Financial Advisor should inform of Annual fees for registered funds? | Investing | Discussion forum

I had TFSA with Tangerine and RSP with BMO for many many years. I asked a financial advisor if he would cover the transfer fees if I moved these holdings to him (as I held non registered accounts with him for about a year and figured everying in one place would be good), he said yes.

Fast forward 2 years later and I noticed I was being charged $50/registered fund annually. I was not being charged these fees previously and never would've moved the assets to him if he had told me there would be annual fees. (I don't even know why there would be fees for registered but not non-registered accounts - it doesn't sound that hard to submit forms to CRA yearly)

I emailed him I was shocked at this discovery. He wrote back that he was willing to cover the fees. WHen I messaged back to say thanks for the offer, but wanted to clarify if he was going to reimburse me for the fees I'd already been charged. I said that part was more important than going forward, because that part I didn't get to give informed consent, and that I have never used any service that charged flat annual fees. And (giving him an out), I said I respected if he wanted the revoke his offer and charge me going forward, but that I would be transferring to a non-fee vehicle.

He then passionately defended that his level of service is higher than those other places. (Although we actually have never discussed my registered holdings in all these years, just my non registered). ANd he basically revoked his offer and wished me well!

Was the onus on him to disclose there would be fees before I transferred the funds? I know it's easy for others to say I should've discovered it sooner - but if he was just going to offer to cover the fees going forward, is it really so different?

Can anyone give me more background on this dynamic (gently please -- I have many burdens I'm carrying right now, which he knows about, and I'm very rattled at his attacking tone -- going so far as to say he is on vacation right now and I wouldn't be getting that kind of service from the other places...although I had no way to know he was on vacation, and would've been fine with him dealing with it when he returned ).