Terms of Use and Legal Notes - UNI Financial Cooperation

Terms of Use and Legal Notes

Last revised Date: June 19, 2023

 

By accessing www.uni.ca or other websites operated by UNI (altogether the “Website”), you acknowledge these terms of use governing all websites, links, buttons, icons on the website, mobile content and social media pages operated by Caisse populaire acadienne ltée and its subsidiaries (Collectively “UNI”) and you agree to be bound by them.

UNI reserves the right, in its sole discretion to:

  • modify or update these terms of use at any time without advance notice and you agree to be bound by such modifications or updates.

  • to change, temporarily disable access to the Website in whole or in part without informing you in advance.

The Website is available for your convenience only. Any information displayed or provided as part of the Website is for informational purposes only and should not be relied on for transactional purposes.

You agree not to use the Website or the content or information delivered through the Website in any way that would: (a) be fraudulent; (b) violate any laws; (c) create liability for UNI; or (d) use the Website in such a manner as to gain unauthorized entry or access to our computer systems.

Data that is collected through your use of the Website may be used by us to conduct certain analytical research, performance tracking, marketing, and marketing program activities, and benchmarking.

Your use of the Website is your authorization for us to retrieve and retain your personal information. You authorize us or our service providers to use any information, data, or other content you provide through the Website to offer you products and services, and for other permissible business purposes.  

We specifically disclaim any liability, loss, or risk which is incurred as consequence, directly or indirectly, of your use and application of any of the services. Further, we are not responsible for any investment decisions or any damages or other losses resulting from decisions that arise in any way from the use of services or any materials or information accessible through it.

If you do not agree to these terms of use, please do not access the Website.

 

1. Jurisdiction

The Website is governed by the laws of the province of New Brunswick and the applicable Federal laws, irrespective of the principles of conflict of laws or jurisdiction. You agree to submit to and be bound by the laws of the province of New Brunswick and the laws of Canada applicable therein.

Any litigation, dispute or claim of any nature whatsoever resulting from the use of the Website must be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of the province of New Brunswick. Consequently, by using the Website, users agree that the courts of the province of New Brunswick have exclusive jurisdiction in any suite, action or proceeding stemming from such use.

The information on the Website is only intended to be used in Canada, in the provinces where the mentioned products and services can legally be offered for sale or made available and is not intended for use or sale in locations where such use would not be permitted by local laws.

If you access or use the Website outside of Canada, you do so at your own risk, and you bear all responsibility for compliance with any local, provincial, national, or international laws that are applicable to such access or use of the Website by you.

2. General

All products and services of UNI that are described, made available or provided on the Website may be changed or withdrawn at any time without notice and are subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable agreements governing their use in force at the time of the provision of the product or service. In the event that these terms of use are inconsistent with the terms of any agreement that you may have with UNI, the terms of that agreement will govern.

Not all products and services displayed on the Website are available in all regions of Canada.

3. Information available not an advice

The information, material and content provided on the Website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide specific financial, investment, tax, legal, accounting, or other advice to the user, and should not be acted or relied upon in that regard without seeking the advice of a professional. Such information, material and content does not constitute an offer to buy or a solicitation to sell any currency, investment fund, securities, units of mutual funds, or other products or services.

Facts and data provided by UNI and other sources are believed to be reliable when posted. UNI cannot guarantee that they are accurate or complete or that they will be current at all times. UNI is not responsible in any manner for direct, indirect, special, or consequential damages howsoever caused, arising out of the use of this Website.

Stock quotes, investment fund values, exchange rates, interest rates and other similar financial data as well as the various product features posted on the Website are provided for your information only. This information originates from a variety of sources and may be updated on a regular basis. Despite every effort to present information that is as up to date as possible, UNI is not responsible for the consequences of any inaccurate information or for any damage sustained as a result of using such information.

4. Information Provided "As Is"

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED ON THE WEBSITE IS "AS IS". UNI DOES NOT WARRANT THE ACCURACY, ADEQUACY, TIMELINESS, OR COMPLETENESS OF THE INFORMATION, AND DISCLAIM LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS OR OMISSIONS. NO WARRANTY OR CONDITION OF ANY KIND (IMPLIED, EXPRESS, OR STATUTORY) IS GIVEN ON THE WEBSITE OR ITS CONTENT.

 

5. No Liability for Use of the Website

UNI WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES, LOSSES OR EXPENSES (INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES) ARISING FROM THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE WEBSITE OR ITS INFORMATION, OR AN ERROR, OMISSION, INTERRUPTION, DEFECT, DELAY, COMPUTER VIRUS, SYSTEM FAILURE, LOSS OF DATA OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF UNI OR ITS REPRESENTATIVES ARE ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, LOSSES OF EXPENSES.

6. User identification

You are not required to identify yourself when making using the Website, except when such identifying information is required for example to access the Website's transactional tools or make an appointment with one of our representatives. Website use is subject to our Cookie Policy.

7. Protection of personal information 

UNI is keenly aware of the need to protect your security and privacy, particularly in regard to any information you provide to us while using our Website. Please refer to our Privacy Code  for details.

8. Protection of children

UNI is concerned about protecting children who use this site.

We invite parents to monitor their children's Internet usage and to bear in mind that the products or services provided via the Website are designed to appeal to a broad audience. Therefore, as the legal guardians of their children, parents are responsible for determining which products or services may or may not be appropriate for their children and monitoring their use in this regard.
 

9. Restrictions on use of content

It is prohibited to reproduce by any means whatsoever the information, data, text, software, music, sounds, photos, images, videos, communications and other materials (collectively "Content") available on the Website.

More specifically, it is prohibited to:

  1. forge headers or otherwise manipulate Content;

  2. upload, post, e-mail, transmit or otherwise make available any Content that contains computer viruses or other computer code, files or programs designed to interrupt, destroy or limit the functionality of any software, computer, application or telecommunications equipment (this list may include other elements without limitation);

  3. interfere with, disrupt, or make abusive use of the Website, servers or networks connected to the Website, or refuse to comply with any requirements, procedures, general regulations or regulatory provisions applicable to networks connected to the Website;

  4. infringe, whether intentionally or not, any existing national or international laws or regulations;

  5. collect and store information relating to other users; and

  6. sell, resell or operate on any commercial basis whatsoever any portion of the Content or any use of the Content or access privileges associated with the Content.

UNI has the right to remove or relocate any Content for any reason, including lack of use or in situations where UNI has good reason to believe that you have violated the present terms of use.

10. Links to outside websites

The Website includes links to other websites or other Internet sources. Sites accessed by links appearing in this Website have been independently developed by parties other than UNI and UNI does not guarantee the accuracy of information contained in such sites. The listing of an organization in this Website, a link to another website or from another website should not be construed as an endorsement by UNI that organisation or of its services or products.

UNI has no control over the content and operation of those sites, or their privacy practices. UNI is not responsible for their availability, nor can it assume any responsibility for the content, links, advertising, products, services, or other materials made available by or through such external sites or sources. Consequently, any personal information that you transmit through these sites is subject to their privacy protection policies. It is therefore your responsibility to read those in order to ensure the protection of your personal information.

It is up to you to exercise discretion in your use of such websites or other Internet sources. Likewise, you are responsible for assuming all inherent risks, particularly when you rely on the timeliness, usefulness or completeness of the content made available on or through the sites or sources referred to by the Website.

UNI is not liable for any loss or damage, caused or alleged to be caused by, or arising in connection with, the use of or reliance on other websites or other Internet sources, or products, services or downloads made available on these outside sites or sources. 

11. Information use and storage

UNI may establish general rules and deadlines concerning use of the Website. UNI is not responsible for the personalized settings of Website and does not make any warranty with respect to the deletion of your data or any failure to preserve your data.

12. Intellectual Property

You acknowledge and confirm ownership of the respective intellectual property rights by UNI, its partners and associated service providers of the Website. You agree that you will not copy, modify, adapt, enhance, translate, or create a derivative work of the Website. You will not license, sublicense, market or distribute the Content of the Website, or provide any copies to a third party. You will not attempt to reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or make error corrections to any part of the Website, and you will not use any part of the Website to gain access to interconnecting software applications.

All trademarks (including certain names, words, titles, phrases, graphics, logos, icons, designs, illustrations, images) appearing on the site are trademarks or registered trademarks of UNI or third parties. Any use of these trademarks is strictly forbidden. Any unauthorized downloading, retransmission, or other copying or modification of trademarks and/or site content may be a violation of federal or other laws applying to trademarks and/or copyrights and could subject the copier to legal action.

All information and Content on the Website are protected by copyright. Users may only copy the Content for their own personal use. No one may redistribute, reproduce, republish, store in any medium, retransmit, or modify the information or Content of the Website for commercial purposes without the written authorization of UNI, or make public use thereof without crediting the source.  

13. Personal Financial Money Management Services

Personal Financial Money Management Services (the “Services”) are available for your convenience only. The Services may help you or allow you to organize, consolidate, manage, and track your financial information, or make certain financial projections. From time-to-time we may modify, suspend, or discontinue the Services and add, change, or delete features of the Services, in our sole discretion, without notice to you.

The Services are not intended to provide legal, tax or financial advice. The Services are provided as strictly educational in nature and are provided with the understanding that neither us nor our third party providers are engaged in rendering accounting, investment, tax, legal, or other professional services.

 Any information displayed or provided as part of the Services is for informational purposes only and should not be relied on for transactional purposes.

 You agree not to use the Services or the content or information delivered through the Services in any way that could: (a) be fraudulent; (b) violate any laws; (c) create liability for us; or (d) permit to gain unauthorized entry or access to our computer systems.

14. UNI’s responsible conduct

UNI is committed to providing fair treatment to all members and clients who use our products and services. In this spirit we are proud to share the following important information about our business practices.  Our "Promesse-client" is put into action with this simple phrase that reflects the bond of trust between UNI and its stakeholders: " How can I help you? I'll take care of it!"

Framework
Did you know that the Bank Act provides a framework for the behaviour expected of financial institutions towards their customers? Among other things, it specifies that a financial institution may not, at any time:

  • Take advantage of a person;
  • Exert undue pressure on a person or coerce him or her for any purpose whatsoever;
  • Engage in pressure tied selling;
  • Communicate or otherwise provide false or misleading information.

UNI will not take advantage of a person
Our Purpose and core values are the pillars on which our conduct and actions are based. In fact, they express UNI's essential purpose, the precise meaning of our mission.

At UNI, our member and client are at the core of our actions; their satisfaction stems from the relationship with the employee, which is based on honesty, integrity and loyalty. Our employees must respond adequately and appropriately to their needs, putting the protection of their assets to the forefront. These principles are at the heart of our code of ethics, which is signed and reviewed annually by all our employees.

UNI will not exert undue pressure or coercion

What is undue pressure?

What is not undue pressure?

Undue pressure is pressure that would be considered excessive or too persistent by a reasonable person.

Courtesy calls, renewal notices and promotional offers made in the normal course of a business relationship.

Example: an employee is very insistent (calls very often, urges for a quick signature) to sell you a product that does not suit you.

Example: an employee calls you and sends you a note to schedule your annual appointment to discuss your investments. He also mentions that you may be eligible for a preferred rate on a Guaranteed investment certificate (GIC) if you want to come in and meet with them within 30 days.

 

This is acceptable since you are in no way forced to agree to the appointment or take advantage of the limited time offer.



What is coercion?

What is not coercion?

Coercion can take the form of threats (physical violence, blackmail, intimidation) to try to convince a person to buy a product, subscribe to a service or to do something they do not want to do.

Compliance-related requests, such as obtaining an original signature, member and client identification requirements, mandatory physical presence of all parties involved in transactions.

Your advisor explains that he or she will not be able to renew your mortgage if your spouse does not transfer assets to UNI.

Your advisor asks you to visit a business location so that you and your spouse can sign your loan agreement, otherwise he or she will not be able to proceed with the disbursement.

This request is perfectly acceptable since it is a regulatory and legal requirement that UNI must comply with.

 

 

What constitutes coercive tied selling?

What is not coercive tied selling?

This is the practice of forcing someone to buy product A to obtain product B.

An offer of matched products and services, at competitive rates, or as a condition for a loan.

Your mortgage specialist says you qualify for a mortgage, but says the loan will only be granted if you transfer your investments to UNI. You want the mortgage, but you do not want to transfer your investments.

Your advisor offers you the opportunity to obtain a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) at a preferred rate following the completion of your mortgage, if you agree to transfer your investments to UNI.

This is an acceptable practice, as your mortgage is not conditional on the purchase of another UNI product or service. Instead, you receive a benefit as a thank you for your trust.

You go to a business location to open a chequing account, but the employee tells you that you also need to apply for overdraft protection on the account. They promise you that you can cancel the overdraft protection at any time, and even offers it free of charge for the first few months. You don't expect your account to be overdrawn and you don't want the overdraft protection.

Your UNI business location may offer you discounts if you agree to open other products when opening a chequing account. This could be a premium credit card with no annual fee or a discount on a safety deposit box rental fee. If you accept the offer, the total cost would be less than if you had opened each product or service separately.

This type of product bundling is allowed because it allows you to obtain the products and services separately or to opt for the package deal.

 

UNI may require a company to open a chequing account with UNI before lending funds.

This requirement is entirely compliant since the company holds a chequing account with UNI, she can properly assess the risks associated with the company's cash flow and therefore appropriately manage the risks associated with the loan.

 

UNI will not provide false or misleading information
At UNI, member and client is at the core of our actions; their satisfaction stems from the relationship with our employes, which are based on honesty, integrity, and loyalty. Thus, we ensure that our employees have the necessary knowledge to take good care of them, that our communications with the public are clear and transparent, and that they accurately represent our products and services. Our code of ethics also states that we have a zero-tolerance policy for any sales or communication practices that use deception, concealment of information or misrepresentation.

Contact Us
Do you have concerns? We want to hear from you. You can find our contact information below.

Communication Channels

 

In person

visit one of our business location

Website

www.uni.ca/en/

By phone

contact our Client Contact Centre at 1-888-359-1357

 

For more information

Contact us
Make an appointment