Protecting Your Privacy
Your privacy
At Canadian Direct Insurance, we respect your privacy and are committed to keeping personal information about you strictly between us.
What is personal information?
Personal information is information that identifies you. It includes your name, address, telephone number, gender, birth date, marital status, driver’s licence number, accident history, the operators of your vehicle and leaseholders.
Your consent
We will not collect, use or disclose your personal information without your consent, except where required or permitted by law.
Canadian Direct Insurance will collect personal information directly from you. We may also collect information from external sources such as credit reporting agencies, other insurers, brokers or agents, and underwriting and claims information networks.
When you provide information about a third party such as a family member or employee, you represent that you have obtained such person’s consent to the disclosure to us of their personal information.
Why we need personal information
Canadian Direct Insurance collects personal information for the administration of its insurance business including:
- providing quotes and policies;
- underwriting, administering and servicing insurance policies;
- investigating and handling insurance claims;
- determining and processing payments;
- compiling statistics;
- meeting legal and regulatory requirements and responding to requests from regulators and law enforcement agencies;
- assisting in the prevention of crime, money laundering and terrorism and the detection, apprehension and prosecution of offenders.
As well, Canadian Direct Insurance may identify products or services of value to current, past and prospective customers and promote or sell such products and services, including by means of direct marketing. If you would prefer that we not use your personal information to inform you of other products and services that may be of interest, please contact us.
To whom is personal information disclosed?
There are situations specific to the insurance business where insurers will disclose personal information as dictated by prudent insurance practices:
Risk-Sharing
- As part of the underwriting and claims handling process, Canadian Direct Insurance transfers personal information to other insurance companies including reinsurance companies, which share or underwrite the risk.
Information Services
- Canadian Direct Insurance discloses personal information to government, insurance and auto industry databases for underwriting, claims, vehicle history, classification and rating purposes.
Insurance Services
- Canadian Direct Insurance discloses personal information to businesses that provide services to us and our customers, such as loss control managers and claims adjusters.
Insurance Intermediaries
- Canadian Direct Insurance may disclose personal information to their insurance intermediaries, such as brokers and agents.
Only information necessary for these services will be provided by Canadian Direct Insurance to its service providers. Our customer lists are for Canadian Direct Insurance use only and we never sell or give lists to other companies.
For your information, all telephone calls to and from our Call Centres are recorded for quality assurance and as a record of the information exchanged.
In addition, the law permits, and sometimes requires us to disclose personal information without an individual’s consent to legal authorities where the public interest is at issue (e.g. to combat fraud, money laundering and terrorism) and to the courts to protect our business interests.
You may withdraw your consent to the collection, use or disclosure of your personal information at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice. Canadian Direct Insurance will inform you of the implications of such withdrawal of consent for the continued provision of insurance services. Please note, withdrawing your consent may affect our ability to continue to provide you with products and services.
Accuracy and protection of your personal information
Canadian Direct Insurance will keep personal information as accurate, complete and up to date as necessary for its required purposes. If you have concerns about the accuracy of your information, please contact our Chief Privacy Officer as noted below.
Canadian Direct Insurance will protect your personal information with safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information so as to prevent unauthorized access, alteration or destruction of your information.
Access to your personal information
Upon your request in writing, we will provide you with access to your personal information, except where the law requires or permits Canadian Direct Insurance to deny access. We may charge you a reasonable fee for this service.
Questions, concerns or complaints relating to privacy?
We are committed to setting the highest customer service standards in the insurance services industry. We hope you will give us the opportunity to correct any situation that does not meet your expectations.
If you have any questions, concerns or complaints about the way in which personal information is collected, used or disclosed by Canadian Direct Insurance, please call our Call Centre at 1-888-225-5234.
Alternatively, you can also write to:
The Chief Privacy Officer
Canadian Direct Insurance Incorporated
Suite 600 -750 Cambie Street
Vancouver, British Columbia, V6B 0A2
Phone: 1-888-225-5234 (toll free)
Facsimile: (604) 699-3851
E-mail: insurancegeneral@canadiandirect.ca
All inquiries or concerns relating to personal information will receive prompt attention and be acknowledged within 5 business days.