Dominion, Aviva cancel broker contracts with Thomson Jemmett Vogelzang

Shortly after Johnson Inc. announced its acquisition of Kingston, Ont.-based brokerage Thomson Jemmett Vogelzang (TJV), both the Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company and Aviva Canada Inc. have cancelled all broker contracts with the company.
George Cooke, president and CEO of Dominion, says he was absolutely shocked and very disappointed when he heard that TJV had decided to sell to Johnson, an autonomous member of Royal & SunAlliance.
The Dominion, Cooke says, quit placing new business with the brokerage immediately after the announcement was made. Any business that the insurer has quoted on will be honoured for the mandatory 90-day period, he adds.
Robin Spencer, president and CEO, Aviva Canada, issued a similar statement.
Our support of the independent broker channel and the Bipper program is tangible and on record, he said. We are disappointed the shareholders of TJV elected to sell their business to a direct operation, rather than look to companies like Aviva for support to keep it within the independent broker channel.
Both Cooke and Spencer stressed that under Ontarios Consumer Bill of Rights, the policyholder has a right to remain with their insurance company even if that company no longer sells insurance through the consumers broker and to know from which companies their broker received quotes and amounts.
Cooke adds that brokers at TJV are now required, under RIBO directives, to explain to policyholders why they are not being renewed within the market they originally signed on with. If the policyholder elects to stay within the original market, the broker is obligated to advise them on how to do that.