Klein shoves foot in mouth on auto insurance

[Xpnsve]

Funny story posted in the Edmonton Journal today. Page A6

I've copied the story onto www.apaip.com

Check it

[sxtasy]

Do you think getting people to sign this petition, will actually do anything? Down with the insurance companies

[Phuqu]

I hope you don't think public insurance is better. Try having your vehicle fixed with ICBC. Would you like used parts on your new car? They try to keep the repair cost as low as possible. Most times with your car being the one being fixed with the least expensive method possible.

I'll take private insurance anyday. If you don't like your rates shop around.

[finboy]

well, looks like i'll be left waiting until i'm 25 for cheap insurance

[Gonthro]

Originally posted by finboy
well, looks like i'll be left waiting until i'm 25 for cheap insurance

ditto... but driving is a privilege, not a right

[tulit]

Hahaha. I love how Taft keeps calling on Klein and it totally gets him fired up everytime. i think they should settle it in a boxing ring (You should read his book. Its like 150 pages of klein bashing )

[dishrag]

lol. The Insurance Bureau of Canada is NOT "an industry lobby group". far from it.

[Xpnsve]

Originally posted by dishrag
lol. The Insurance Bureau of Canada is NOT "an industry lobby group". far from it.

Why don't you explain why they are not.

[Xpnsve]

Originally posted by sxtasy
Do you think getting people to sign this petition, will actually do anything? Down with the insurance companies

Thats how the government is run.. if anough people participate, it attracts attention. Media is attracted to attention and a large general outcry MUST be addressed... so ya, it will help and it's one of the only things you can do..

[dishrag]

Well this might be more personal experience than an industry wide trend, but when I renewed with Primmum (through Kanetix) they didn't send me my new pink slips or coverage info or anyhting for that matter, but I was paying for the coverage. Thinking it was just a small oversight, I asked 3 times for my info. After 2 months, it never came so I threatened to cancel. They said my insurance record would be ruined. I cancelled anyway. They charged me for 3 additional weeks then terminated my policy for "non-payment". Now my rates are up 3x (despite having NOTHING on my record) and I had to pay them before I could get insurance elsewhere and they never sent me a registered letter upon cancellation. I called the Insurance Bureau. They called Primmum and basically said there was nothing they could do, even though my insurance company broke the law by charaging me for insurance and not giving me any documentation and cancelling a policy without notice. Seems the Bureau has their tounge up the industries' bunghole.

[fast95pony]

Today on Global they said Albertans pay the highest Auto Insurance in the country..

I'd like to know why.Perhaps we have the worst drivers ?? Perhaps it's because Calgary has the worst roads system I've driven on . Every intersection along the Deerfoot is different,merge lanes are too short,some lanes end without any warning,visiblity at intersections is blocked by walls,signs and bus shelters.The Deerfoot/Memorial is perfect example of the mess: a multi-laned highway with stoplights,cars merging from left and right ,lanes poorly marked and the C-train running right through the middle with barriers cutting through the lanes !!
And why isn't there a major east-west highway ??
Then you large new sub-divisions being built with only one way in or out.
The city engineers who design Calary's road system should be strung up by their balls !

It's easy to see why are are so many crashes..

But I also think Klein is in bed with the Insurance Industry in Alberta.He spends most of his time in the back of airplanes and
limo's.I doubt he drives much.

[Fluidic]

Originally posted by Phuqu
I hope you don't think public insurance is better. Try having your vehicle fixed with ICBC. Would you like used parts on your new car? I'll take private insurance anyday. If you don't like your rates shop around.

This man speaks the words of PURITY!

[Xpnsve]

Originally posted by Phuqu
I hope you don't think public insurance is better. Try having your vehicle fixed with ICBC. Would you like used parts on your new car? They try to keep the repair cost as low as possible. Most times with your car being the one being fixed with the least expensive method possible.

I'll take private insurance anyday. If you don't like your rates shop around.

Thats BS... if you let your insurance company do repairs on your car, your an idiot anyway.

What happend to taking the car to a dealership or something for repairs??

[googe]

Originally posted by Phuqu


I'll take private insurance anyday. If you don't like your rates shop around.

Easy for you to say, you dont pay $8000 a year.

[Ben]

Originally posted by googe


Easy for you to say, you dont pay $8000 a year.

hahaha, dude, look what you drive and how old you are, haha.

I would hope you pay more than I do for my car. haha. :tongue:

[sputnik]

Originally posted by Phuqu
I hope you don't think public insurance is better. Try having your vehicle fixed with ICBC. Would you like used parts on your new car? They try to keep the repair cost as low as possible. Most times with your car being the one being fixed with the least expensive method possible.

I'll take private insurance anyday. If you don't like your rates shop around.

MPIC (Manitoba Public Insurance Corp.) is EXCELLENT public insurance.

Just dont expect to see a $50,000 payout if you have a "sore neck" for a couple of weeks or were "mentally traumatized" (i.e. scared). But you can expect to have your wages paid for as long as you are unable to work along with all of your rehabilitation costs.

All repairs done to your car are done with NEW parts and the damage is very often over quoted as to what it really costs. Also, if you drive a car that was written off and you dont mind used parts, MPIC will let you get it fixed then.

Isnt this really all that insurance is supposed to do anyways?

[method]

it still boggles my mind how conservatives can watch this province go to shit under klein's leadership, and still continue to vote for him.

[1badPT]

Originally posted by Xpnsve


Thats how the government is run.. if anough people participate, it attracts attention. Media is attracted to attention and a large general outcry MUST be addressed... so ya, it will help and it's one of the only things you can do..

Ok you've posted a number of threads on de-privatization of insurance but you never say how privatizing it will save money.

Just because provinces that have public insurance have lower rates doesn't mean the same will happen in alberta if car insurance does go public - personally I don't care either way, but its not a question of WHO is making rates so high so much as a question of WHY.

Alberta has the highest rate of accidents, the highest legal speed limit, some of the lowest number of traffic enforcement officers per square kilometre and as was pointed out by fast95pony the road system in general doesn't make for a safer driving environment. Then look at how claims are settled - Alberta is one of the only provinces that still uses the tort system - IE in order to get benefits after an accident, you have to sue for them - and becuase people have to go through so much more effort, they use push for bigger settlements which mean insurance companies have to hire lawyers to try and make sure their case is properly presented.

To summarize, we have the highest risk of accidents and we have the most expensive method for paying out benefits - that makes for high insurance rates whether its managed by a public entity or the private sector.

I would strongly support a move to make insurance in Alberta no-fault, but de-privatization IMO isn't going to have the impact on rates that you think it is - the risk and high cost of settlement will still be there, and that means high rates.

[Big_C_racing]

Of course making the auto insurance business public will decrease rates. Private companies MUST make money to stay in business, therefore, they fck you up the a$$ because they are taking the risk for you driving. The government on the other hand only has to break even and has less risk because they have a higher cash base. I am not saying that because you make it public there will be less accidents or risks on the drivers but the rates can be calculated without the added profits. Additionally, the system would become more efficient and standard therefore the system would cause less hastle for the person claiming. Private companies want to make the least payouts possible so that they can make more profit, therefore they make it a pain to get money. The government again is not trying to make a profit so would be willing to make payouts without as much pain.

But..........

This will never happen as long as Klein is in power. Klein will not be backtracked in his crusade to privatize everything in Alberta. So if you want to keep public health care, get more money for infrastructure in calgary to fix the crappy roads, have a chance to privatize anything and get money for education(primarily post-secondary), VOTE AGAINST KLEIN!!!!!!!!!!

[RiCE-DaDDy]

When its all said and done, I believe the insurance doesnt have to be as expensive as it is now.