Have a complaint or a question?

We take pride in the regulatory services we provide to Canadians and the investment industry. At CIRO, we view complaints as an opportunity to learn and improve for the future, as well as a chance to put things right for the person who has made the complaint. Our promise to you is that we will handle your complaint promptly, fairly, and in confidence. We are committed to turning any negative experience with the organization into a positive one.

A complaint can be any expression of dissatisfaction about the service you have received or the conduct of an individual or department within CIRO. This could range from concerns about the quality of service, delays in response, the behavior of our staff or any other actions that you feel have not met your expectations or our stated standards.

Please note if your complaint is regarding an advisor, firm or Canadian marketplace regulated by CIRO please reach out to either our investment dealer division at 1-877-442-4322 or use our secure form, or our mutual fund dealer division at 1-888-466-6332 or [email protected]. Either division will ensure your complaint is directed to the right place.

The best place to start with a complaint against CIRO is with the person you have been dealing with. If you are not satisfied with their response you may escalate your complaint to their manager. If you remain unsatisfied you may consider lodging a formal complaint to the following email address [email protected].

Formal complaints will be reviewed by CIRO’s General Counsel. The General Counsel's office serves as the final stage of internal review and is committed to resolving all issues of concern.

Procedure for lodging a formal complaint:

1. Please provide all relevant details of your complaint, including the nature of the problem, dates, and any conversations or correspondence you have had with the individual or department in question.
    
2. Be sure to include any supporting documents or evidence that you believe would help in the evaluation of your complaint.
    
3. Send your formal complaint and supporting documents to the aforementioned email address.

After you have lodged your formal complaint:

1. You will receive an acknowledgement email within 2-3 working days, confirming that your complaint has been received and is under review.
2. The General Counsel's office will conduct a review, which will involve reviewing the details of your case and any supporting documentation provided, speaking to the relevant parties involved, and assessing the information against our policies and procedures.
3. You can expect a written response with the outcome of your complaint within 20 business day of receiving your complaint. If it will take longer to thoroughly review your complaint, we will keep you updated on the progress.
4. If the outcome of the review is unsatisfactory you have the option to take your concern to a higher level. Please be aware that CIRO operates under the oversight of different securities regulatory authorities in each province and territory of Canada. If you are not satisfied with the resolution of your complaint, you may contact the relevant securities regulatory authority in your province or territory.

Complaints about Regulatory Decisions

While we are committed to addressing all your concerns at CIRO, it is important to note that our complaints procedure is not designed to serve as an avenue for appealing regulatory decisions taken by CIRO. The complaints procedure is meant to handle issues of service and conduct, and not to challenge or overturn regulatory decisions.

If you wish to appeal a regulatory decision, you may be able to pursue this through established avenues of appeal and review. Information about such processes may be found on our website or you may contact us for further information.