Complaint Handling Process

We want you to be completely satisfied with your insurance purchase and claim settlement.  If you have concerns about your policy, your claim or our service, we want to hear from you.

The first step in resolving your complaint is to contact your Insurance Broker.  Your Broker works for you - not the insurance company.  Your Broker can:

• Speak to Mutual Fire Insurance on your behalf to obtain a solution which is mutually acceptable to both parties; or
• Help you contact the company representative who can best resolve your complaint.

If an agreement cannot be reached, your complaint can be escalated to our Ombudsperson Liaison Officer.

Ombudsperson Liaison Officer

The Ombudsperson Liaison Officer is an employee of The Mutual Fire Insurance Company of British Columbia. The Ombudsperson Liaison Officer is responsible for:

• Overseeing the complaint handling process;
• Ensuring your complaint is addressed;
• Ensuring that you receive a letter outlining the Mutual Fire Insurance Company of British Columbia’s final position if your complaint cannot be resolved; and
• Working with Mutual Insurance Companies OmbudService  (MICO) to address complaints that could not be resolved by the Mutual Fire Insurance Company of British Columbia.

The Ombudsperson Liaison Officer cannot:

• Enter into the investigation, negotiation or settlement of an insurance claim.
• Inquire into matters that are being, will be, or have been dealt with by a court or a dispute resolution process.

Contacting the Ombudsperson Liaison Officer

The Mutual Fire Insurance Company of British Columbia’s Ombudsperson Liaison Officer is:

Darin L. Nessel
President & Chief Executive Officer
The Mutual Fire Insurance Company of British Columbia
#201-9366 200A Street
Langley, BC V1M 4B3

Phone: 1.866.417.2272
Fax: 1.604.881.1440
Email: ombudsman@mutualfirebc.com

We recommend that formal complaints to the Ombudsperson Liaison Officer be made in writing. Your letter should include:

• Your name, address and policy number;
• A phone number where you can be reached during normal business hours;
• The nature of the dispute; and
• A description of your expectations - what you would like The Mutual Fire Insurance Company of British Columbia to do.

If we are unable to resolve the matter to mutual satisfaction, the Ombudsperson Liaison Officer will ensure that you receive a letter outlining the company's final position. Depending on the nature of your complaint, you may then wish to contact The Mutual Insurance Companies OmbudService  (MICO) to use an alternative dispute resolution process.

The Mutual Insurance Companies OmbudService (MICO) assists in the resolution of conflicts between policyholders (customers, insureds) and participating mutual insurance companies. When a dispute arises between the insurer and the policyholder and that issue cannot be solved with the help of the company’s Ombudsperson Liaison Officer, an independent mediator is appointed with the objective of helping both parties work towards an acceptable solution.