Seán is a client of an insurance intermediary, ABC Ltd. Under the Consumer Protection Code, which of the following situations must ABC treat as a complaint? (i) A statement by Seán during a telephone conversation with ABC that he is dissatisfied with the return his pension plan is producing. (ii) An email from Seán to ABC in which he indicates that he is dissatisfied with the frequency with which ABC reviews his affairs. (iii) A statement by Seán during a meeting with ABC that he feels ABC took too much commission on the last investment it arranged for him. A (ii) only. B (iii) only. C (i) and (ii) only. D (i), (ii) and (iii).

• A. A (ii) only.
• B. B (iii) only.
• C. C (i) and (ii) only.
• D. D (i), (ii) and (iii).

Answer: (D)

Under the Consumer Protection Code, a complaint is any expression by a client of dissatisfaction with the firm’s products, services, or conduct that seeks a remedy or triggers a review, and this includes both oral and written communications.

A statement during a phone call about dissatisfaction with the pension plan’s returns fits because it expresses dissatisfaction with the product’s performance. An email about the frequency of reviews shows dissatisfaction with the service level, indicating a desire for more routine oversight. A remark in a meeting that too much commission was taken concerns the firm's charges and conduct, which is also within the scope of a complaint.

Since all three scenarios involve expressed dissatisfaction that would prompt a review or remedy, they all must be treated as complaints.