Auto Insurance Thread - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

TorqueDog · 10-20-2011, 08:37 PM

I was poking around today on the web during the first intermissions of the Flames/Rangers game and I got curious about auto insurance.

I haven't shopped around in quite a while as I've been pretty content with my insurance dropping yearly without issue.

After running a couple quotes, I realised that I've been paying more than pretty well everyone has been quoting me (and that includes the rental car coverage I have, same TPL and deductibles). One that really jumped out was PC Financial. Does anyone have any experience with them for auto insurance?

Also, post your experiences with your current/past providers.

drewboy12 · 10-20-2011, 08:56 PM

I spent a day a year and a half ago shopping around. all the tv adds that said they would have the best price, i called about 20 insurance companies.

I ended up getting the best quote with Airdrie Insurance (broker), with Intact for $1700 less the the highest quote, and $800 less then the cheapest quote, that I could find on my own. Ended up paying $620 a year.

drewboy12 · 10-20-2011, 08:57 PM

I will add this was also cheaper then td meloche monnex who I used for 6 years.

TorqueDog · 10-20-2011, 09:53 PM

I'm with TD Meloche and I've been happy but when I saw that PC Financial was $800 a year cheaper, my jaw dropped.

Wormius · 10-20-2011, 10:46 PM

With TD also, was the coverage you were quoted for identical between them?

VladtheImpaler · 10-21-2011, 01:10 AM

Cooperators is the best. Peace Hills is the worst. This is in terms of actually providing service when called upon, not price.

WilsonFourTwo · 10-21-2011, 07:26 AM

Holy Smokes. I've been happily with TD Meloche for (many) years and shop my policies regularly.....PC Financial just quoted me $573.00 LESS.

Time to switch.

Hanni · 10-21-2011, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

Cooperators is the best. Peace Hills is the worst. This is in terms of actually providing service when called upon, not price.

Switched to Cooperators a year and a half ago and their service is great, I wasn't really happy with Intact so I started looking around. Cooperators used to be the most expensive option for me but apparently after I turned 25 they became the exact same price as I was paying Intact.

Wawanesa is a huge rip off, was with them when I first started driving. 6 years later I buy a brand new car and shop around for insurance. For what I was paying on an old beater with just PLPD through Wawanesa I got full coverage (no glass) through Intact (same deductibles) on a brand new car.

Burninator · 10-21-2011, 08:58 AM

Wow PC's quote was almost half my insurance that I have through TD MM right now and my deductibles would be cut in half. I also just got a quote from the Co-operators yesterday that was the same as TD MM.

Question, I suppose there isn't an easy to look up when tickets happened? I'm pretty terrible at remembering when something happened.

billybob123 · 10-21-2011, 09:03 AM

One caveat, PC insurance used to be their own insurance, now they're simply a broker. That being said, I'm with PC for banking and auto - and haven't had to make a claim so I have no idea what that's like.

woob · 10-21-2011, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burninator

Wow PC's quote was almost half my insurance that I have through TD MM right now and my deductibles would be cut in half. I also just got a quote from the Co-operators yesterday that was the same as TD MM.

Question, I suppose there isn't an easy to look up when tickets happened? I'm pretty terrible at remembering when something happened.

I believe if it's speeding related, it should show up on your driver's abstract if it was in the past 3 years? Unless the ticket was photo radar.

darklord700 · 10-21-2011, 09:15 AM

I got one 15KM over, 2 demerit ticket last year. And I got another 15KM over, 2 demerit ticket this year. So I have 4 demerits on my license now. Just wanted to ask would the insurance company increase my premium because of these 4 demerit points? And when would the demerits drop off from my license?

calumniate · 10-21-2011, 09:16 AM

Hmm I wonder what mine would be with PC. I'm with AMA right now and it was the best deal at the time. Not sure I could save much more money though as my insurance is really cheap.

macker · 10-21-2011, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billybob123

One caveat, PC insurance used to be their own insurance, now they're simply a broker. That being said, I'm with PC for banking and auto - and haven't had to make a claim so I have no idea what that's like.

Used to use strictly Aviva Insurance and now they use 6-7 additional insurance providers. Don't think they are doing any commercial still with the additional capacity that they have brought on?

Old Yeller · 10-21-2011, 10:50 AM

The only issue I'd have with switching to PC is how they handle claims.

I'm currently with Meloche Monnex for both Home and Auto, and I work with a girl who had her house robbed and MM was amazing from start to finish.

So I'm curious if PC would be a "you get what you pay for type deal"... anyone actually make a claim with PC?

TorqueDog · 10-21-2011, 12:01 PM

Yeah, I made absolutely sure I was comparing apples to apples. Otherwise the whole exercise is moot.

So an amazing thing happened this morning.

Called PC Financial, talked to someone, sure enough the price I got online was the price I got over the phone, but there was a claim (not at fault) that hadn't been specified properly in the system, so PC asked for a letter of experience from TD. Pretty standard stuff.

I called TD, asked the rep about the claim and said "I've been with you guys for a long time and I'd hate to leave since you've been good, but their rate is too good to pass up". The rep said he'd see what he could do, went into my policy, pushed a couple buttons and - with the exact same coverage I called in with - damn near matched the quote I got from PC Financial. And since PC quoted me more for the my tenant's insurance than what I currently have, it works out that TD is now cheaper.

Damn. Didn't think that'd happen. Go TD.

FlamesKickAss · 10-21-2011, 12:27 PM

2 things to make sure your police has.....

Loss of use and SEF 43r(l) for brand new vehicles.

This will save you money in the event of a claim and in general make your life easier.

Also try to get a witness, there are a lot of scumbags out there that will give a story that is conflicting and most times this will end up 50/50 or at the very least take pictures of the vehicles prior to moving them (if safe to do so)

AMG_G · 10-21-2011, 01:52 PM

Just spent 45 minutes with pc financial insurance.

Two car and two homes cost me $3800 for the same coverage.

TD is currently charging me $2800. I'll stick with TDM.

The Yen Man · 10-21-2011, 02:01 PM

Hmm, just did a quickie online quote for PC, and TD Meloche still comes up cheaper for me as well. Maybe it's that uni grad / professionals discount that is offsetting it.

GoinAllTheWay · 10-21-2011, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darklord700

I got one 15KM over, 2 demerit ticket last year. And I got another 15KM over, 2 demerit ticket this year. So I have 4 demerits on my license now. Just wanted to ask would the insurance company increase my premium because of these 4 demerit points? And when would the demerits drop off from my license?

Insureres don't look at demerit points at all, only if you were charged or not. The only thing demerits do is determine how close you are to having your licence suspended due to minor/major convictions.

I belive demerits dissapear with the ticket when it's dropped from your record 3 yrs after conviction.