The members of RBC believe that all of us—our clients and ourselves—stand to gain by being in contact, whether it’s to answer a question, solve a problem or share a success story. While we welcome any positive comments you have, it is equally important for us to know when you have a problem so we can resolve it and retain your confidence. At the same time, we use your feedback to continuously improve the quality of the products and services we provide to you and other RBC clients. Implementing policies that will treat all clients in an equitable and fair manner is integral to the way we do business.

• Written client complaints can be submitted by mail, fax or e-mail directly to your RBC DS Branch Director, the RBC Wealth Management Financial Services Inc. (“RBC WMFS”) VP & Regional Sales Manager (for insurance related complaints), or to the attention of the RBC DS Compliance Department at 155 Wellington Street West, P.O. Box 150, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 3K7. Verbal complaints will also be reviewed internally to determine any appropriate course of resolution.

• Where applicable, an acknowledgement letter, including the RBC DS Client Complaint Examination and Resolution Policy Overview and two Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (“IIROC”) brochures entitled “Making a Complaint: A Guide for Investors” and “How Can I get My Money Back? A Guide for Investors” are sent to the complainant within 5 business days.

• The primary contact for the complainant will be the RBC DS Branch Director or the RBC WMFS VP & Regional Sales Manager and/or the RBC DS Compliance Officer assigned. It will be their responsibility to investigate and formally respond in writing to the complainant. The RBC DS Chief Compliance Officer is the Designated Complaints Officer who has ultimate responsibility for managing the client complaint process. Should the complainant have any concerns with the handling of their complaint during this process, these concerns should be directed to:

Designated Complaints Officer
c/o RBC DS Compliance,
155 Wellington Street West,
P.O. Box 150, Toronto, Ontario M5V 3K7

• Please note that if you hold a bank product with RBC DS, RBC DS may use your information to manage any dissatisfaction or complaint you may raise in connection with your account, including disclosing information about your investments and/or your account with RBC DS to an RBC Company or third-party financial institution.

• Complaints are responded to as soon as possible with minimal delay, however, this process may take up to 90 days. A status update will be provided to the complainant if the review and response are not going to be completed within the 90 day period with the revised expected response timeframe.

• If RBC DS does not provide a final response to you within 90 calendar days, or you are not satisfied with our response to your concerns, you may escalate the matter to the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (“OBSI”) for their review. Complaints related to insurance investment products are not reviewed by the OBSI; for further details, please consult the OBSI website here

  The OBSI is a free independent service for resolving investment disputes impartially and can recommend compensation of up to a limit of $350,000. You have up to 180 days after receiving RBC DS’s final response to submit your complaint to the OBSI.

  The OBSI may be contacted as follows:

Toll-free telephone: 1-888-451-4519
Email: ombudsman@obsi.ca
Website: http://www.obsi.ca

• If you reside in Quebec, you may request that your complaint file be transferred to the Autorité des marchés financiers (“AMF”). Transferring your file to the AMF does not interrupt the prescriptive period for civil remedies. Following the transfer of your file, the AMF will proceed with its review and may offer you mediation or conciliation services. This is a voluntary process intended to resolve a dispute; the AMF cannot require a party to go to mediation.

  The AMF may be contacted as follows:

Québec City: 418-525-0337
Montréal: 514-395-0337
Toll-free telephone: 1-877-525-0337
Toll-free fax: 1-877-525-0337
Online at https://lautorite.qc.ca/grand-public/nous-joindre/
E-mail: information@lautorite.qc.ca

• You may also ask the RBC Client Complaints Appeal Office (CCAO) to review your complaint upon receipt of RBC DS’s final response. Information on how to contact the CCAO will be included in the final response. The CCAO’s services are free. The estimated time that the CCAO takes to review and provide a response to matters is within 90 days upon receipt of your complaint at their Office; however, complex investigations may take longer to resolve. The CCAO is employed by RBC and is not an independent dispute resolution service. If you are not satisfied with our decision, or if we have not provided you with a written notice of our decision within 90 days of receipt of your complaint, you may immediately submit a complaint to the OBSI without going to the CCAO.

  The use of the CCAO process is voluntary and the limitation periods for escalation, including to the OBSI, or to commence a civil action continue to run while the CCAO reviews your complaint.

• We are a member firm of IIROC, which oversees all investment dealers in Canada. We have included links to IIROC’s brochures entitled “Making a Complaint: A Guide for Investors
  ” and “How Do I Get My Money Back: A Guide for Investors
  ”. These brochures outline avenues of dispute resolution that are available as well as the various time limits you should be aware of.