April 2024 Newsletter: NEW Monthly Blog!

NEW: Our Monthly Blog

To better support Canadians across the country, in January we launched our new monthly blog. Written by the GIO team, the goal of our blog is to help you better understand all things related to your insurance policies and processes, as well as answer some of the insurance questions our team hears from Canadians every day.

Check out our latest blog posts below:

Insurance 101: Understanding your insurance contract

If you are like most people, insurance is something you struggle to understand. We can assure you that you are NOT alone. A lot of the calls we receive at the General Insurance OmbudService (GIO) are calls from consumers who are looking for information about the specifics of their policy. That’s why we are going to break down common questions and provide information that we think consumers, like you, want to know. Read more.

Insurance 101: General Insurance Terms to Know

When you are discussing your insurance policy and contract of insurance with your insurance provider, there may be a lot of terms that are new or confusing to you. To help you better understand some of the most common insurance terms, we’ve put together a list of definitions. Read more.

Insurance 101: Property and Home Insurance Terms to Know

When it comes to your home and property insurance, there may be a lot of terms you aren’t familiar with. To better help you understand, we’ve put together a list of some of the most common insurance terms related to property insurance. Read more.

Insurance 101: Auto Insurance Terms to Know

When you are discussing the terms of your auto insurance policy with your provider, there may be some terms that you are unfamiliar with or that are confusing. To help you better understand your auto insurance policy, we’ve put together a list of some of the most common terms that you may come across during the process. Read more.

Kristal Kaye joins the GIO Board of Directors!

We are excited to welcome Kristal Kaye to our Board of Directors as Independent Director for the Prairies, Northwest Territories & Nunavut.

Kristal Kaye is a Chartered Professional Accountant with over 25 years of experience across a variety of industries including Mining, Energy and Retail Pharmacy. Kristal is currently the Chief Financial Officer at CarbonCure, a company focused on providing more sustainable concrete to the market, where she is responsible for the financial functions of the business.

We welcome Kristal and are confident that she will play a key role in contributing to the continued success of GIO.

New Case Studies

We’ve refreshed the case studies page on our website to help you understand how GIO can help you with your property and casualty insurance disputes. Since our inception, we’ve helped over 60,000 Canadians with their property and casualty insurance, including Canadians who have experienced car accidents, fire damage, water damage, travel issues and more.

Learn more.

Flooding Prevention

As spring approaches, your home or property may be at risk of flooding. It’s important to be prepared to minimize the potential damage, know what to do in case of an emergency, and know what help is available if your home, business, or automobile is damaged.
Here are some tips to keep your home flood ready this spring:

Install flood shields or barriers for basement windows and doors
Put weather protection sealant around basement windows and the base of ground-level doors.
Clear snow away from the building’s foundation. If the ground is sloped one inch per foot near the building, moving snow just three to five feet from the building will reduce problems.
Keep yourself updated on the weather and watch for flood warnings, including evacuation alerts and evacuation orders. Listen to radio or TV for the latest weather updates in your area.
Know what your insurance covers: It’s important to always read your insurance policies, so you know what coverage you have before you need it. Many disputes arise because consumers believe their insurance policy covers something when it does not.

For more information about flooding and what you need to know, visit our disaster portal.

Were you affected by a natural disaster last year?

Settling insurance claims on natural disasters in 2023
If you suffered damage from a natural disaster in 2023, including flooding, tornadoes or wildfires and have not settled a claim with your insurance company, we offer free, independent, and impartial help.

What’s coming up for GIO:

GIO will be attending conferences and other events throughout the year. Follow us on social media to see us in action.

Connect with GIO

Stay in-the-know with the latest extreme weather news, get tips on everything insurance related and more by connecting with GIO on social media and by subscribing to our newsletter:

Photo: Anthony Aird

Courteous, empathetic, timely and very thorough. Fantastic service. Thank you so much!

Consumer testimonial

The GIO team member's directions were clear & definitely helped me understand my rights as well as the next steps. It’s not resolved yet but it’s in progress. I just want to say thank you to GIO for their professionalism and superior handling of my complaint. I learned a lot and enjoyed it during this unfortunate event because of their clear & friendly way of explaining together with clear email communication. Thank You Very Much.

Consumer testimonial

Everything that the GIO team member said was very helpful and they were very pleasant to talk to. They gave me a lot of information that was and is going to help us to proceed with the insurance company. I enjoyed talking to them, they took their time and explained everything. The only other thing I would like to say is that when talking to the GIO team member, it was like talking to a friend that really wanted to help, which is a good thing and has helped me. More people should be like them!

Consumer testimonial

I was given a path to resolve my issue. The GIO officer I got was tremendously helpful, polite and courteous. I was informed by the GIO Officer of options that would help resolve my issue. To be frank, I've never met this Officer, I've only dealt with them on the phone, I must say that they exceeded my expectations from a professional perspective, well versed in the insurance industry as well, answered any question I had.

Consumer testimonial

Was provided all the information we needed in a very quick, clear and friendly manner. Really appreciate the help received from the GIO officer.

Consumer testimonial

The service officer I spoke with was very knowledgeable, helpful, and courteous. Exceptional service. In fact, it fully resolved my situation (with a result that I am very pleased with).

Consumer testimonial

The GIO team member I spoke to was exceptional! Took the time, great listener and explained the broader picture very well!!!

Consumer testimonial

The officer I got on the phone was super friendly and helpful with information that I needed!

Consumer testimonial

The GIO team member I spoke to was a phenomenal and informative resource. It was a pleasure to talk to them.

Consumer testimonial

The GIO provided the exact information I needed to discuss with my insurer and my complaint was resolved by the Ombudsman at Allstate. Thank you!

The GIO team member I spoke to was very friendly, and helped me understand my issue more clearly. Was a calming help to me at that time when I needed it. With the advice they gave me, my issue was resolved on the next call to my insurance company.

Consumer testimonial

When the insurance company hadn’t responded, I reached out to the GIO, and they went above and beyond to further assist me! Much appreciated! Excellent service to date and the first time (in 14 months) someone has shown an ounce of compassion or empathy!

Consumer testimonial

The GIO team member I spoke to should be the blueprint on communication! Their handling shows someone who has a passion for people and their role in the organization. Thank you!

Consumer testimonial

The GIO team member I spoke to was wonderful to deal with. They understood, were compassionate, informative, and prompt- great service.

Consumer testimonial

The GIO team member I spoke with guided me so clearly and nicely. I really appreciate it, thank you once again to them.

Consumer testimonial

I first had a dialogue with this GIO team member in 2007. I've worked for two MPPs and I've used this GIO team member occasionally for constituents I work with. This Officer and the Team at GIO have been wonderful to work with when needed.

Consumer testimonial

I have to say amazing customer service. I dealt with the GIO and they were fast, effective, knowledgeable and extremely helpful. They guided me towards the right path and patiently explained the process. I was impressed that I got a response same day.

Consumer testimonial

For me, this experience with GIO was a 10/10. I knew I had been wronged by my insurance provider but initiating a small claims court process was not something I wanted to pursue. If you ever need a spokesperson for the value of GIO, I’m your man!

Consumer testimonial

I am certain without GIO’s review, my insurance company would not have re-examined the file.

Consumer testimonial

As a result of an insurance claim issue, I contacted the General Insurance OmbudService (GIO) today. It was a pleasure to speak with them. They were a breath of fresh air. My experience with the GIO was outstanding due to their exceptional customer service manner, professionalism, and knowledge of insurance policies. They treated my concern with the highest priority and gave me the feeling that I was being heard.

Consumer testimonial

April 2024 Newsletter: NEW Monthly Blog!

NEW: Our Monthly Blog

What’s coming up for GIO:

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