How to Resolve a Concern with Your Credit Union

Luminus Financial is a member-owned financial institution that has a reputation for providing exceptional service to our member-owners, and we continually strive to exceed their expectations. As with any organization, however, mistakes and miscommunications can occasionally occur. We take our member-owner concerns very seriously and will work quickly with you and our team to resolve any miscommunications or errors brought to our attention to the best of our ability.

Below is our process for member-owners who are experiencing any issues and would like to bring it to our attention.

Do you have a concern/complaint?

Disclaimer: Some complaints involve investment returns that do not meet investors’ hopes or expectations. Unfortunately, the nature of investments means they may not always turn out the way we want them to. Their values can fluctuate and cause you to lose money. This isn't necessarily anyone's fault. This is simply a reality of the investment markets, and it is the responsibility of both you and your adviser to ensure that the investments you choose are suitable for your risk tolerance and personal financial circumstances.

If your complaint does not concern investment returns, please follow the steps below.

Making your complaint

• Decide what you want to achieve and what the ideal resolution is

Before you officially complain, decide what you want to achieve. You may be seeking an explanation, a correction to an error, an apology or compensation for money you have lost. In more serious cases, you may fear that someone has broken the rules. Think about what the ideal resolution is for your concern. Once you have considered this and have a clear vision, move forward with making your complaint.

• Addressing the issue

Approach Luminus Financial first. Our staff will have all the records of what happened and are in the best position to put matters right and find a mutually beneficial solution.

• Making your complaint

Step 1: If you are in touch with the Member Relations staff who handles your account, talk to them first. If not, ask directly for our Member Relations Manager.

Some important things to remember when relaying your complaint:

• Clearly explain what your problem is;
• Have your Member Card and any statements or transaction slips related to your complaint handy for reference purposes;
• Make notes of your conversation, including the names and contact information of anybody you spoke to and the time of your call;
• The person you speak to may immediately agree that you have a valid concern, or they may be able to clear up a misunderstanding. If we are able to immediately fix a problem, write an email or letter to the individual you spoke to confirming what you discussed and thanking them for their quick response;
• Send a copy of the email or letter to the Member Relations Manager.

The staff member you speak to may provide you with our Complaint Form to complete for our records. If they do, complete it to the best of your ability, scan it, and email it back to Complaints@luminusfinancial.com.

Optional Step 2: If you feel the response did not adequately address your problem, you can take the matter further. The next step is to voice your concern directly to our CEO.

• Compose an email or letter explaining the issue, providing details from your earlier conversations, any supporting documents, and clearly state how you would like the issue to be rectified;
• Send a copy of the email or letter to our CEO;
• Keep notes of all your conversations

Optional Step 3: If your complaint to the CEO does not solve your problem, you may file a complaint with FSRA (Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario). See information below.

Note: The FSRA may not investigate complaints that have already been dealt with in court or through an alternative dispute resolution process.

Tips for Getting Effective Results

When you first contact us with a problem, you can do so via phone. We ask that you:

• Take notes of your conversation;
• Note whom you spoke to and their contact information;
• Note the date and time of the call so you have a record of your initial efforts to resolve the issue;
• Follow up the phone conversation with a letter or email to complaints@luminusfinancial.com confirming what you have agreed to and thanking the contact person for his or her action. Copy the letter to the branch manager.

Even if a single call is all it takes to fix the issue, it's always a good idea to follow up the phone conversation with a letter or email confirming what you have agreed to and thanking the contact person for his or her action.

If the initial phone call doesn't produce the solution you are looking for, you will need to put your concerns in writing. Your email/letter needs to clearly explain what the issue is, and how you would like the issue to be rectified. Always keep a copy of each email/letter for your records.

• It's best to send us an email. If you mail us a letter, please ensure it is typed and addressed to our contact here;
• Write "Complaint" as the subject so the person receiving it knows immediately what it is about;
• Include any account numbers, product details or transaction numbers;
• Keep the tone of your letter polite and straightforward;
• Explain the problem in the order that the events occurred;
• Attach copies of any relevant documents, such as account statements, trade confirmations and any letters you've written or received about the issue. If sending a letter by post, never send the originals of any documents in case they get lost;
• Clearly state your expectations for a resolution. For example, "I would like the interest to be credited retroactively to the date on which the error occurred."

To File a complaint with FSRA

The FSRA (Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario) is an independent regulatory agency created to improve consumer and pension plan beneficiary protections in Ontario. They should only be contacted if your complaint was not resolved by your credit union and you have fully completed all the steps above.

Step 1: Download and complete their Business Activity Complaint Form to open an investigation with the FSRA.

Step 2: Send the completed Business Activity Complaint form to FSRA, along with:

• The written response you received from Luminus Financial;
• Any other supporting documents you may have.
  • By email: contactcentre@fsrao.ca
  • By mail:
    
    Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA)
    Licensing & Market Conduct Division
    Credit Union and Caisse Populaire Complaints
    5160 Yonge Street
    4th Floor, Box 85
    Toronto, ON M2N 6L9

Further Resources

• Concentra Financial - You can contact Concentra Financial by e-mail at servicecentre@concentrafinancial.ca or by phone at 1-800-788-6311;
• Financial Services Ombuds Network - If your issue is not resolved, you can contact the Financial Services Ombuds Network by e-mail at contactcentre@fsrao.ca or by phone at 416-250-7250;
• CUMIS Insurance - If you have a problem with the CUMIS Group, you can call 1-800-263-9120 or e-mail customer.service@cumis.com.

Thank you

Thank you for bringing any concerns forward. If we don't know what's broken, we can't fix it. If you have encountered a problem, it’s possible that other members have too; we all benefit from mutual problem resolution.