We appreciate your patience as we respond to a higher than usual volume of inquiries. If you have already left a voicemail or submitted an online complaint, rest assured that your inquiry has been received and we will contact you once it has been reviewed. Please note that duplicate inquiries can further delay our response times.
The Consumer enrolled in a pay-as-you-go car insurance policy and installed a device to monitor mileage, which reported data to the Insurer to calculate the premium.
When the device failed to transmit data, the consumer received notifications from the insurer instructing him to reboot the device. Each time, he followed these instructions.
The Consumer was surprised when his 2024 renewal notice stated that he no longer qualified for the “pay as you go plan” because the Insurer had not received the data and claimed the Consumer had not contacted them to troubleshoot.
The Consumer promptly contacted the insurer’s technical department. The technician decided to send a replacement device and stated that if the new device resolved the compatibility issue, the consumer could remain in the program.
Although the new device successful transmitted data, the Insurer still refused to renew the consumer’s pay as you go plan. The Consumer escalated the complaint to the company Ombudsperson who issued a Final Position Letter upholding the decision.
GIO’s team reviewed the situation and discussed with the Insurer the Consumer’s position that he was unaware of the ongoing transmission issue until he was notified that he no longer qualified for the plan two years later on renewal. As there were no other forms of communication from the insurer about ongoing issues, beyond the notification via text and telephone messages stating that the device wasn’t transmitting, the consumer believed that by rebooting the device he was fixing the issue.
Upon confirming that the new device was functioning and transmitting the data correctly, the Insurer reconsidered and agreed to continue the consumer’s pay-as-you-go policy program.
GIO is an independent body set up to help Canadians find a fair resolution to disputes with insurance providers. GIO can provide advice on dealing with your insurance company as a first step. If you are not satisfied with the decision from your provider on your claim, GIO can help resolve your claim.
If you’d like to submit a claim visit here.
