO with the details of your dispute. You can submit this information by telephone (1-877-225-0446), e-mail (insert link to e-mail address), or with our easy-to-use online complaint form (insert link to online complaint form).

Your Consumer Services Officer will ask you to complete a Mediation Registration form. At this time, you will also need to provide GIO with any relevant correspondence about your dispute.

Your Consumer Services Officer will help you select an experienced, independent mediator from a list provided by the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Institute of Canada Inc. or in Quebec, by le Barreau du Quebec. Once all necessary documents have been received, the mediator will facilitate a 90-minute discussion between you and a representative from your insurance company.

The mediation process is conducted in an impartial environment and is provided to you free of charge. The mediator serves as a neutral, third-party to help you and your insurance company resolve your differences in an impartial, informal and confidential manner. If the two parties cannot resolve their issues at this meeting, the mediator will prepare a report for GIO. Upon consulting with the mediator, GIO will then provide a non-binding recommendation for you and your insurance company to consider.

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Every effort is made to resolve your issue in a fair, mutually-acceptable manner by the time it reaches this stage. After the mediation session, however, if these recommendations are unacceptable to either you or your insurance company, you may wish to pursue your legal options. Since GIO does not assist in legal proceedings, however, any further action you choose to take is between you and your legal representative.

Residents of Alberta: Please note that in Alberta only, if mediation is unsuccessful in resolving your automobile premium complaint, you may apply to the Automobile Dispute Resolution Committee to have your complaint reviewed.