The thousands of Desjardins life insurance customers who have suffered an additional “Cancer Protection” premium without their knowledge since 2016 now have three months, until February 22, 2024, to register their reimbursement claim.
This claims registration period follows a recent agreement to settle the class action lawsuit filed against Desjardins by the Option Consommateurs association.
In its request for “collective action”, according to legal jargon, Option consommateurs accuses Desjardins of having added since June 2016 “cancer protection to the life-savings insurance of Desjardins members and of having increased their premiums without their ask for their agreement. »
With the settlement agreement concluded shortly after the authorization of its class action in Superior Court, Option Consommateurs indicates that it has obtained that “Desjardins will reimburse the premiums collected for Cancer Protection between 1er June 2016 and November 24, 2023 to eligible persons who submit a claim. »
Also, mentions Option Consommateurs in a notice of claims released Thursday, “Desjardins undertakes to pay $3 million to charitable organizations” after payment of reimbursements of surcharges and a portion of the fees of the lawyers involved in the procedure of collective action.
Remember that Desjardins had already been sanctioned to the tune of $1.5 million by the Financial Markets Authority (AMF) in 2017 following the first findings of hidden “Cancer Protection” surcharges in life insurance contracts. thousands of student borrowers and individual savers.
According to the recent settlement agreement for the class action brought by Option Consommateurs, to be eligible for a claim for reimbursement of “Cancer Protection” surcharges, Desjardins life insurance customers must meet these criteria:
- have taken out life-savings insurance before 1er June 2016 and during the following years
- having paid the “Cancer Protection” premiums (without consent over the years) and not having filed a claim under this protection
- not having benefited from the first compensatory measures offered by Desjardins in December 2017 (before the collective action)
- waive the “Cancer Protection” clause for the rest of your life insurance contract with Desjardins.
In its claim registration notice, Option Consommateurs also indicates 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. »