Such a shame...
by fern8886 on May 29, 2019
2.5 out of 5 stars
My car was written off early summer last year when a deer jumped out in front of my vehicle. Like many people said, they were very quick to get me a rental. However, upon settling on an amount they immediately demanded that I return the rental. This left me with very little time to make a decision about a new vehicle. No one should be rushed in this instance. Being in an accident is jarring enough. It can really derail you. Given a week I could have made a better educated decision about my replacement vehicle. I was really unimpressed with this.
Furthermore, I later found that their rates were so much higher than most other companies. I was paying $232/month. When I removed collision I was only dropped down to $211/month. Any other company I had give me a quote had me well in the $150/month range. It would be one thing if you got more for paying more but this really isn't the instance. My inexperience is what led me to go with Aviva in the first place.
No one I spoke with was ever rude. I suppose they had that going for them. Anyways, this is just a good example of 'buyer beware'. Do your research.
My car was stolen in the middle of the night right from my driveway as I slept only a few feet away. That was July, 2014. Aviva farms out claims settlement to Cunningham & Lindsay who seem determined to prove to Aviva that they save them as much money as possible. So you get caught in bureaucratic finger-pointing. The policy offered a rental vehicle which I had to exchange after only a few days as it was like a coffin on wheels and not equivalent to the 2011 V-6 Accord that was stolen. Within several weeks, I received an offer prepared by Aviva via C&L who then pulled the plug on the rental vehicle leaving me with nothing to drive. I thoroughly analyzed the 16-page offer and phoned up all ten dealerships to check on the comparables cited. There was no car for sale that low mileage. The offer was very confusing, listing the same ten cars twice using different prices. And only two of the comparable cars shown were the proper model (V-6 NAVI) which retails for at least $2000 higher. This evaluation was unprofessional and bush-league. When I complained and said I was not accepting the offer, it took many weeks more to get a revision which obviously didn't have any further research, nor did it correct for the wrong model. All in all, I didn't receive a cheque until mid-October, three months after the car was stolen and two months after my rental was cut off. Don't go with Aviva and assume that you're going to be protected from something like theft or an accident that's a write-off.
There are two other morals to the story.
1) Don't expect the police to be very helpful. They may pat your hand and say, "There, there.", but a stolen car is either carved up in pieces or on a ship across the ocean within 48 hours. Car theft is big crime but nobody seems to be effective or they're all toothless tigers.
2) Go ahead, buy a Honda and keep it in showroom condition. After all, the third world needs more black market vehicles and Hondas and Toyotas are at the top of the list. Realize that if you take your car in for service (and mine had been just the week before), some car jockey can easily get the keys (even electronic ones) easily duplicated at a car parts store or by a partner in crime.
If you have a good driving record in AB, you should pay around $110/month (women - $105/month and men - $113/month). Do you overpay? Get an Alberta car insurance quote to start saving.
My car was damaged during an oil change at Midas Muffler. They sent me to Aviva. They told me I should claim the rental car on my own insurance. My own insurance agent told me I would be deemed ‘at fault’ if I did so. Eventually Aviva relented and agreed to pay.
Six months later, I got a call from the rental company demanding payment for the rental car. Needless to say, I was getting very annoyed at this point and called Aviva. Fortunately I happened to have kept my notes from six months earlier and had the name of the manager I had dealt with. Eventually, she agreed Aviva really should have paid for the rental car and came up with a somewhat complicated way to do so involving me paying for the rental car and then being reimbursed by Aviva.
This is probably the worst customer service experiences I have ever had and I would not go near Aviva under any circumstances.
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I have been with AVIVA for almost 2 years. It is my first time having auto insurance as I have been on my parents' plan while in university. I was really happy at first. The monthly prices were fair, and they were responsive to my needs when I moved and needed to change my address on file. All was well with my first renewal, it was processed automatically. I have no accidents, tickets, and a pristine driving record. I thought it was a blissful union (lol)... On the last 3 months, I had one claim and I thought it was handled well. It was a not-at-fault accident. The adjustor at AVIVA was on my side, communication was great, and he made sure the other party's insurance paid for the whole thing (repairs, rental), including making sure my deductible was waived. Anyway, I was happy! Then I got the package of renewal information. Another reviewer called it the Aviva Alberta Exodus and I think it's a great title...I'm in Alberta. I was shocked they asked me to re-apply and was told by a friend who works in insurance that Aviva is firing clients in Alberta because they have lost money in the past few years. I figured...it's not my fault! I never missed a payment. Then, the adjustor working on my claim goes MIA. I finally call and am told that he is no longer working there...communication has taken a bad turn. It's sad because things were good at first. I am switching insurance providers for my upcoming renewal...not worth the hassle. Good luck finding something better, everyone!