Review: Touchstone Insurance

[jdmsource]

I just wanted to share my experience with Bill aka Masked Bandit from Touchstone Insurance. a family member was hit by a drunk driver and her insurance company was jerking her around a little so i decided to give Bill a call to see if he can offer some advice and insight. Now this had nothing to do with Bill what so ever but he took some time out of his busy day to actually help me out and clarify alot of things when he could have just said this is not his problem and to contact our own insurance company. Thanks again Bill and if any beyonders need insurance i would highly recommend Touchstone insurance:thumbsup:

[01RedDX]

.

[KRyn]

Bill has to be one of the nicest people I have ever spoken too. I called him to get a quote on some insurance and ended up chatting with him for nearly half a hour. I know who will be providing my future insurance.
:thumbsup:

[dj_rice]

He is a stand up guy who always has time to answer insurance related questions. Was a big help with my questions about my rear ender accident when my own insurance adjuster was being a bitch about my questions.

[Impreza]

Bill Eckhart is Masked Bandit? Crazy! I've been buying insurance from him for years, even way before Touchstone when he was at Diamond. Great guy to deal with!

[Zewind]

Love this guy - I still need to switch my insurance over:banghead:

[403Gemini]

Straight up one of the most knowledgeable insurance guys on this forum :thumbsup:

[Masked Bandit]

Thanks for the kind words guys, I appreciate it.

[Masked Bandit]

I should also mention that we've got a new broker in the office. His name is Darren and he's super keen. He's spent 18 years working in the car business so some of you may have already done business with him at one point or another.

[kvg]

Do you deal with Impact?

[Masked Bandit]

I'm guessing you mean Intact but yes, we do. What are you looking to find out?

[kvg]

I am not a big fan of bow valley and I had a claim a couple years ago when I slid into curb in the winter that was a freebie and they didn't tell me it wasn't really a freebie as now i can't switch from intact or my rates will go up. Do you do home etc as well?

[silvercivicsir]

I hate Statefarm and can't wait until they fix my roof so I can switch insurance companys. Does anybody have any experince with good insurance companys?

I personally think it's unreasonable for me to have to wait until June 2012, for an adjuster to come out and have a look... ??

[403Gemini]

Originally posted by silvercivicsir
I hate Statefarm and can't wait until they fix my roof so I can switch insurance companys. Does anybody have any experince with good insurance companys?

I personally think it's unreasonable for me to have to wait until June 2012, for an adjuster to come out and have a look... ??

June is a bit excessive. Keep in mind though, There were a lot of consecutive windstorms in the last 3 months. My company received probably 3500 exterior claims related to just property (not including vehicles) from the wind.

Granted instead of waiting for an adjuster to go out, we hired on a lot of roofing vendors and sent assignments out to them to get the emerg work done to prevent any seepage from any potential future snow falls / rainy days. Pricing likely won't be done until the Spring time though since occupational health and safety really aren't too keen on people climbing snowy/icey roofs. Even with the nice weather we're having, there is still morning frost and dew/moisture on the roofs all day long.

I know a lot of smaller companies are assigning hundreds of files to each of their adjusters to look at , and on a great, summer day doing a 12 hour shift one person can maybe only look at 10-15 roofs + scope it and discuss the procedure with the homeowner. Doing that while balancing other claims that are coming in, its going to be a busy year for sure.

Not giving State farm any excuses (they're actually one of our competitors :rofl: ) just explaining how busy ALL insurance companies are at the moment.

[TomcoPDR]

Originally posted by 403Gemini


I know a lot of smaller companies are assigning hundreds of files to each of their adjusters to look at , and on a great, summer day doing a 12 hour shift one person can maybe only look at 10-15 roofs + scope it and discuss the procedure with the homeowner. Doing that while balancing other claims that are coming in, its going to be a busy year for sure.


All's I can say is I always get butterflies when I have to do damage assessment with an adjustor. You never know what mood they're in, could be a slow day and they're happy as hell, and just keeps chatting and watching you work and wanna go to lunch with you. Or they're on a busy day and are just grumpy and mean. :(

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by silvercivicsir
I hate Statefarm and can't wait until they fix my roof so I can switch insurance companys. Does anybody have any experince with good insurance companys?

I personally think it's unreasonable for me to have to wait until June 2012, for an adjuster to come out and have a look... ??

As 403Gemini said, claims staff are WAY backed up right now but that's a bit much. For what it's worth you don't have to wait until your claim is settled to switch. All that matters is that your policy was in force the day the claim happened. Switching companies / brokers before repairs are actually done isn't a problem at all.

[403Gemini]

MB - I had no idea you guys are in midnapore. I should give you a call and bring in a coffee sometime.

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by 403Gemini
MB - I had no idea you guys are in midnapore. I should give you a call and bring in a coffee sometime.

We just opened here in March of 2011, should be here for at least another 4 years. I'd love to actually meet you sometime. Let me know when you're out & about in this end.

[AndyL]

Ok, bit of ass kissing time

I've mentioned a time or two how pissed off I was getting at my (now) previous agent... We had so many problems it wasn't even funny... Constantly having the stupidest issues - wrong insurance on wrong vehicle, vehicles I don't own being covered (seriously mailed pink slips for someone elses vehicle, but my name on it), nothing but problems with the simplest stuff - ie what day payments should come out. It was everything, the personal & company vehicles, the house, the business liability - everything was totally and royally f*cked.

Right at christmas, we thought we were cancelled - as once again NSF'd - incorrect date again, and 3 payments instead of 1?!?!?! (regular payment on the 15th, then for some reason 3 more on the 23rd? not jan 7th???) Broker was completely closed - until jan 10th or something ridiculous.

Contacted 2 others, and informed my wife - the third was to be Masked bandit (she didn't like that so much) - we had a quote very similar to what we were paying... A middle quote, which had some odd coverage gaps (even to my untrained eye it was obviously different) and Bills...

Bill's was the highest... Confused back n forths... Bill's home insurance was substantially higher. Rest of pricing - within dollars.

Realize - this all goes down between xmas and new years... Bill's answering - first time every time, emailed replies in minutes - the other companies, are kinda sorta not really there...

We go with Bill, cancel everything with the previous morons (nice and easy, bill provided all the paperwork, all the details, sign and email)

So previous agent, and 2 who were quoting us - were making the same mistake... Apparently our insurance - was basically for a miners shack; Maybe he can explain better, but we were being insured for 1300sqft total, instead of 2600sqft. So if the house had burned down/flooded/destroyed by a meteor, we'd be covered for half the house. Nowhere near enough to actually even replace even the basics...

Bill's been an absolute pleasure to deal with, everything's been easy, simple, straight forward... And most importantly - CORRECT.

Bill, I kept my last "good" broker for 13 years. I expect you to hang on for at least 20... I'm gonna loose my mind if I have to do this broker hunt again :)

TL;DR - Use masked bandit @ Touchstone Insurance, he's awesome!

[Supa Dexta]

I just moved another policy back to him as well, that I shouldnt have went elsewhere from the start. :thumbsup: Might be 8 yrs or more of dealing with him(cant remember?) , always grade A service.

[revelations]

+1 for Bill. Great guy, even went to bat for me once when an insurance co. needed a witness on some documents pertaining to a claim.

Have been dealing with him since he was with Diamond Brokers. Got him as a recommendation from the Ground Pilots forum for the bike initially but ended up amalgamating everything into his office for the same reasons as Andy.

[KRyn]

I also have my car insured through Bill. He is a great guy to deal and explains/answers all of my questions. As previously mentioned he is prompt with his responses and his voice makes him sound like a real smooth operator over the phone. :D

[JfuckinC]

i just got my Renewal Policy and they took me down a pretty awesome amount a year because i turned 25. I didn't even have to ask!

These guy's are GREAT.

I think i had Darren help me out last year, hooked me up with insurance on a friday afternoon before a long weekend! Couldn't have been happier.

:thumbsup:

[G]

+1 for Bill. He went through all my policies and determined that it was IN my best interest to stay put. Honest guy for sure.:thumbsup:

[03ozwhip]

i migrated to bill a few years ago for everything i have and will continue to have, he now has my family insured and alot of my friends insured, i refer him to everyone BUT HE NEVER GIVES ME DISCOUNTS LOL thanks bill!

[Dalking]

I'm with touchstone also, darren's been amazing the past year. However I have to get my rates adjusted, i'm a -12 on the grid and my plpd is 100 bucks a year, with 30 years of age 14 years of driving experience and no accidents/clean record. price seems wrong compared quotes i've got from other places, but that's minor!

[guessboi]

Originally posted by AndyL
So previous agent, and 2 who were quoting us - were making the same mistake... Apparently our insurance - was basically for a miners shack; Maybe he can explain better, but we were being insured for 1300sqft total, instead of 2600sqft. So if the house had burned down/flooded/destroyed by a meteor, we'd be covered for half the house. Nowhere near enough to actually even replace even the basics...


I don't agree with this but maybe Bill can confirm what he meant. :D

Majority of home insurance policy has guaranteed replacement cost coverage. Your house will be fully replaced even if the cost to do so is more than the amount of insurance protection you have purchased as long as the reconstruction replacement value is determined, and accepted by the insurance company. (I am not talking about the sq ft mistake here...)

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by guessboi


I don't agree with this but maybe Bill can confirm what he meant. :D

Majority of home insurance policy has guaranteed replacement cost coverage. Your house will be fully replaced even if the cost to do so is more than the amount of insurance protection you have purchased as long as the reconstruction replacement value is determined, and accepted by the insurance company. (I am not talking about the sq ft mistake here...)

I guess you've never seen Wawanesa ignore the GRC then and push it back on the broker as E & O and have the insured try to recover in court eh? Oh ya, it happens. It's one thing to be out on a dwelling by $10,000 - $20,000 but 50%? That's asking for trouble. Maybe you're comfortable trying to pass that stuff off on your clients but I sure am not.

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by Dalking
I'm with touchstone also, darren's been amazing the past year. However I have to get my rates adjusted, i'm a -12 on the grid and my plpd is 100 bucks a year, with 30 years of age 14 years of driving experience and no accidents/clean record. price seems wrong compared quotes i've got from other places, but that's minor!

Are you sure about that clean record part? Check PM.

[Dalking]

Originally posted by Masked Bandit


Are you sure about that clean record part? Check PM. Yep! Pulled my 3 year today, 0 demerits and no tickets on record. We'll be talking when renewal comes up in april so I can get another year outta you guys :D

[410440]

+1 for Touchstone

I switched over 2 cars and my house to Touchstone Ins. in 2012 on beyond's recommendation - Bill was able to save me around $300 / year over TD MM.

[TomcoPDR]

Switched a few of my parent's 20+ year policies to Bill/Touchstone this year too. Really good communication.

Bill's got a sexy radio-like voice, would like to see him answering the phone with "affleckkkk" and end the conversation with "we are farmers, bam pa rum pa rum pa rum"

[Graham_A_M]

^ Yeah Touchstone seems damn solid. Of ALL the insurance providers I've been with over the years, none is nearly as good as them. Basically I have three vehicles through them, and I'll be paying $1000/year, including full coverage on my DD car.
I just waiting for my policy to be up with State Farm for my bike in July, then I'll switch it over as well.
Darren has been very good and very easy to work with. I've never met Bill though. So far with State Farm my bike insurance (just liability) is $350, with Touchstone it'll be $200.

I recommended a buddy over to him (he's in his early 20's with a new liter bike and a new truck) and he saved $600 on the bike, and $1400 on the truck.

:eek:

[Dalking]

Originally posted by TomcoPDR
Switched a few of my parent's 20+ year policies to Bill/Touchstone this year too. Really good communication.

Bill's got a sexy radio-like voice, would like to see him answering the phone with "affleckkkk" and end the conversation with "we are farmers, bam pa rum pa rum pa rum" :rofl:

[Cos]

.

[Hi-Psi]

I've heard nothing but good things about Masked Bandit and Touchstone, especially here and on Ground Pilots, my only problem is that when I called up and talked to both Bill and Darren, neither one could match or beat the rates I was getting for both my car, bike, trailer and contents insurance.

As much as I want to support a local vendor with my business, I also don't want to pay more to do it, especially when I've never had a claim and a clean speeding record.

Jason

[M.alex]

He wouldn't insure a McLaren for $500 ... -1,000 cool points. :cry:

[dj_rice]

I recently just switched over to Touchstone and have been dealing with Darren and Bill. Amazing customer service, and answer questions/emails so fast.
I switched over from TD Melonche Monnex and saved almost $800. I thought I had the best deal with TD but boy was I wrong.

Will be going with them for house insurance soon.

[Graham_A_M]

^ I used to be with TD for 5 years..... yeah their a joke.

[pf0sh0]

Always used touchstone for my motorcycles. Easy, fast, no hassle, great price. Not much else you can ask for imo good guys!

[Cos]

.

[theken]

Been with bill since diamond insurance. He's awesome. Gets shit done when you need it

[prosh]

I just got the phone with TD Meloche saying that my home insurance is going up from $800 up to $1,300 per year citing that all insurance companies premiums are going up and they're losing money from all the wind and hail damage claims. I'm pretty quick to call BS but just curious if anyone else have this happen to them?

10% increase in premiums is one thing but going up $500 seems like overkill.

Thanks,

[rojhero]

Just wanted to add a quick review of Touchstone Insurance. I talked to Darren over the phone a couple of times regarding switching over from TD Meloche Monnex (with APEGA discount). With their lower rates, much better insurance package (especially on the home), and top notch service, I was hoping to switch to them. However, due to some complications with my case, it was recommended that I wait. Most companies would have just signed me up any not said a thing. Darren took the time to educate me on all aspects of the policy and provided advice a future solution. This really says a lot about the ethics of the business and their commitment to build long term customers.

Although I spent about an hour on the phone with Darren, he was never impatient and also declined any sort of monetary compensation I offered for his advice. I highly recommend
Touchstone to all and plan to switch as soon as possible.

:thumbsup:

[jdmsource]

Bill and Touchstone Insurance get a huge thumbs up from me aswell. Was going to switch my insurance for vehicles, home etc but after doing some research Bill advised me that i had it good and to stay put. Honest advice and great service. i have even chatted with Bill and he has given me great advice on some insurance related matters that didnt even have anything to do with him.

anyone that asks me for who to go to for insurance Touchstone always gets my recommendation:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[schocker]

Originally posted by prosh
I just got the phone with TD Meloche saying that my home insurance is going up from $800 up to $1,300 per year citing that all insurance companies premiums are going up and they're losing money from all the wind and hail damage claims. I'm pretty quick to call BS but just curious if anyone else have this happen to them?

10% increase in premiums is one thing but going up $500 seems like overkill.

Thanks,
I had that on TDMM Aset group. I was paying $375~ for the last couple years and then for 2013 it jumped up to $501. I called and they gave me the hail last year, house damage etc explanation also. It was still the cheapest I could find though so my car was moved to touchstone. in 2012.

[Graham_A_M]

^ about to switch my sport bike to TS as well when I get back to the C dot. Fucking State Farm is as bad as TD meloche monex.

[taemo]

someone from Touchstone was supposed to call me one day as I was inquiring for insurance for our home and 2 cars, no one ever called me back :dunno:

maybe I'll try again next year

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by taemo
someone from Touchstone was supposed to call me one day as I was inquiring for insurance for our home and 2 cars, no one ever called me back :dunno:

maybe I'll try again next year

We've been short staffed for the last two weeks with staff on vacation, shoot me a PM with your name and I'll look into what happened.

[drtoohotty1]

Originally posted by Masked Bandit


We've been short staffed for the last two weeks with staff on vacation, shoot me a PM with your name and I'll look into what happened.

And that is why I am with Touchstone straight forward and prompt (sometimes even when he is on vacation :D)

[codetrap]

Originally posted by Cos
I dont think anyone is asking you to. I have referred people whom Bill has told to stay put. THAT is why I go with him. If you are arguing over $20 a year then I would have a different tune but no one is saying to spend $50.00 more a month so bill can pay for his Dodge truck habit. THIS. Bill and I have gone through my TDMM policy together with a fine tooth comb, and came to the conclusion that TDMM is basically giving my house policy to me for free. We both know that there's going to be an adjustment in the future for me, but he told me straight out that until TDMM realizes that I'm giving it to them up the ass compared to everyone else that I should stay put and enjoy the party. That, and until my single at fault incident with a boulder comes off my file.. *sigh*

When that all starts to happen, you can be sure I'm going to be dealing with Bill. Even though I'm NOT a client, he's still given me more help with my insurance than my existing insurer. Geez.. thinking about this, I'm not sure why he hasn't sent me an invoice yet. ;)

[relyt92]

Originally posted by drtoohotty1


And that is why I am with Touchstone straight forward and prompt (sometimes even when he is on vacation :D) Yep, whenever I've got a question he's usually a quick email away even on weekends or evenings.

[haggis88]

Another recommendation for Bill & the guys at Touchstone from me

When i moved here from the UK last year, I'd heard all sorts of horror stories from other British immigrants about insurance prices, licenses and basically anything to do with car expenses.

Also with me being a young driver, I was expecting the worst, was told by a couple of people they'd been paying in excess of $3000 for pretty basic SUV's.

I gave Bill a call on Beyonds recommendation and was pleasantly surprised with my quote on my Ridgeline. He was also able to get me coverage temporarily on my UK license while I searched for an apartment to be able to exchange it for an AB one and also get me a bit of discount for my proof of No Claims from my UK Insurers!

Glad he is a biker too, he was able to sort me a good deal for my Ninja and we had a chat about biking.

Basically the whole experience was made so much easier by having a guy like this on your side!

I'll need to call him over the next week or so to see about my renewals which will be due in a few weeks, and i'll also be turning 25, so hopefully big savings all round haha!

[jonnycat]

I have been quoted twice by Darren, and have seen the value and want to switch, but just haven't gotten around to it. Last time we were waiting on hearing about some info on their RV coverage, I got busy and haven't called back.

Sorry Darren, I will do this in August. I hope.

[Cos]

.

[AndyL]

Lets all bombard him ;)

J/k - take a well deserved vacation masked bandit :D

[msommers]

My insurance with TD was up for renewal at the end of July so I decided to shop around a bit. Not only was Bill super easy to get a hold of, he's straight to the point and saved me a lot. I mean a lot. Like 33% off of what I was going to be paying with TD for home and auto insurance for the year and I qualify for the APEGGA discount. It made me laugh as I was cancelling my insurance with TD. I forgot my home insurance date was actually in Sept. They were calculating if I'd actually own money for cancelling early despite me paying for the year already w/o claim HA! Good riddance, TD.

Now, I haven't made a claim with either and sincerely hope I don't have to. But I feel far more at ease if something does come up dealing with Bill than a random at TD (though their service reps have been really good with me).

[drtoohotty1]

Another big:thumbsup: for Bill and touchstone, I emailed Bill the other day to get another copy of my insurance sent out because I keep losing them when they are not in the plastic folder you sometimes get so to my surprise today this showed up all cars and bikes covered! Thanks again Bill

http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg230/drtoohotty/null_zps62378f59.jpg

[btimbit]

Switched insurance from TD to a different local broker 2 months ago. They've already screwed up royally. In a few weeks I'll be doing what I should have done years ago, and call Bill or Darren.

[mr2mike]

Bill worked like a dog to get my insurance figured out, quoted and done for a 2 day turnaround.

Anyone have dealing with making a claim with them? I am hoping they still out perform in that regard too.

btimbit: I moved from TD too. Tired of their crap. I just didn't try another local broker. Did that before TD and they weren't much help in making a claim. I think Touchstone could be the answer!

[relyt92]

Originally posted by mr2mike
Bill worked like a dog to get my insurance figured out, quoted and done for a 2 day turnaround.

Anyone have dealing with making a claim with them? I am hoping they still out perform in that regard too.

btimbit: I moved from TD too. Tired of their crap. I just didn't try another local broker. Did that before TD and they weren't much help in making a claim. I think Touchstone could be the answer! I've only done a hail claim through Bill, but it was quite simple to do and he was always there to answer any questions I had.

[ricosuave]

Just switched over to Touchstone from TD and Darren got me all sorted out - better coverage overall for over $1000 cheaper.

Thanks guys! :thumbsup:

[s3v3n]

I've been trying to switch, but nobody will call me back :dunno:

[danno]

I pm'd masked bandit about a switching over, so I filled out the online forms and have not heard back either. Must be a busy time of the year I guess.

[Feruk]

Originally posted by danno
I filled out the online forms and have not heard back either. Must be a busy time of the year I guess.
+1

[dj_rice]

Originally posted by danno
I pm'd masked bandit about a switching over, so I filled out the online forms and have not heard back either. Must be a busy time of the year I guess.


When I first did the online thing, I did not get a reply either. So I filled it out a 2nd time and nothing.

Finally I called in and Bill explained that their online email thing was having issues.

Call in and speak to Bill or Darren. You'll get quicker results.

[msommers]

I just email Bill directly and get a response typically in less than an hour. At most, same day.

BillE at touchstoneinsurance dot ca

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by Feruk

+1

.

Oops, supposed to be PM. Need moar copheeeee!

I have to say I'm a bit surprised to read the last few responses. To say I'm not happy is an understatement. It will be addressed by 9:00 am today. If you have submitted a quote request or called into our office and not received return contact please shoot me a PM.

Thanks,
Bill Eckhart
Touchstone Insurance Inc.

[colinxx235]

Not sure about the online system.


But my gf needed a new car and we went searching on this weekend and found her a nice 2011 Subaru (turns out he is also a beyonder). Gave her Darrens contact on Monday. By noon she was all setup + had a home insurance quote for him to switch her stuff over to. Great price and she was very very happy with how easy DR was to deal with.

I recommend pretty much everyone I know to Touchstone. :thumbsup:

[spikerS]

Originally posted by ricosuave
Just switched over to Touchstone from TD and Darren got me all sorted out - better coverage overall for over $1000 cheaper.

Thanks guys! :thumbsup:

+1

I did the switch from TD like 2 months ago and went with Bill.

[liquid1010]

Made the switch to Touchstone with Darren two weeks ago - thus far everything has gone well. Definitely have my recommendation!

[Adrenaline101]

I completely brain farted and forgot to add in my props on this subject TWICE now.

Big thanks to Darren who saved me I think $700 a year on my truck insurance and then for adding on a tenant insurance policy a few months ago.

That reminds me, I need tool insurance... phone call time.

[flipstah]

I was not happy with the way my former insurance company handled a cut and dry hit-and-run on my Golf so I've switched from Meloche to Touchstone


I also get better coverage for less annual. Very happy with the way Darren handled everything. :thumbsup:

[Alterac]

Which company did touchstone sign everyone else up with?

I ended up with Aviva, and saved easily $800/year.

[Adrenaline101]

Aviva for me as well.

[relyt92]

I went to Aviva initially, then Bill ended up swapping me to Economical once I got a new car.

[01RedDX]

.

[dj_rice]

Darren signed me up with Aviva.

[jwslam]

Is Darren on these boards as well?

[flipstah]

I got Intact.

[ExtraSlow]

Weird that everyone seems to have problems with TDMM. I've put four car and one home claims through them, and each one has gone pretty well. Maybe my expectations are low.

Still, I think I'll call Touchstone for a quote.

[Strider]

Originally posted by ExtraSlow
Weird that everyone seems to have problems with TDMM. I've put four car and one home claims through them, and each one has gone pretty well. Maybe my expectations are low.

Still, I think I'll call Touchstone for a quote.

I haven't had any issues with TDMM, and my wife received excellent service from them for her 2 claims on her car back in '08.

I'm interested to see how you do with Touchstone.

They got me some quotes that were pretty much even for the 2 cars (one higher, one lower), but double my current house insurance premium. Will have to see what happens to my house insurance when it's up for renewal though...

[Masked Bandit]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the compliments.

jwslam, as for Darren, he lurks on a rare occasion but I don't think he posts at all. If he's got time to post, he's got time to be writing new clients! :D

We've also got a new girl in the office, Shelley. Some of you will start hearing from her as well. I'm not running away (yet), just helping out the economy.

[ExtraSlow]

pics of new girl? (sorry I had to).

[01RedDX]

.

[sneek]

Just called in because of this thread...I have never had any problems or claims through TDMM but it looks like Touchstone will be saving me $500 :) I couldn't be happier!

[schocker]

Darren set me up insurance on my new car super quick at the beginning of january and even shuffled me over to save more for the time I have two cars. Was super happy. Will call about my home insurance once I check tdmm's increase this year :rofl:

[AndyL]

Hey Bill :)

I need to do some research first, but need to talk to you tomorrow...

But - as a secondary thought - you really should remind beyond.ca when september rolls around and the calgary's choice awards nominations start up anew :)

[Tguy87]

So im thinking about switching from TD, and got quoted for Aviva.

Anyone have any opinions of Aviva as an auto insurance company? Looking online, im seeing alot of horror stories and 1/5 star reviews ...

[schocker]

I am on aviva, previously economical, but I haven't had any claims ever so I can't help you :rofl: Was way cheaper than TDMM group rate though for better coverage.

[Tguy87]

Oh yea for sure, Aviva quoted me almost 50% cheaper than my current TDMM policy with better coverage.

But you know that saying, if its too good to be true....

Just a little skeptical ha ha. Especially since I've phoned other insurance companies and their quotes are more inline with TDMM.

[dj_rice]

Originally posted by schocker
I am on aviva, previously economical, but I haven't had any claims ever so I can't help you :rofl: Was way cheaper than TDMM group rate though for better coverage.


Same here. Haven't had any claims yet either, switched from TDMM as well and was significantly cheaper by $700.

When I signed up with Darren, I don't remember if he gave me different company options, I just signed up with whatever company he recommended. So far so good.

[realazy]

Switched last year from TDMM to Aviva and saved over $500 as well.

[zipdoa]

Bill is the man. I've referred half a dozen friends and family members, and they've all saved money on insurance.

[Masked Bandit]

I've found some of those reviews online regarding Aviva and they are primarily sourced from the UK. You need to keep in mind that Aviva Canada is a completely separate group from Aviva UK and even within that, Aviva Alberta runs fairly independent from Aviva Canada.

With that said, I don't think Aviva is any better or any worse than other insurance providers. This may come as a bit of a shock here but I think pretty much all insurance COMPANIES could stand to improve overall claims service. Now that's not to say that I think they should overpay every single claim, but there seems to be a large problem in the industry with claims people being...well...bad at their jobs, sort of. It's pretty common in the industry for claims staff to be severely overloaded with files. If they can handle 100 claims at a time, they probably have 200 files on their desk. And that's not much of an exaggeration. The new girl in our office (Shelley) spent a couple of years working in claims and it seems to be the same story everywhere. If you have 50 claims staff, 10 will be rock stars, 10 will be idiots and there will be 30 warm bodies in the middle. I'm sure you guys see the same things in your own industries.

There used to be companies (Economical & Intact) that were better than the average when it came to claims, but not anymore. It's all a crap shoot.

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by Tguy87
Oh yea for sure, Aviva quoted me almost 50% cheaper than my current TDMM policy with better coverage.

But you know that saying, if its too good to be true....

Just a little skeptical ha ha. Especially since I've phoned other insurance companies and their quotes are more inline with TDMM.

If you haven't figured it out, I'm Darren's boss. PM me your name and I'll look through the quote for you to make sure it's up to snuff and nothing is missing.

[redsrt4]

pm'd you^^

[FiveFreshFish]

Another :thumbsup: for Bill.

Was with TDMM since 1989 and just switched to Aviva. Saved over $900 per year for home and auto insurance. That's WITH two home hail damage claims (2011 and 2012).

[Amysicle]

.

[Phl0xed]

I too switched to Aviva through Bill after being fed up with TD. What TD had me paying for my house/full coverage auto on my commuter, I'm now paying basically the same thing for house/auto liability on my commuter AND full coverage on my new vehicle.

Nothing but fantastic experiences so far with Bill. Multiple times has he been on the phone with me for far longer than I would ever expect, answering every question and breaking things down for me when there is something I'm unclear on or don't understand. Wouldn't have it any other way.