Car insurance in Toronto

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Mar 18th 2014, 3:55 pm

#16

dbd33

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Location: Ontario

Posts: 40,018

Re: Car insurance in Toronto

Quote:

Originally Posted by colchar

This is completely untrue. The type of vehicle (make, model, etc.) most definitely does make a difference in the premiums one pays.

Let me congratulate you, btw, on a well written post. The content is wrong but it's conveyed clearly and the post contains no abuse. Well done.

Mar 18th 2014, 4:07 pm

#17

beckiwoo

Bex in the city

Joined: Jun 2013

Location: Vancouver, BC

Posts: 3,899

Re: Car insurance in Toronto

Quote:

Originally Posted by dbd33

You should probably also obtain an extract of your driving record from the DVLC.

Can one just call up DVLA and ask for this or there a cost involved?

What exactly does one of these say as I though the record was the counterpart of photo card licence?

Mar 18th 2014, 4:09 pm

#18

dbd33

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Location: Ontario

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Re: Car insurance in Toronto

Quote:

Originally Posted by beckiwoo

Can one just call up DVLA and ask for this or there a cost involved?

What exactly does one of these say as I though the record was the counterpart of photo card licence?

£5

https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...888_260214.pdf

Mar 18th 2014, 4:38 pm

#19

christmasoompa

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Re: Car insurance in Toronto

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tirytory

Ah ok...we're only paying $1500 dollars a yr for two cars though, which is not a huge amount more than we were paying back home.

That's very expensive by UK standards though for 2 cars. I'm guessing you're quite a bit younger than I (she says, feeling old and haggard now), but hubby and I don't pay anywhere near that for 3 cars including a sports car.

Mar 18th 2014, 4:57 pm

#20

JamesM

Dive Bar Drunk

Joined: Nov 2006

Location: Toronto

Posts: 8,649

Re: Car insurance in Toronto

Quote:

Originally Posted by christmasoompa

I pay more in Canada. Toronto versus London specifically. I had a nicer car too back in them days. But it is what it is. I have no doubt that there is more accidents here and the bill needs to be footed.

Mar 18th 2014, 5:07 pm

#21

Tirytory

Muskoka, Ontario

Joined: Aug 2013

Posts: 3,045

Re: Car insurance in Toronto

Quote:

Originally Posted by christmasoompa

$750 dollars each, exchange rate that back (not an accurate science I know) but it's not terrible. Womens insurance was going up too when I left..

Mar 18th 2014, 5:12 pm

#22

iaink

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Joined: Sep 2003

Location: Upstate South Carolina

Posts: 30,768

Re: Car insurance in Toronto

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ash in Toronto

Hi, I've just moved to Toronto and I'm having a nightmare trying to get car insurance, I have 9 years of no claims in the UK . I spoke to a company called Johnsons and explained this but they want a letter of experience from my insurance company from the UK . I showed them my certificate of no claims and my driving licence but they advised this is not enough and want a letter from each of my insurance companies over the last 9 years with dates of cover and any claims I might have had. I explained that the certificate I have shows that I have had no claims in the last 9 years. They don't seem to understand this..

I exchanged my driving licence in 6 days ago. I have been driving in the UK for 12 years but they won't recognise this. For some reason they only look at the time of length I have had an Ontario licence for which is a little silly I thought.

Does anyone have any information about how or where I can go to get car insurance who will recognise UK no claims and a UK driving licence in Ontario.

Ash in Toronto

It is what it is, just one of the joys of moving to a foreign country. At least you could just swap licenses and didnt have to take the test here unlike some of us who arrived before the swap was introduced

Info in the wiki regarding the correct documentation / format etc. Its a pain, but probably worth it.

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Catego...surance-Canada

Mar 18th 2014, 5:14 pm

#23

dbd33

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Joined: Mar 2005

Location: Ontario

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Re: Car insurance in Toronto

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tirytory

Womens insurance was going up too when I left..

In most provinces (perhaps all) using sex as a rating factor is no longer lawful. What the companies did when the laws changed, of course, was to put up the rates for women to match those previously charged for men.

In Ontario credit score can lawfully be used as a rating factor. I suspect this is where you're winning. Usually new immigrants lack a good credit score and so their insurance is more costly (again this is a bigger factor than type of vehicle). I suspect that by insuring through an association of people who will mainly have good credit scores, you're rated on the average for that group (or something along those lines).

Mar 18th 2014, 5:35 pm

#24

R I C H

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Joined: Jun 2005

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Posts: 6,005

Re: Car insurance in Toronto

Quote:

Originally Posted by colchar

This is completely untrue. The type of vehicle (make, model, etc.) most definitely does make a difference in the premiums one pays.

Different province, but it's not my experience.

I've owned used and new trucks, SUVs, and hatchbacks. Premium and regular brand vehicles (6 different manufacturers). Purchase prices from $20k to $75k. My insurance premiums have never differed by more than a couple of hundred dollars.

Mar 18th 2014, 5:39 pm

#25

sanjuk

Forum Regular

Joined: Feb 2011

Posts: 75

Re: Car insurance in Toronto

I'd try TD. I bank with RBC and they were more expensive then TD.

Mar 18th 2014, 6:45 pm

#26

christmasoompa

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Re: Car insurance in Toronto

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tirytory

$750 dollars each, exchange rate that back (not an accurate science I know) but it's not terrible. Womens insurance was going up too when I left..

That seems an awful lot to me, ours are all less than £200 each. Probably all evens out with petrol/gas being so much more expensive though!

Mar 18th 2014, 11:58 pm

#27

beckiwoo

Bex in the city

Joined: Jun 2013

Location: Vancouver, BC

Posts: 3,899

Re: Car insurance in Toronto

Insurance in Canada seems expensive in general.

My first year of passing at 23 cost me £750 fully comp ( I thought that was cheap). This year with 6 years no claims, I'm hoping it will be around £300 (although I won't do another full year as I'm leaving for Canada in the autumn).

Anything over $1,000 is unbelievable - is it this expensive in the USA?

Mar 19th 2014, 12:36 am

#28

Ash in Toronto

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Re: Car insurance in Toronto

Hi ,

Thank you guys for your feedback.

Just to let you know I did get a quote today from one company, I got them to quote me on a Nissan Pathfinder 2011, I live in Oakville and I'm 37 years old and I will use the car to get back and forth from work.

They quoted me roughly $6000 a year to insure this car I asked if I was to get a letter of experience from my past insurers to see if this would make a difference. They advised that it would not really make much of a difference as insurance companies here (or at least theirs ) only really take experience into count if it has been gained in North America. They did advise I may be better of going to an insurance broker as they may be able to search a few companies.

Tomorrow ill try a few brokers and see if I can get it lower.... Wish me luck.

Ash

Mar 19th 2014, 1:20 am

#29

dbd33

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Joined: Mar 2005

Location: Ontario

Posts: 40,018

Re: Car insurance in Toronto

Quote:

Originally Posted by beckiwoo

Anything over $1,000 is unbelievable - is it this expensive in the USA?

No. At one point I had a Honda Element and a Land Cruiser insured as if they lived in Colorado and the Beetle insured as if it lived here. (And yes, I'd look at the vehicles in the driveway and wonder how that happened). The premium for the Beetle was three times the combined premium for the other two vehicles. Even if you look at States and very similar to Provinces, OH vs. ON, or Maine vs. NB, for example, insurance is much cheaper in the US.

Of course, that's no help if you don't live in the US.