Belairdirect Home Insurance Reviews

I decided to go to the market this year to see what the new home insurance rates and coverage were available. Through the internet, I was directed to Belair Direct. After completing their online application and being given a home insurance quotation, I was directed to one of their agents who fine-tuned the quotation. This was to the point where the quotation was increased by $600. When questioned why a 50% increase, it was explained to me that the online quotation is purely designed to drive market traffic to their sales agent who would then increase the price to a much higher point. This deceptive method is certainly a form of 'bait and switch' which appears to follow many of the comments and reviews of BD unsatisfied clients.

I called Bélair Direct for condo insurance and was given an amazing quote. The first interaction seemed to go reasonably well and I was told I would receive a confirmation email, as well as a phone call between 11 am and 11:30am the following business day. I rearranged meetings and other work-related engagements to be available. At 11: 40, I still had not received either the phone call or the email. I called the quotes department and spoke with another representative and explained my situation. It took this agent approximately 10 minutes just to find my file, and then, he told me it was not properly completed the previous call. He asked me questions, to which I responded in great detail...he cut me off several times saying - yes, I get it, I understand! HOWEVER, he would ask the same question about 2 minutes later, so clearly, he didn't understand. He told me that my initial quote was wrong, and suddenly, my quote was approximately $100 more. I told him that I would forego doing business with Belair (I had been given better service and a similar quote from another company). I asked to be transferred to a supervisor to file a complaint as this whole fiasco wasted a total of 2 hours of my time at work and was completely unprofessional. He immediately hung up on me. I called back and spent another 10-15 minutes re-answering questions about the property (and not my interaction) to be put back on hold for several minutes. At this point, I needed to hang up because I was livid with the lack of organization and insight into a customer's time. I will not be doing business with Belair going forward.

My first year of home insurance with Belair was around $1400, then it went to $1500, and this year I was told it would cost me $1975!!! I was shocked that they would raise rates 30% in one year, I have had no claims and also insured both my vehicles with them. I called to find out why the huge increase and I was told it was a general increase, no real reason or explanation given to me. I have received two other quotes with the same coverage for $1000 and $880. Once my auto insurance is due, I will be cancelling that as well. Goodbye and Good Riddance Belair, you have zero customer appreciation and horrible insurance rates.

Myself, and my family, had insurance with Belair direct. I called to insure my engagement ring. I was told via email that all I would need was an appraisal. I rushed around, and paid $100.00 for my appraisal, and when I called to add it to my home insurance policy, after over an HOUR on the phone, I was told I needed a bill of sale. Seeing as I did not buy the ring, I did not have it. Some lady told me I should know when he bought the ring, it is my fiancee's property and he should insure it, and I need a new appraisal including tax PLUS the bill of sale since the ring is not "mine", and would not insure it for me. I was beyond insulted. It was as if I had somehow altered the appraisal. It was quite offensive. I will NEVER use belairdirect, or recommend them to anyone. The only positive thing I will say is the customer representatives were quite polite.

I was with Belairdirect for about 5 years (home and car). I had one home claim, they were not very helpful and initially refused to cover the kitchen flood. Just 'no'. We had an external person come in to assess, after the external assessment and many phone calls, they finally gave in and covered new flooring. Then upon moving homes, after agreeing to insure my new home, they pulled out just 2 days before move in date. I asked about the BelAir rep on the phone about the rules concerning student room rentals, she immediately told me they would no longer insure me, end of conversation. Unreal.

We had Belair home insurance for a couple of years. Then I noticed that from one month to another the automatic monthly withdrawal went up by more than $50.
I contacted them to find out why, and they told me that it was the renewal of the policy, and that they had sent all the paperwork advising me of the terms and conditions well in advance. At this point the tone is very severe.
When I pointed out that no such document had arrived to me, she ask me whether I was sure and not have missed it, with a tone insinuating that I was lying and that she knew it. After repeating several times that I had not seen such papers, that I check my mail religiously, and that I had never agreed to such increase, she agrees to check when/where the paperwork was sent. Comes back after a couple of minutes and states triumphantly how the paperwork was sent about 6 weeks prior, I say I have not seen such thing. Then she reads out the address, and I pointed out that I did not live at that address. I said that it did not matter anyways, I wanted to cancel this policy that I had never agreed to in first place, due to how I had been treated.
She became obviously angry and said that I still faced a more than $300 cancellation fee. I told her that it was impossible to have me bound to something I never accepted, that they had made the mistake. She insisted, and tired of being bullied on the phone for so long, I told her that I did not care anymore, I was cancelling it, fee or no fee, and that if there was a fee I would easily recuperate it in a few months with the lower offer from the competitor.

There were no more withdrawals, and I never got the fee in the end.

I have friends that say they are very happy with them. I was happy till this incident (but really, you're always happy while you are paying them and have no claims/issues). They have lost me as a customer forevermore, every year when I shop around I avoid them, because if they disputed something so silly as sending something to the wrong address, how will they be if I have a claim?. I got a quote from Intact and after finding out that they are related to Belair I automatically discarded it (it was not great anyways).