Boneyboy

ICBC agents get approx $100 every transaction. As for the repairs, if your vehicle is towed to a repair shop and is obviously a write off, the shop will still get paid on average $6-900 for taking the bumper off and 'having a better look' !!! Total scam! A friend of mine owns a ICBC accredited repair facility and he said there has never been a better time to own a shop, now that you can write your own estimates $$$$

scrubbedexpat091

That can be risky in an accident in the insurance companies find out the vehicle isnt really located where its supposed to be. I wouldnt risk it to save a few bucks.

Aviator

OK until they file a claim and get it turned down!

Live in BC and let others pay the tax, just what we need.

withabix

As I posted before, ICBC and RCMP are both evidently not interested.

Aviator

Guess it will become evident if there is a claim. Insurers don't need much of an excuse to not pay out or subrogate a claim. Personally, it is not worth the risk for a few bucks.

scrubbedexpat091

Doesn't really matter if those 2 agencies are not concerned, but when they need to file a claim and the insurance company learns they lied, well that is usually terms to deny claims.

They are taking a huge financial and personal risk for not much gain.

MountainHiker

They don't find out though I know plenty of people who have claimed and not had any problems.

It's not surprising that BC is so expensive when so many people are wroughting the system and people are so open about how to exploit it too.

printer

And don't forget depending upon the age of the vehicle they don't have to use new parts. When our Jeep was damaged a few years back it drove with a shudder after repairs, when i returned it they said that the rear driveshaft or some assembly was obviously bent and they would have to get another, when i questioned it they said it came from a breakers yard as that is what ICBC allows in order to keep down repair costs once a vehicle is over a certain age

scrubbedexpat091

They will if they decide to investigate the claim further, just because some have gotten away with it, doesn't mean all will, its still a risk.

BC really needs to enforce the laws and fine the crap out of anyone living in BC, driving in BC but not insuring their vehicle in BC. Impound the vehicles until its properly insured.

That said, I don't see many Alberta license plates around so must not be that popular around here.

Former Lancastrian

This has been going on for years in all Provinces and in some cases cities where a postal code might give you a cheaper rate.
The police don't really care as long as the vehicle is insured if dealing with an accident or pulling you over for speeding.
Lots of students do this as they attend Uni or colleges all over Canada.
If the provinces really wanted to enforce this they could but for whatever reason they expect the person moving to a particular province will comply and change over their driving licence where required and take out an insurance policy.
In this case it appears ICBC are missing out on a few dollars because people are not insuring their vehicles with ICBC.
In accident cases I wonder how the people would react who are living in BC but insuring their vehicles in other provinces and should be legally insuring them in BC if their insurance elected not to pay out a claim.
Can you imagine the adjuster reading the claim and the driver states I was driving to work around 6.30am. It had been raining. I was driving along West Broadway (Vancouver) when this car failed to stop and hit me.
Now as the adjuster Im thinking why were you driving to work at 6.30am in Vancouver when you allegedly live in Calgary. Mmmm maybe I should check into this

james.mc

2008 Jeep Wrangler JK
All drivers 10+ years driving experience.
Private use, based on Vancouver Island.

$1346 with ICBC (maxed out to try and match coverage of combined insurance)
$1303 with ICBC ($750) + Private

As you can see ICBC is $43 more expensive. ICBC doesn't give as comprehensive a roadside recovery as the private insurance does. Nor, in case of an accident, does ICBC offer 1 x free forgiveness (no loss of no claims) in one 'at fault' accident, rental car, onward journey costs and a few other things. So it was still worthwhile for us to go with a combined insurance package, save 43 bucks and have more comprehensive cover/conditions.

Point to note on driving experience.
For the cover we were after, ICBC look for 10+ years driving experience, that's it. The Private Insurance element stated (clearly in the policy) must have held US or Canadian driving licence for 10+ years. I queried this, and as a result ended up with an extra $83.00 loading over previous year which had been incorrectly issued It might seem like splitting hairs, but in case of an accident didn't want the private insurance co to be able wriggle out of a claim due to such a clause in the policy. We have held EU licences for way over 10 years but Canada only 2 years.