When you have a concern or complaint

Sun Life Financial's Customer Complaint Process

Complaints do arise from time to time -- you may feel you've been dealt with unfairly, or perhaps there's been a misunderstanding.  Whatever the nature of your concern, we'll treat it professionally, confidentially and courteously.  As a valued customer, this is what you expect, and deserve.

Working with you on these matters also presents an important opportunity for us to make improvements that could enhance the customer service experience for everyone doing business with us.

Here's how our Customer Complaint Process works

If you have a complaint or concern about a product or service from one of the Sun Life Financial group of companies in Canada, you can address the situation by following the steps below:

Discuss your concerns with your advisor or with the appropriate customer service team at head office.  Often, a simple correction or explanation by these front-line people can quickly resolve the problem.

Here's how to contact our customer service teams at head office:

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of Step 1, ask the appropriate area listed above to whom you can escalate your complaint. Each business area at Sun Life Financial has a defined complaint handling process. Depending on your product or service, you will be referred to a team leader, supervisor, manager or consultant who will review your complaint with a fresh set of eyes. It is important that you complete this step before contacting the Sun Life Ombudsman's office.

The Ombudsman's Office does not review complaints that have not completed Steps 1 and 2, so you'll want to indicate who you've already contacted, and why you disagree with their decision.

If you are still not satisfied after following the previous steps, you can contact the Sun Life Financial Ombudsman's Office:

After the Ombudsman's Office review, you'll receive a written response, except in some cases where a simple problem can be cleared up quickly and to your satisfaction over the phone. Most investigations are completed within 30 days of receiving your complaint and all supporting information. If this deadline cannot be met, we will contact you to let you know why the extra time is necessary and when you can expect a response.

The written response from the Ombudsman's Office is considered Sun Life Financial's final position on a complaint.  Unless you present any new and relevant information that was not previously reviewed, your complaint will not be reopened.

If you remain dissatisfied with the Ombudsman's Office's final position and wish to pursue your complaint further, there are several regulatory and industry bodies available to you free of charge, depending on the product or service involved and your province of residence.  These third parties will usually decline to review your complaint until after the Ombudsman's Office has reviewed it.  If your unresolved complaint is eligible for further review externally, the Ombudsman's office will provide you with detailed contact information for the appropriate third party(ies) in its final position letter.