CIBC Personal and Business Banking Services

If you don’t accept the response you get from the team member in Step 2, you can appeal the decision. You can ask to have your complaint escalated to the CIBC Client Complaint Appeals Office (CCAO). You may also contact the CCAO directly.

The CCAO is part of CIBC. Its mandate is to review your complaint and provide a response that’s objective and unbiased to resolve matters with you. The CCAO is not an independent dispute resolution service. However, in an effort to be impartial, they do not report directly to any business area at CIBC. It can take the CCAO 3 to 5 weeks to complete an investigation depending on the nature and complexity of your complaint. Any statutory limitation periods that apply to your case will continue to run while the CCAO reviews your complaint, which may impact your ability to begin a civil action. 

You can contact the CCAO online, by phone or by mail.

If you don't accept the decision of the CCAO, or when 56 days have elapsed after CIBC received your complaint, you can contact the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI), whose purpose is to review your complaint.

Independent consumer support agencies

In addition to CIBC’s Service Commitment to you, there are a number of external agencies that monitor Canada’s financial industry to ensure compliance and reliable access to financial services. You can raise your complaint to these agencies.

Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI)

OBSI is independent from CIBC. You have the right to ask OBSI to review your complaint about banking products and services or investments. After the CCAO investigation, you have up to 6 months after the date of CIBC’s response to you to contact OBSI. OBSI reserves the right to decline requests for investigations after 6 months have passed since CIBC responded to your complaint. 

Where appropriate, OBSI may ask the CCAO to help them find the earliest possible resolution of your complaint.

You can reach OBSI online or by phone, fax, email or mail.

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 has passed since you made your complaint, you can escalate the complaint to the following External Complaints Body: Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI), as outlined in the section above. 

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.

Québec residents:

If you're a Québec resident and are dissatisfied with the outcome or with the examination of your complaint, you may request that your complaint file be transferred to the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF). The AMF will proceed with their examination and may, if it considers it appropriate, offer mediation or conciliation services. However, the AMF cannot require a party to go to mediation. For more information, call 1-877-525-0337 Opens your phone app. or visit the AMF website Opens in a new window..

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

If your concern involves a privacy issue you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada online or by phone, fax or mail.