Complaint Handling

Harbourfront Wealth Management Compliant Handling Procedure:

While we always strive to exceed your expectations, it is also equally important that we know when you have a concern with the handling of your account.  We will work to promptly resolve your issue and to retain your confidence – treating clients fairly is integral to our business.  If you have an issue and have been unable to resolve it to your satisfaction with your advisor, we are here to assist and the following outlines our complaint resolution process.

A complaint may be submitted by any client or by another party authorized to act for that client.  If the complaint is being made on behalf of another party, that party must provide evidence of their authority to represent the Harbourfront client.

 

You can submit your complaint by:

  1. Writing to:
    Harbourfront Wealth Management Inc.
    Attention: Designed Complaints Officer, Compliance Department
    Royal Centre, 1800 – 1055 West Georgia Street, PO Box 11118, Vancouver, BC, V6E 3P3
  1. Emailing: complaints@harbourfrontwealth.com
  1. Telephone: 1.877.588.6822 and ask to speak to the Designated Complaints Officer (“DCO”) or the Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”)

 

What to include:

While no specific format is required, the following details should be provided:

  1. Your name, account number, and contact information.
  2. If you are an authorized representative, contact information for yourself and for the party you represent.
  3. A description of your complaint, including the name of your Investment Advisor, a chronology of events, and the details of steps already taken to resolve the issue.

 

Acknowledgment and Review

  • Harbourfront will send you an acknowledgment letter by mail or email, within five business days of our receipt of your complaint, confirming the name and contact information of the person assigned to your concern.
  • You will also be provided the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization of Canada (“CIRO”) brochure “Making a Complaint: A Guide for Investors” and “How Can I get my Money Back? A Guide for Investors” and the investor brochure supplied by the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investment (“OBSI”).
  • An investigation of your complaint will be carried out by Harbourfront.
  • Complaints are responded to as soon as practicable but in any event within 90 days.
  • A status update will be provided if the investigation is not completed within 90 days and we will keep you informed.
  • Once our investigation is complete, we will provide you a written response which will contain: (1) a summary of your complaint, (2) the results of our investigation, (3) our recommendation for resolution, (4) the reasons for our proposed resolution, and (5) the options available to you in the event you are not satisfied with our proposed resolution.
  • If you are not satisfied with our response, you may pursue the matter with CIRO and escalate to the OBSI. You have 180 days to bring your complaint to OBSI after receiving a response from Harbourfront.
  • If you reside in Quebec, you may request that your complaint file be transferred to the Autorite des marches financiers. If you request the file be transferred to the AMF, you will receive a final written response within 60 days, or an update will be provided.
  • The DCO is the person ultimately responsible for the managing your complaint. To escalate matters with respect to the DCO, you may contact the CCO.
  • Transferring your file to the AMF does not interrupt the prescriptive period for civil remedies.  To arrange for the transfer of your complaint file, complete the transfer form available on the AMF website.

 

 

Harbourfront Wealth Counsel Compliant Handling Procedure:

We have created a process for dealing with complaints that we believe is both effective and efficient. We expect every Harbourfront Wealth Counsel employee who receives a customer complaint to take ownership and ensure that the complaint is resolved quickly. If you have a complaint, we encourage you to follow the complaint procedure outlined here.

  • In most cases, a complaint is resolved simply by telling us about it. You should be able to get swift results by talking to our employees.
  • We will also advise you that you may be eligible for the independent dispute resolution service offered by the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI) and the steps that you must take in order for OBSI to be made available to you.
  • If the problem is not resolved to your satisfaction, you can contact Harbourfront Wealth Counsel’s Compliance Officer at 403-266-5360, compliance@harbourfrontcounsel.com, or in writing to 601, 438 11th Ave SE Calgary AB. T2G 0Y4
  • Should you not be satisfied with our decision or proposed resolution, you may be eligible to use OBSI, a free and independent dispute resolution service. OBSI may be contacted by email at ombudsman@obsi.ca or by telephone at 1-888-451-4519. OBSI works confidentially, in an informal manner and a lawyer is not needed. OBSI will investigate your matter and may interview you and us. We will cooperate with OBSI’s investigations. OBSI will then provide its recommendation which is not binding on us. For more information regarding OBSI, please view the OBSI website at www.obsi.ca

 

Québec residents:
Our Commitment
We are committed to providing our clients with the highest standard of service and maintaining your trust. If you are dissatisfied with a product, service, or experience with our firm, you have the right to make a complaint and to be treated with fairness and respect throughout the process.

What is a Complaint?
A complaint is as any verbal or written expression of dissatisfaction regarding a product, service, or representative of Harbourfront Wealth Counsel. Simple requests for information or service, a request to correct a clerical error or mistake in calculation, a claim of indemnity or communication of a comment or feedback are not considered complaints unless they meet the above criteria.

How to File a Complaint
If you wish to file a complaint, please contact us in writing and clearly indicate that your message is a complaint. This ensures your request is handled under our official complaint processing policy.

You can submit your complaint via:

  • Email: compliance@harbourfrontcounsel.com
  • Mail: 601, 438 11th Ave SE Calgary AB. T2G 0Y4
  • By Phone: 403-266-5360

Please include:

  • Your name and contact information
  • A description of your complaint
  • Any relevant documents or details

 

Complaint Handling Procedure

Basic Complaint Handling Process (‘Basic Process’):

Once your complaint is received:

  • We will acknowledge receipt within 10 days, unless a simplified process (as described below) is followed.
  • We will investigate your complaint and aim to provide a response with a final written decision within 60 days, or 90 days in exceptional circumstances (If additional time is required, we will inform you and explain the reasons thereof); and
  • Issue a settlement offer, if applicable, within 30 days of acceptance by a complainant.

 

Simplified Complaint Handling Process (‘Simplified Process’):

If Harbourfront Wealth Counsel believes that the complaint may be resolved within 20 days, the Simplified Process may be used. Once a complaint is received:

  • We will acknowledge receipt within, investigate your complaint and provide a response with a final written decision within 20 days; and
  • Issue a settlement offer, if applicable, within 30 days of acceptance by a complainant

Pursuant to the Simplified Process, we are not required to send a written acknowledgement within 10 days, however, we will send a written
acknowledgement if the complaint is not resolved within the 20-day period, in which case the timelines listed under the Basic Process will be
followed.

 

If You Are Not Satisfied
If you are not satisfied with our final response or if more than 60 days have passed since you submitted your complaint, you may request that your complaint file be transferred to the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF), who offers a free dispute resolution service.

 

AMF’s Complaint Handling and Dispute Resolution Services
If you elect to escalate your complaint to the AMF, Harbourfront Wealth Counsel will forward your file to the AMF for further investigation. You may also complete and send a Transfer Form to Harbourfront Wealth Counsel that it will then forward with all relevant documentation to the AMF.

Upon receipt of your file, the AMF may:

  • Offer conciliation or mediation services.
  • Examine the situation as part of its supervisory activities related to the financial markets.
  • Use the information shared to remind a firm or representative of its or their obligations. The AMF may also open an investigation and institute penal proceedings.

Further guidance and information related to the AMF’s complaint handling process can be found in the following link: https://lautorite.qc.ca/en/generalpublic/assistance-and-complaints/making-a-complaint?utm_source=chatgpt.com

 

Contact Information – AMF:
Autorité des marchés financiers
Place de la Cité, tour Cominar
2640, boulevard Laurier, bureau 400
Québec (Québec) G1V 5C1
Telephone: 1 877 525-0337
Website: https://lautorite.qc.ca/grand-public

This policy is in accordance with the Regulation respecting Complaint Processing and Dispute Resolution in the Financial Sector (CQLR c. E-6.1, r.1.2) and applicable securities regulations.