Our Commitment to our producers, our insurance suppliers and your customers In order to provide producers and their customers with access to insurance products and services, we collect certain personal information about both, generally on behalf of our insurance providers. Our commitment goes beyond meeting legal requirements for protecting personal information. The trust and confidence that our producers and insurers hold in us, including our ability to protect the confidentiality of personal information and the privacy of the individuals who provide it, are critical to our success as a business. This Policy applies to our employees and any third party service providers or representatives with which we contract.
Why we collect, use and retain personal information
We act as an intermediary between insurance brokers and AGAs and the insurance companies with which they do business, providing administrative and marketing services pursuant to written contracts. Insurers’ privacy policies typically identify us as “service providers.” Insurers require us to obtain, use and retain certain essential personal information about producers in order to determine their initial and ongoing suitability to act as a producer, to obtain contracts for them to distribute products and in order to compensate them. This information includes financial and work history.We obtain insurers’ customer information from producers in order to provide services and access to insurers’ products. Our policies must meet the standards insurers establish in their own privacy policies. The personal information producers collect from customers and provide to us for submission to insurers is essential information that we use to provide administrative services to insurers, which in turn require this same information to provide services and products that customers have requested. This information is used to determine insurance risk, assess eligibility for products, to administer those products once purchased and to fulfill certain regulatory requirements. This can include health information, financial information and history and information about avocations. We retain some of this information in order to be able to administer business, provide ongoing service to producers and insurers and when we are required to do so by law. We may use anonymous data to manage our business, identify products and services that will benefit producers and their customers and to prepare reports about our business.
Limiting collection
We collect only the information we need to fulfill our contracts with producers and insurers and to meet our regulatory obligations. We will use only fair and lawful means to collect this information. We will collect information only with consent.
How we collect customers’ information
Wherever possible, we collect customers’ information directly from the producer as their authorized representative. Information may be obtained through government agencies, other insurers and financial institutions. We may collect any required health information about customers from the producer or directly from the customer. Our third party service providers and other authorized representatives may also collect this information on our behalf. We will collect the producer’s personal information directly from the producer, other insurers and insurance organizations, government agencies and existing and past employers.
Consent
The customer consent that insurers receive includes consent to provide personal information to us, which allows us to fulfill our contractual obligations to the insurer. We also operate under the customer consent that producers receive in order to support their sales activities. We receive express producer consent to obtain their personal information in the course of screening and contracting. When a producer or customer requests or uses any of the products or services we make available, we will transfer whatever information is necessary by implied consent. If we receive notice from an insurer that a producer or customer has withdrawn consent for the continued use and retention of personal information, we will take whatever steps are necessary to adhere to the Act. This may require termination of our relationship with the producer. We will act on whatever instructions we receive from the insurer regarding the customer’s status.
Limits on use and disclosure
We will use and disclose personal information to perform our contractual duties, to provide you with information and when we are required to do so by law. We may disclose this personal information to our employees or service providers so that they can perform their duties, to insurers and any person or organization to which consent has been given and where authorized by law. Where personal information is provided to service providers, we require them to protect that information consistent with our policies and practices. We may also use personal information to offer products and services that we believe will interest producers or customers but we will never give or sell personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.Limits on retention of information:We will retain personal information in our records only as long as it is needed for the purposes identified, or as legally required or permitted.
Accuracy of information
It is the producer’s responsibility to keep personal information about the producer and customer as accurate and up-to-date as possible. Both the insurer and the producer are responsible for providing us with notices of changes that they receive directly. An individual may challenge the completeness and accuracy of his/her personal information that we hold. We will make any necessary corrections to information about a producer that is shown to be incomplete or inaccurate and we will notify any third parties, including insurers, if we make such corrections. Customers may gain access to their personal information we hold by making an access request to the producer and/or insurer on whose behalf we hold the information. In situations where a customer seeks corrections to information we hold, we will act on the instructions of the insurer(s) whose products are held and/or the producer who is your authorized representative, depending on the corrections required. Any disagreement or discrepancy regarding accuracy will be documented.
Protecting personal information
We will protect personal information from unauthorized access or use by ensuring that safeguards are in place, including physical security measures for our locations, operational policies, procedures and access protocols and technological measures for our computer systems. We will use safeguards to prevent unauthorized access to personal information during the destruction process.
Contact UsIf you have any questions or concerns regarding this Policy or how we manage your personal information, please contact our Privacy Compliance Officer.
Please note that a complaint should be directed in writing. We will not respond to complaints via email.
Nicole Meeboer
50 Coreslab Drive
Flamborough, Ontario
L9H 0B2
Phone: 1-800-317-9224
Fax: (905) 690-3533
compliance@gryphinadvantage.com
Contact the Privacy Commissioner of CanadaThe Commissioner encourages individuals to attempt to discuss concerns directly with the organization first. Hours of service are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Toll-free: 1-800-282-1376
Phone: (613) 947-1698
Fax: (613) 947-6850
TTY: (613) 992-9190
COMMUNICATIONS DISCLAIMERS
All communications in the forms of emails, facsimiles or voicemails originating from an employee or any automated system of Gryphin Advantage are intended for the use of the individual or entity to which they are addressed and may contain privileged, proprietary, confidential, and exempt from disclosure. If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this information is strictly prohibited. If you have received any communication in error, please notify the sender and destroy the communication immediately.
WEBSITE DISCLAIMERPlease read these terms and conditions of use carefully before obtaining any materials, information, or services through this site.
LIABILITY
GRYPHIN ADVANTAGE, its subsidiaries, affiliated companies, its officers, directors, employees or any persons associated with the creation of this web site, are NOT responsible in any manner whatsoever for any harm, loss or damage that may arise in connection with or through the use of this web site including, without limitation, any direct, indirect, special, third party or consequential damages, howsoever caused. The laws of Canada and those of your province of residence shall govern as to the interpretation, validity and effect of this agreement and any use of this web site.
ACCEPTANCE OF CONDITIONS
By accessing this website, visitors accept, without limitation or qualification, the Terms and Conditions contained below and all applicable laws. THE GRYPHIN ADVANTAGE INC. (GRYPHIN ADVANTAGE), may at any time revise these Terms and Conditions by updating this posting. Visitors agree to be bound by such revisions, and should periodically revisit this page to review the current Terms and Conditions.
LICENSING
GRYPHIN ADVANTAGE is licensed for Life Insurance and Accident & Sickness products in the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, Yukon. The use of this web site is restricted to residents of those provinces.
INFORMATION ACCURACY
Although the contents of this website are believed to be reliable when posted, GRYPHIN ADVANTAGE cannot guarantee this information to be current, accurate or complete. The information is subject to modification and updating from time to time without notice.
WEBSITE CONTENT
The information on this website does not constitute an offer to buy or sell products or services and is not intended to provide any insurance, financial, legal, accounting or taxation advice, and should not under any circumstances be relied upon by you in that regard.
TRADEMARKS AND COPYRIGHT
The information on this web site shall only be copied for personal use and may not be reproduced, or distributed for any other purpose in whole or in part without the prior written permission of GRYPHIN ADVANTAGE. Any infringement of GRYPHIN ADVANTAGE's rights will result in appropriate legal action.
HYPERTEXT LINKS
This web site may facilitate access by hypertext links to other worldwide web sites. These hypertext links are entirely independent of this web site and shall NOT in any manner be construed as any reflection on or any affiliation with or endorsement of such site or entity or its respective products, services or contributions to this web site. GRYPHIN ADVANTAGE has not reviewed the content linked to. The right to reproduce and use the content linked to is subject to the conditions that the respective owners may impose, and is at your own risk.
PRIVACY AND SECURITY
GRYPHIN ADVANTAGE adheres to rules, legislated and self-imposed, to safeguard your privacy. The rules are established by this Privacy Policy, the Code of Business Conduct (applying to our directors, officers and employees), as well as industry guidelines and applicable law. GRYPHIN ADVANTAGE develops and maintains procedures which implement these rules and shall not collect personal information indiscriminately. Both the amount and type of information collected shall be limited to that which is necessary to fulfill the purposes identified.Complete privacy, confidentiality and security are not yet possible over the Internet. Therefore, GRYPHIN ADVANTAGE shall not be responsible or liable for any harm or loss which may be suffered by any party, resulting from the use, communication or transmission of any information, including private, confidential or sensitive information to or from this web site.
Accessibility Standard for Customer Service Plan
Providing Goods and Services to People with Disabilities
The Gryphin Advantage Inc. is committed to excellence in serving all customers including people with disabilities. These procedures outline our requirements for the Customer Service Standard under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. 2005 (“AODA”). The Customer Service Standard comes into effect January 1, 2012.
Assistive devices
We will ensure our staff is trained and familiar with various assistive devices we have on site or that we provide that may be used by customers with disabilities while accessing our premises.
Communications
We will communicate with people with disabilities in ways that take into account their disability.
Service Animals
We welcome people with disabilities and their service animals. Service animals are allowed on our premises that are open to the public.
Support Persons
A person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person will be allowed to have that person accompany them on our premises.
Notice of Temporary Disruption
In the event of a planned or unexpected disruption to services or facilities for customers with disabilities Gryphin Advantage will notify customers promptly. This clearly posted noticed will include information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated length of time and a description of alternative facilities or services, if available. The notice will be placed at the main entrance to our premises.
Training Staff
The Gryphin Advantage Inc. will provide training to employees and others who deal with the public or other third parties on our behalf. Training on policies, practices and procedures affecting the way services are provided to people living with disabilities will be provided to the Office Manager as well as any positions where they are required to deal with the public. Training is developed and delivered to designated employees during new employee orientation.
Training will focus on:
FEEDBACK PROCESS
Customers who wish to provide feedback on the way Gryphin Advantage Inc. provides goods and services to people with disabilities can speak with our Office Manager. Complaints will be escalated and handled by the Office Manager. Customers can expect to hear back within ten business days.
Modifications to this or other policies
Any policy of Gryphin Advantage Inc. that does not respect and promote the dignity and independence of people with disabilities will be modified.
