The Financial Services OmbudsNetwork has partnered with the Canadian Consumer Information Gateway to offer financial consumers an online complaint channel. Consumers visiting the OmbudsNetwork site can now access consumer complaint assistance via the Complaint Courier.

The new module walks consumers through a multi-step process from the initial complaint assessment and overview of rights and responsibilities to guidance in contacting the financial provider via phone or letter. An online wizard guides consumers through the writing process and results in a letter that can be sent by mail or fax to the institution. The service is free of charge.

For consumers who have completed all steps at the company level but remain unsatisfied, the Complaint Courier provides an online form that can be completed and e-mailed to one of the three independent ombudservices: the Canadian Life and Health Insurance OmbudService (CLHIO); General Insurance OmbudService (GIO); or the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI).

“Through our Consumer Assistance and Referral Service, like the Consumer Gateway, we play very much a navigator role, helping financial consumers connect with the right people so they can resolve issues faster,” says Pierre Gravelle, CEO of the OmbudsNetwork.

Michael Lauber, Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments, agrees that the channel will speed up turnaround time on consumer complaints.

“We estimate that half of all inquiries currently come to OBSI by telephone, with the balance coming by e-mail, fax and letter,” he says. “This additional channel should make it quicker, and easier, for consumers who choose to communicate with us electronically from the OmbudsNetwork site.”

The OmbudsNetwork assists financial consumers in resolving individual concerns or complaints by putting them in touch with the appropriate point in its network of companies. The Canadian Consumer Information Gateway (www.consumerinformation.ca), the Network’s partner in the Complaint Courier, is an information hub with more than 400 governmental and non-governmental sources.