ICBC Auto Insurance Reviews

Two professional adults, 40-45 years-old, doing low-risk jobs, both with maximum (16+) loss-free years, driving a 15-year-old minivan worth <$5000, insured for commuting to a nearby place of work - and the annual ICBC premium is $2000!!! This is extortion. Nowhere else in the world charges this much for motor insurance. ICBC is broken, bad and wrong. Why? (1) They are a state monopoly - no competitive pressure to reduce their rates (2) They charge all drivers the same premium, independent of the driver's age (okay, they add $100 to the premium for an inexperienced driver - but that is no way enough to reflect the relative insurance risk) (3) They are loss-making and in debt, so gleefully profiteer from us, the residents of BC, in an attempt to back fill their coffers.

ICBC continued to make automatic withdrawals for three months on a vehicle that I no longer owned. I went in with an original Bill of Sale from the date of the vehicle sale for confirmation. I also asked them to explain how they think they can charge for two policies on the same vehicle with two different owners at the same time. Their representative( who is probably employed as a supervisor due to his remarkable lack of ability to apply logic and reason to a customer's concerns) could not provide that answer. But, he didn't mind admitting that ICBC has no problem double-charging customers. Not, only would they not refund the approximately $500 that they continued to charge me; they also charged me another $60 to cancel the policy that had just automatically withdrawn the current month's insurance fee two days earlier. The only thing that gives me a small amount of satisfaction is knowing that the level of thievery and incompetence that has become the standard at ICBC will inevitably end in their grand failure. And, if you are having a bad day just be thankful that you don't have to answer "ICBC" if someone asks where you work. Thieves!

This is the most archaic and frustrating insurance company that I have ever dealt with. They hide behind policy and use that as an excuse for the terrible service that they provide. It took me 2 months to cancel my policy and receive a refund. They are lucky to be the state-run insurer because I can ensure the majority of people would leave them the second they could.

My payments last year were $300 because I was 24 and still considered as a new driver. I had 1 fender bender in the last 9 years I was driving but because 3 of the years were in Newfoundland I am now considered to have 6 years driving experience due to the new structure ICBC has. That being said they raised my rates up by 150%. Yes, my payments are now $750 a month. How can this even be allowed? And they are saying that I can just pay 10,000 to have it insured for the year if I don't want the payments. I've got 3 young kids and a wife to feed and a mortgage to pay for. The wife doesn't work right now and with just the truck payment, insurance and mortgage I'm looking at 4,000 a month. What!? ICBC is a scam and they take advantage of people because they are our only option for insurance. No wonder people drive without insurance or jump off bridges. I can't believe they are doing this sort of stuff. I thought $300 a month was bad. The real kicker was that I got a piece of mail from ICBC to remind me to renew and it said that with their new structure, premium rates don't rise each year like they used to. HA...

So had a collision (non-fault) resulting in a total loss claim. All ok during the initial reporting and notifications process and once acknowledged as non-fault a hire car was duly provided quickly. Fast forward a few days and the settlement offer comes through, not too bad really but a couple of bugbears and errors in the report so managed to get slightly more in the end. Again ok, except that you can tell they don't want to pay anything more than originally offered. Now at this point I ask, 'So how long have is the grace period for the hire car' to be told, Oh now you've had a settlement offer (not agreement or actually received the money) you have 3 days to return the car. Wow... one I haven't accepted this offer and two I don't have the money, how do I get a new vehicle and what do I do in the meantime? Apparently, that isn't their problem as I knew it was a total loss so should have been looking at cars already...hang on I haven't got the money so how do I get a new car? so I wasn't happy to have no car access with weekends away planned etc! Fast forward another week and I still haven't had the settlement check delivered and when I chased this up they said 'if it's still not there in a week call us again, but it has been issued'. Very very poor customer service and do not feel looked after at all. Would expect the hire car to be kept until at least the settlement money has been deposited in the bank. Also on the follow-up call, I was advised I could have had a direct transfer payment, something I was not even made aware of initially.

Gouging young drivers. Our 20-year-old for one year in the lower mainland based on a 14-year-old Honda is paying $6000 a year for insurance with one accident. This is completely unfair. How do these young people get ahead and be able to live in this province?

I had to work in Vancouver for one month in 2016, I bought a car and I did insurance with this insurance company. I paid the first month but I left back to Quebec the same month and the engine of the car stopped at the road and I went to the garage. They told me to scrap the car. The same day I called the insurance company and cancelled. All was good after then I found just now on my Equifax reported that I have a personal loan with this company, so I'm gonna talk with my lawyer and report them by Equifax Canada.

The insurance rates keep rising each year. The highest rates in North America are in BC!

COVID-19 Pandemic situation reduces a lot of traffic on the street and the chance of the claims on auto insurance. People are asked to stay at home and avoid going out. How come ICBC still charges the same premium and fees during the period even though most of the people are suffering the income loss?

I just went to renew my insurance. Last year I was at - 19 years of experience. (-9) being the maximum discount. I had a little parking lot fender bender and not my insurance has gone up to $800.00. .713 discount. The customer service agent told me on the old model I would have gone to -13. Thanks for the good news that is NO good to me. I could have had TWO accidents and still got the maximum discount because of all my years of safe driving. Then she says "but there is a new model now and we can't compare apples to oranges". SO MAD! What a joke! Then she offered to share with me information on how the public loves this model way more. Especially seniors. (they should get a seniors discount anyway) I do not believe many people think this is better. Plus....we don't even have a choice!