Insurance Q&A

Insurance Q&A

Has your car insurance been cancelled or not renewed?

By Lee Romanov

Many times when a consumer's car insurance policy is being cancelled, it's by their broker, NOT by their insurance company.

This has lead to a lot of heartache and confusion for consumers trying to replace their coverage with another auto insurance company when they were only cancelled by their insurance broker. Instead of having to look around for another insurance company, all they needed to do is to change brokers and stay with their existing insurance company.

People need to know how to determine if they are being cancelled by their insurance broker or by their car insurance company.

If people are being cancelled by their car insurance company, they will receive a letter by registered mail outlining the reason why. All auto insurance companies must file their conditions for cancellation with the government and the government must approve them, otherwise they can't cancel someone.

An car insurance broker does not need a reason to non-renew someone's auto policy.

Lee Romanov heads InsuranceHotline.com, an unbiased insurance rate comparison service operating since 1994. It began its rate comparison service as The Consumer's Guide to Insurance in 1994. The service directs drivers to the insurance companies which offer the lowest rates. "All auto insurance policies are identical, word for word. The only difference is what the insurance company charges," Romanov reports. InsuranceHotline.com does not sell insurance, and is not owned in part or in whole by an insurance company, agent or brokerage.

How to find Theft and Collision Claim Records for vehicles

The Insurance Bureau of Canada provides a wide range of products and services to member companies who represent almost all of the auto insurance written in Canada.

As part of its mandate, IBC's Vehicle Information Centre assigns each new vehicle model introduced to the Canadian market a four-digit code, which is used by insurers to report auto insurance transactions to several official statistical agencies. These codes are used to identify each model for which the insurance claims experience will be analyzed. Accurate information is essential if car insurance companies are to establish rates that are fair and if government regulators are to effectively monitor the industry on behalf of consumers.

IBC is also spearheading the operation of CVRC, the Canadian Vehicle Research Council. Its mandate is to initiate, coordinate and support research into areas of common interest to Canadian automobile insurers, with the intention of improving techniques of repairing vehicles to contain the cost of repairs while maintaining high standards of quality and safety.

To see theft-and-collision claim records for different vehicles, visit the Vehicle Information Centre of Canada website.

Insurance Claims Satisfaction Study

The way in which your claim is handled is an important factor to consider when shopping for car insurance. Compare your company with other companies and the industry average using the Auto Claims Satisfaction Survey.

The Auto Claims Satisfaction Survey is prepared annually by the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO), an agency of the Ministry of Finance that regulates Ontario's insurance industry. The chart was developed for two reasons - to give consumers additional information about auto insurance companies and to help insurance companies improve their claims service.

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