BC car insurance, ICBC no claims letter
 

I'm moving to Vancouver this September and currently sorting out writing letters to my previous insurance companies to obtain the ICBC correct format letter to hopefully receive a discount for car insurance.

My main question is has anyone got there current insurer to write them a letter in the correct format whilst still being insured with them or do you have to wait until you cancel the policy first in order to obtain the letter from them?

I am with Direct Line and my last full year of being insured ended with them July 7th, but we will be insured with them right up until we leave in September (we need it to drive to the airport) and then my Mum and Dad will sell the car once we have left.

Has anyone got a letter whilst still being insured, the ICBC letter states you need to say the start and end of the policy so I am guessing not?
And also how did you find Direct Line, did you have to keep reminding them to send you the correct letter format or did they just do it, and how long did it take them to get it to you?

I did read on the ICBC website that you get 6 months from being insured to obtain your letter and to send it on to see if you get a discount, so even if we do not get it until after we have left we can get it sent to the mum and dads address in the UK to hopefully make things quicker and then they can scan it and email it over, I presume that this would be ok or are they funny about copies or do they require the original?

Link ref if anyone else needs it...
http://www.icbc.com/autoplan/moving/...ewres-discount

Many thanks ;)

Re: BC car insurance, ICBC no claims letter
 

Just to add I presume you have to be the policy holder and can not be a named driver in order to obtain the discount letter?

I'll have to go back over all the companies we have been insured with as we did have two cars where we each had a policy, with one of us being the main driver for car no.1 and the other the main driver for car no.2. But on the run up to getting ready for Canada to save money we have had just the one car with my boyfriend being the main insurer and me the named driving, so I am guessing it will just be him eligible for the discount letter for that car and not me the named driver?

Lots to sort out for this ;)

Re: BC car insurance, ICBC no claims letter
 

Not sure about direct line but my Insurer Admiral wont provide the letter until my policy is cancelled.

Re: BC car insurance, ICBC no claims letter
 

Thanks for your reply, thinking Direct Line will be the same.

We used to be with Admiral before Direct Line, so will send them a letter first and hope they send us what we need ;)

Re: BC car insurance, ICBC no claims letter
 

Best response I got was Zenith they got the letter right first time :)

Re: BC car insurance, ICBC no claims letter
 

I have just sent a letter off to Admiral insurance, lets hope they manage to send a letter back in the correct format? I'll keep you all posted.

And then I have one more letter to send off to Direct Line but I wont send this until we cancel our insurance with them next month ;)

Annoying thing is its the boyfriend who will have all the no claims bonus letters (all the above are his), it looks like I will have none as have not had a policy in my name in the UK since 2009, and I guess that is too long a gap for the ICBC to give me a discount if I got proof from back then?

So the Boyfriend will be the main driver in order to hopefully get the discounts and I will be the named driver - is that how it works, same as in the UK?

I am guessing that if we eventually need 2 cars and I wanted to insure it in my own right ICBC would sting me for a large cost as I've never had my own car insurance before in BC, and would have no letters to show no claims in the UK? Or do they look on your differently if you have been a named driver on a BC policy or does that not make a difference?

Re: BC car insurance, ICBC no claims letter
 

Read this link as to what ICBC requires in a letter from previous insurers
http://www.icbc.com/autoplan/moving-...scount-for-new

Re: BC car insurance, ICBC no claims letter
 

ICBC policies don't work like that. You can't restrict your policy to named drivers. You can choose to only permit drivers of 10yrs experience or greater, but that's as limiting as you can make the policy in order to keep the premium as low as possible.

Re: BC car insurance, ICBC no claims letter
 

It will only work if he actually drives 51% of the time or more. If you are really the main driver and you put him down to get a discount ICBC would likely refuse to pay out in the event of a claim (and they have done so).

Your insurance history from 2009 will be of no use to you here.

Re: BC car insurance, ICBC no claims letter
 

He will be the main driver of the vehicle, to be honest we will probably mostly use public transport for a commute to work if needed. Skytrain, bus or walk dependant on where we end up working in Vancouver.

The car is pretty much for things like bulk food shopping trips, day/weekend trips exploring different places with the dog, So yes the boyfriend is to be the main driver.

Re: BC car insurance, ICBC no claims letter
 

Contrary to belief, you will be able to get insurance with ICBC, as they don't care when last you held an insurance policy as long as you can prove that you held car insurance that they deem acceptable. The last time I held a car insurance policy in the UK was September 2009, however I was able to prove 10 years plus of car insurance in a format acceptable to ICBC and was granted the full 43% this January. I bought my first ever car in BC in January 2013.

If I were you I would chase up my previous car insurance policies. If you need any help finding all your insurers you may contact the Motor Insurers Bureau and they will have details of all your insurers, the only snag is that you need to remember your previous car registration details.

Ruby

Re: BC car insurance, ICBC no claims letter
 

Good to know, I shall send off letters for me also and hopefully I will get the right format back :)

Re: BC car insurance, ICBC no claims letter
 

If you need any help, let me know. PM me if you like.

Ruby.

Re: BC car insurance, ICBC no claims letter
 

Does anyone know if I were to get driving history records from DVLA does it show the regs of your previous cars?

We cant for the life of us remember one of our car regs and who we were insured with, we have the first part but not the second half of it.
I guess failing the driving history we can phone up the garage where it was brought and perhaps they keep a record of sales from years ago?

Re: BC car insurance, ICBC no claims letter
 

I don't think the printout has car registration. I'll check mine as I think I have scanned copy on my PC.

I'm in Norway right now and can't find the file on my laptop :( Don't recall seeing any vehicle information on the printout. You should have both requested DVLA history anyway as it's well worth taking to Canada with you.

Re: BC car insurance, ICBC no claims letter
 

Thanks for looking, yep driving history from DVLA is on the list of things to get before we go ;)

Re: BC car insurance, ICBC no claims letter
 

jobop

This link may help you locate previous vehicle registration information.

https://www.gov.uk/get-vehicle-information-from-dvla

Re: BC car insurance, ICBC no claims letter
 

Quick question - what do they even use your DVLA driving history for? How does it actually benefit us to have it?

We are going to get it just in case, but wondered what its use is as I have not seen anywhere that its the norm that you should take this with you?

james.mc - I read one of your previous posts that said when you swapped your driving licence they asked to take a copy of it? Why?
Did they ask for it or did you offer it up? And did they explain its use?

Thanks :)

Re: BC car insurance, ICBC no claims letter
 

Thanks will take a look / maybe give them a call and see how they can help as well ;)

Re: BC car insurance, ICBC no claims letter
 

In BC they asked for it without us offering, so they knew about it. I guess they take it as proof of driving history and driving entitlement. It might show any traffic offences still on file. I think it also shows when driving tests were passed etc.

The ICBC Office kept the original printouts (mine & OH) and gave us copies to take away with us.

We offered our plastic driving licences which they took, but they did not ask for the paper counterparts so we didn't offer them.
They took pictures of us using a unit they have at the office, so not need to take photos.
They would not release our full (photo ID plastic) BC licences until we returned with our PR cards. There was a delay with one of our PR cards (CIC rejected one lot of photos) so our local ICBC office re-issued the temporary licence. The temporary licences are yellow bits of paper.

Re: BC car insurance, ICBC no claims letter
 

Thanks for the info, its on the list of things to get so we will have it, I was just curious :)

Re: BC car insurance, ICBC no claims letter
 

I was also, some time back, so it's nice to be able to feed some of what I (and many before me) have discovered back to those that are following. It takes some of the guesswork out and lets you concentrate on other issues. :thumbup:

Re: BC car insurance, ICBC no claims letter
 

I didn't need a driving history, but I suppose other provinces may need it.

If you continued your insurance cover with the same insurer for your new car then it may show up on the insurance records you request from the motor insurers bureau.

I couldn't remember all the car registrations, so I did a trace backward.

Ruby

Re: BC car insurance, ICBC no claims letter
 

I guess it may also depend on what information staff, in different ICBC appointed agent offices, see as required. There is a level of human decision making in the process.

I read stories about some offices requiring, and asking for, both parts of a UK licence and others not.

A little off topic I guess...
As far as I am aware in Europe, the UK is the only country I am aware of that has moved to plastic driving licences plus has a paper counterpart. Pretty archaic if you ask me. All the others I'm aware of run with a plastic card only. I never could figure out why the UK went that route ( a two part licence) all on their own... it makes no sense to me.

That might explain when hiring a car overseas, or swapping your licence, they only ever want to see just the plastic card as they do not expect a paper counterpart.