BC woman quoted 10 times more than her previous auto insurance rate

A Burnaby woman was surprised to find that an insurance quote for her car ended up costing four times the value of the vehicle and 10 times more than the previous rate she had been paying. Lindsay McArthur was changing her auto insurance policy by adding her partner, Chris Hodge, as the principal driver, when the Insurance Corporation of British Colombia (ICBC) gave her a quote of nearly $21,000 a year for her 2008 Honda Fit. Prior to the quote, she had been paying only $2,000 a year. McArthur claimed that while he is new to BC, Hodge had a 25-year clean driving record. She also said that her partner even has the documentation to prove it. Although her partner has a spotless driving record, it was McArthur that had some previous claims. Under the current premium pricing system, her claims history would hurt Hodge’s, even if he was listed as the principal driver of the vehicle. “They’re deciding a future insurance on a fictional history,” McArthur commented. CTV News approached ICBC regarding the sudden surge in McArthur’s quote, and the insurer responded, saying that it would resolve the concern.