Quebec drivers most satisfied with auto insurance, B.C. drivers the least: survey

Quebec drivers are happiest with their auto insurance product, while British Columbia drivers are the most critical of theirs, based on a recent online survey conducted by InsurEye.

The Canadian company provides online analysis to help buyers manage their insurance. Survey results are based on an unspecified number of consumer responses and ratings from InsurEye’s new independent consumer reviews platform for insurance, the Insurance Consumer Experience.

Ratings from Ontario, Quebec, B.C., Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan were graded according to three criteria used in InsurEye’s interactive online service: customer experience, value for money and claim experience. Consumers evaluated their auto insurers on a scale of 1 to 5 stars, where ‘5’ represented the positive attitude and ‘1’ represented the most critical attitude.

Quebec led all provinces in terms of customer satisfaction, with an overall ranking of 4.1 out of 5. The province’s drivers seem to be particularly happy with customer service and value for money.

“Quebec has the highest level of customer satisfaction due to lower premiums — the average price of auto insurance premiums is $76 per month,” InsurEye wrote of the result. “The provincial government insures against injuries to people, while insurers cover property damage.”

Following Quebec, drivers in Saskatchewan (3.9) and Ontario (3.88) reported being the most positive about their auto insurance, notes a press release from InsurEye.

“Ontario represents an interesting case,” the company reports. “Overall, consumers are quite happy with auto insurance relative to other provinces. They appreciate their claim experience most of all, but it comes with a higher price tag.

“Ontario auto insurance premiums are the highest in Canada, reaching on average $149 per month, with nearly a quarter of Ontarians paying over $190 per month. As a consequence, Ontarians are not happy about the value for money from auto insurers.”

The survey responses suggest signs of decreasing customer satisfaction in Alberta (3.77) and Manitoba (3.75), where consumers are mostly unhappy with their value for money (in both Alberta and Manitoba) and claims experience (Manitoba only).

B.C. drivers showed the lowest level of consumer satisfaction with auto insurance (3.62). They were critical towards auto insurance across all three measured dimensions.

Drivers in B.C. “feel that they do not have enough choice of providers and cite a lack of competition,” InsurEye wrote of the result. “The same picture can be noticed in Manitoba, where consumers are faced with limited auto insurance choice.

“Both provinces are characterized by having only one, government-run insurance company — for example, in B.C. private insurers can only offer optional auto insurance.”

The InsurEye consumer review platform can be found at this link: https://tools.insureye.com/pct/rating