Step 1. Sharing your Concern
Talk to a representative at the branch or office where your complaint originated, or where you normally conduct your business. If your concerns remain unsolved, please involve the manager or supervisor. You can also refer to the complaint handling process or terms and conditions documents given to you when you opened your account to determine where to best raise your concern.
Alternatively, you may contact:
BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc.
Contact your BMO Private Wealth Market Leader, as set out
in your investment account statement.
BMO Investments Inc.
Contact the Branch Manager at the branch indicated on your account statement.
BMO InvestorLine Inc.
Call: 1-888-776-6886
Email: info@bmoinvestorline.com
Visit: bmo.com/self-directed or bmo.com/advicedirect
BMO Private Banking
Contact the Relationship Manager indicated on your
account statement.
Call: 1-800-844-6442
Visit: bmo.com/privatewealth
Step 2. Escalate to a Senior Officer
If your complaint is unresolved after following Step 1, you may escalate to the appropriate business group Senior Officer, listed below:
BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc.
Designated Complaints Officer
BMO Nesbitt Burns, Retail Compliance
1 First Canadian Place, P.O. Box 150, Toronto, ON M5X 1A1
Call: 1-866-391-5897
Email: BMONB.Complaints@bmonb.com
BMO Investments Inc.
Office of the Chief Compliance Officer
1 First Canadian Place, P.O. Box 150, Toronto, ON M5X 1A1
Email: BMOIIcomplaints@bmo.com
BMO InvestorLine Inc.
Designated Complaints Officer
BMO InvestorLine, Compliance
1 First Canadian Place, P.O. Box 150, Toronto, ON M5X 1A1
Call: 1-888-776-6886
Email: info@bmoinvestorline.com
BMO Private Banking
(BMO Private Investment Counsel Inc. and BMO Trust Company)
Office of the Chief Compliance Officer
1 First Canadian Place, P.O. Box 150
Toronto, ON M5X 1A1
Email: complaints.BMOPB@bmo.com
Step 3. Still not satisfied?
If you are dissatisfied with our review, you may escalate to either of the following options:
Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI)
OBSI is an independent and impartial dispute resolution service for consumers with a complaint they can’t resolve with their banking services or investment firm.
The OBSI process is free of charge and confidential. If your complaint is unresolved, you can contact OBSI and ask them to review your complaint. You can send your complaint to OBSI if we haven’t responded to your complaint within 90 days since you escalated to us, or within 180 days of receiving BMO Financial Group’s final response.
Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments
20 Queen Street West, Suite 2400
P.O. Box 8, Toronto, ON M5H 3R3
Call: 1-888-451-4519 / 416-287-2877
Fax: 1-888-422-2865
Teletypewriter (TTY): 1-855-TTY-OBSI / 1-855-889-6274
Email: ombudsman@obsi.ca
Visit: obsi.ca
Customer Complaint Appeal Office (CCAO)
The CCAO is employed by BMO Financial Group and is not an independent dispute resolution service. The CCAO does not report to any business area and is not involved in BMO’s business operations. The process is voluntary and focused on complaints for individual and small-business customers. The CCAO will review concerns to determine if they are within Its mandate. The CCAO does not investigate certain types of complaints including business or risk management decisions, and matters that are, or have been, before a court. If the CCAO determines your concerns are within its mandate, an investigator will review your concerns and at the conclusion of the review may facilitate a resolution between the parties or make a recommendation to settle the complaint.
The estimated time the CCAO takes to review and provide a response is approximately 45-55 days based on historical data. Please note that statutory limitation periods continue to run while the CCAO reviews a complaint, which could impact your ability to commence a civil action.
Customer Complaint Appeal Office (CCAO)
1 First Canadian Place,
P.O. Box 150, Toronto, ON M5X 1H3
Call: 1-800-371-2541
Fax: 1-800-766-8029
Email: complaint.appeal@bmo.com
Visit: www.bmo.com/customercomplaintappealoffice
By requesting a review of your concerns by BMO’s Customer Complaint Appeal Office, you agree and acknowledge the terms of service that govern our investigations which can be found at www.bmo.com/customercomplaintappealoffice. These terms provide that our response is confidential and intended solely to provide our views on your complaint. It is not for broader use, circulation or publication.
Contacting The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
If your complaint is about the privacy of your personal information and remains unresolved, you may escalate to:
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Call: 1-800-282-1376
Visit: priv.gc.ca
Alternative Options
Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC)
In Canada, regulation of the securities industry is carried out by provincial securities commissions and self-regulatory organizations, which include IIROC. IIROC monitors client complaints and disciplinary matters to proactively identify emerging regulatory issues at Member firms. IIROC requires its Members to report client complaints and disciplinary matters, including internal investigations, denial of registration, disciplinary actions, settlements, and civil, criminal or regulatory action against the firm or its registered employees.
IIROC
Suite 2000, 121 King Street West
Toronto, ON M5H 3T9
Call: 1-877-442-4322
Fax: 1-888-497-6172
(Toll-free complaints line for inquiries and to have a Customer Complaint Form mailed to you)
For further information, you may visit IIROC’s website (iiroc.ca). IIROC provides information to consumers on how to file a complaint here (iiroc.ca/investors/how-make-complaint). This website provides various resources and allows you to file your complaint online or download and complete a Complaint Form which you can either email to investorinquiries@iiroc.ca or fax to 1-888-497-6172.
Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada (MFDA)
The MFDA is the self-regulatory organization in Canada that investigates complaints about mutual fund dealers and their representatives, and takes enforcement action where appropriate. You may make a complaint to the MFDA at any time, whether or not you have complained to us. The MFDA does not order compensation or restitution to clients of Members. The MFDA exists to regulate the operations, standards of practice and business conduct of its Members and their representatives with a mandate to enhance investor protection and strengthen public confidence in the Canadian mutual fund industry.
The MFDA has also entered into a Co-Operative Agreement with the Autorité des marchés financiers and actively participates in the regulation of mutual fund dealers in Quebec.
Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada
121 King Street West, Suite 1000
Toronto, ON M5H 3T9
Call: 416-361-6332
Toll Free: 1-888-466-6332
Fax: 416-361-9073
Email: complaints@mfda.ca
Visit: mfda.ca
Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF)
As the regulatory body for Quebec’s financial sector, the AMF protects consumers and enforces Quebec’s financial legislation and regulations. The AMF offers guidance to consumers in preparing formal complaints regarding investments and insurance products. If you are dissatisfied with how your complaint has been handled, you may have your file transferred to the AMF. The AMF may review your complaint or offer voluntary mediation to help resolve a dispute. To arrange for the transfer of your complaint file, complete the transfer form available on the AMF website.
Autorité des marchés financiers
800 Square-Victoria, 4e étage CP 246, Tour de la Bourse
Montréal, QC H4Z 1G3
Call: 514-395-0337 (Montreal)
418-525-0337 (Quebec City)
Toll-free: 1-877-525-0337
Fax: 514-873-3090
Visit: lautorite.qc.ca/en/general-public/assistance-and-complaints
Residents of Manitoba, New Brunswick or Saskatchewan
Securities regulatory authorities in these provinces have the power to, in appropriate cases, order that a person or company that has contravened securities laws in their province pay compensation to a claimant. The claimant is then able to enforce such an order as if it were a judgment of the superior court in that province. For more information, please visit:
Manitoba:
msc.gov.mb.ca
New Brunswick:
nbsc-cvmnb.ca
Saskatchewan:
fcaa.gov.sk.ca
Legal Assistance
You may consider retaining a lawyer regarding your complaint. You should be aware that there are legal time limits for taking civil action called limitation periods. A lawyer can advise you of your options. Once the applicable limitation period expires, you may lose the right to pursue some claims.
Third-party complaint-handling process for this institution:
Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI)
20 Queen Street West, Suite 2400
P.O. Box 8
Toronto, Ontario M5H 3R3
Toll free telephone: 1-888-451-4519
Toll free fax: 1-888-422-2865
Teletypewriter (TTY): 1-844-358-3442
Toronto area telephone: 416-287-2877
Toronto area fax: 416-225-4722
E-mail: ombudsman@obsi.ca
Web site: www.obsi.ca
