Thousands of Desjardins life insurance customers who have unknowingly experienced an additional “cancer protection” premium since 2016 now have three months, until February 22, 2024, to register their claim for compensation.
This claims filing period follows a recent agreement to settle the class action lawsuit brought against Desjardins by the Option Consommateurs Association.
In its request for “class action,” in legal terms, Option experts accuse Desjardins of adding “cancer protection to Desjardins members’ life-saving insurance since June 2016, and increasing their premiums without seeking their consent.” »
With the settlement agreement concluded shortly after the class action lawsuit was filed in Supreme Court, Option Consommateurs notes that it has obtained that “Desjardins will repay the premiums collected for cancer prevention between 1any June 2016 and November 24, 2023 for eligible persons filing a claim. »
As Option Consommateurs states in its notice of claims issued Thursday, “Desjardins undertakes to pay $3 million to charitable organizations” after paying additional fees and a portion of the fees of attorneys involved in the class action proceeding.
Recall that Desjardins had already been fined $1.5 million by the Financial Markets Authority (AMF) in 2017 following the first findings of hidden “cancer protection” surcharges in life insurance contracts for thousands of student borrowers and individual savers.
According to the recent settlement agreement for the Option Consommateurs class action lawsuit, to be eligible to claim reimbursement of the “Cancer Protection” surcharge, Desjardins life insurance clients must meet these criteria:
- I took out life savings insurance 1 year agoany June 2016 and during the following years
- Having paid Cancer Protection premiums (without consent over the years) and not making a claim under this protection
- Failure to benefit from the first compensatory measures offered by Desjardins in December 2017 (before collective action)
- Waive the “Cancer Protection” requirement for the remainder of your life insurance contract with Desjardins.
In the claim registration notice, Option Consommateurs also notes that “people who believe they are eligible for compensation can go to the website http://www.ey.com/ca/protection-cancer To complete the claim form. »
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