Complaint Handling Process

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How we support you

You come first in everything we do. If you have a complaint, we encourage you to let us know and give us the opportunity to resolve the issue. We promise to address your complaint quickly, efficiently and professionally, because retaining your confidence is very important to us.

Read the detailed complaint handling brochure

For a comprehensive understanding of the complaint handling process, review BMO’s Complaint Handling Process brochure, which is available online and at all BMO Branches.

Explore the complaint handling steps

Explore the steps in our Complaint Handling Process to understand what to expect at each stage. Use the tabs below to view the process for Banking, Investment, or Insurance complaints.

Banking complaints

Please refer to this section if your complaint relates to:

Chequing and Savings Accounts
Travel Insurance
Overdraft Protection
Credit Cards
Mortgages, Loans and Lines of Credit
GICs and Term Deposits
Business Banking
Commercial Banking
Creditor Insurance
Privacy

How we handle banking complaints

Step 1: Share your concern

Share the details of your complaint with a BMO representative at a branch or the office where you normally conduct your business.

Alternatively, contact BMO Virtual Connect at one of the numbers below:

Personal Banking, including Creditor & Travel Insurance Products footnote star^*

1-877-225-5266

Business Banking footnote star^*

1-877-262-5907

BMO Credit Cards footnote star^*

1-800-263-2263

BMO Private Banking (Platinum Banking): Contact the Relationship Manager indicated on your account or call: 1-800-844-6442
Commercial Banking: Contact your Relationship Manager or visit here.

Please note: When contacting us electronically, do not send personal and/or financial information via unsecure email.

*For clients who are deaf or hard of hearing, BMO supports calls from third party relay service providers trained to relay communications through message relays (MRS) or video relays (VRS)

Step 2: Escalate your Concern

If your complaint is not resolved within 14 days of when you raised it, we will automatically escalate it to a senior office. If you are not satisfied with our resolution, or at any time during the initial 14-day period, you may escalate your complaint directly.

For all matters relating to Personal, Business, and Commercial Banking, including BMO Platinum Banking, please contact:

Customer Resolution Office (CRO)

Call: 1-800-372-5111

Email us

Visit us

The Customer Resolution Office (CRO) does not review certain matters such as business, credit, or risk management decisions, or matters that are before a court. When you submit your complaint, CRO will determine whether it falls within its scope.

By requesting a review of your concerns by BMO’s CRO, you agree and acknowledge the terms of service that govern CRO reviews which can be found at this link. The terms outline the confidentiality of our response, production of documents, and the expected conduct of customers throughout the process. The terms state among other things, that the response is confidential and intended solely to provide our views on your complaint. It is not for broader use, circulation, or publication except that you may share it with the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments. You may also disclose matters protected under whistleblower laws without BMO’s consent.

Please note that the statutory limitation periods continue to run while the CRO reviews your complaint, which may impact your ability to begin a civil action.

For matters relating to BMO Creditor or Travel Insurance, contact:

Office of the President (Insurance)

9-250 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M5B 2L7

Call: 1-866-488-2595

Email us

Alternate Options

Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI)

Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI) is an independent and impartial dispute resolution service for consumers who have a complaint they cannot resolve with their banking services or investment firm. The OBSI process is free of charge and confidential.

If we cannot resolve your complaint at BMO within 56 days of the date we received your complaint, we will notify you of the potential delay and you will have the option to raise your complaint to OBSI. You may also escalate your complaint to OBSI if you remain dissatisfied with the final response from BMO. 

Please note that OBSI requires that complaints be escalated within 180 days of receiving BMO’s final response.

Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments

20 Queen Street West, Suite 2400

P.O. Box 8, Toronto, ON M5H 3R3

Call: 1-888-451-4519 / 416-287-2877

Fax: 1-888-422-2865

Teletypewriter (TTY): 1-844-358-3442

Email: ombudsman@obsi.ca

Visit: https://www.obsi.ca

Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF)

As the regulatory body for Quebec’s financial sector, the AMF protects consumers and enforces Quebec’s financial legislation and regulations. The AMF offers guidance to consumers in preparing formal complaints regarding investments and insurance products. If you are dissatisfied with how your complaint has been handled, you may have your file transferred to the AMF. The AMF may review your complaint or offer voluntary mediation to help resolve a dispute. To arrange for the transfer of your complaint file, complete the transfer form available on the AMF website.

Autorité des marchés financiers

800, rue du Square-Victoria, bureau 2200

Montréal (Québec) H3C 0B4

Call: 514-395-0337 (Montreal)

418-525-0337 (Quebec City)

Toll-free: 1-877-525-0337

Fax: 514-873-3090

Visit: lautorite.qc.ca/en/general-public/assistance-and-complaints

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

If your complaint is about the privacy of your personal information and remains unresolved, you may escalate to:

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Call: 1-800-282-1376

Visit: priv.gc.ca

Regulator

Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC)

The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada supervises all federally regulated financial institutions, which includes banks, (financial institutions), for compliance with federal consumer protection laws.

Financial institutions are legally required to have a complaint-handling process in place.

If you have a problem with a financial product or service, you may file a complaint with the responsible financial institution directly.

If you are not satisfied with how your complaint has been handled or 56 days have passed since you made your complaint, you can escalate the complaint to OBSI on above listed contact details.

If you want to know your rights or need information about the complaint-handling process of a financial institution, you may contact FCAC by online form, mail, or telephone. FCAC uses information from consumer enquiries to support its mandate.

Web site: www.canada.ca/fcac

Online form: https://www.canada.ca/en/financial-consumer-agency/corporate/contactus.html

Phone:

For service in English: 1-866-461-FCAC (3222)

For service in French: 1-866-461-ACFC (2232)

For calls from outside Canada: 613-960-4666

Teletypewriter (TTY): 1-866-914-6097 / 613-947-7771

Video Relay Service: FCAC welcomes Video Relay Service (VRS) calls. You do not need to authorize the relay service operator to communicate with FCAC. Visit https://srvcanadavrs.ca/en/ to learn more.

Mailing address:

Financial Consumer Agency of Canada

427 Laurier Avenue West, 5th Floor

Ottawa ON K1R 7Y2

Note: The FCAC does not provide redress or compensation and will not get involved in individual disputes.

For a complete list of federal consumer-protection laws, voluntary codes of conduct and public commitments, visit: canada.ca/en/financial-consumer-agency.html

Voluntary Codes of Conduct and Public Commitments

The Canadian banking industry has developed several voluntary commitments and codes, designed to protect consumers and serve them better. Copies or additional information about the voluntary commitments and codes are available on our website at bmo.com/home/popups/global/codes-of-conduct

Our commitment to addressing complaints

BMO takes your complaints seriously and we will work to address your complaint quickly, efficiently, and professionally. We will also send a written acknowledgement of your complaint.

Investment Complaints

BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc.
BMO InvestorLine Inc.
BMO Private Investment Counsel Inc.
BMO Trust Company
BMO Asset Management Inc.
Burgundy Asset Management Ltd.

How we handle investment complaints

BMO’s investment complaint handling process is comprised of two steps:

Step 1: Sharing your concern

Step 2: Escalate to a senior officer

1: Share your Concern

Talk to a representative at the branch or office where your complaint originated, or where you normally conduct your business. If your concerns remain unsolved, please involve the manager or supervisor. You can also refer to the complaint handling process or terms and conditions documents given to you when you opened your account to determine where to best raise your concern.

Alternatively, you may contact:

BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc.

Contact your BMO Private Wealth Market Leader, as set out in your investment account statement.

BMO Investments Inc.

Contact the Branch Manager at the branch indicated on your account statement.

BMO InvestorLine Inc.

Log into your InvestorLine account and use Live Chat.

Call: 1-888-776-6886

Visit: bmo.com/self-directed or bmo.com/advicedirect

BMO Private Investment Counsel Inc. and BMO Trust Company

Contact the Relationship Manager indicated on your account statement.

Call: 1-800-844-6442

Visit: bmo.com/privatewealth

BMO Asset Management Inc.

If you have a concern relating to services you have received from BMO Asset Management Inc., please contact your Relationship Manager directly.

Call: 1-800-361-1392

Visit: https://bmogam.com/ca-en/contact/

Burgundy Asset Management Ltd.

Call: 416-869-3222

Email: BurgundyCompliance@burgundyasset.com

2: Escalate your Concern

If your investment complaint is unresolved after following Step 1, you may escalate to the appropriate business group Senior Officer, listed below:

BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc.

Designated Complaints Officer

BMO Nesbitt Burns, Retail Compliance