Shocking quote from ICBC

Photo: CTV News

A Burnaby woman was shocked to receive an insurance quote of more than $20,000 for her car.

The $20,793 bill is about four times what Lindsay McArthur's 2008 Honda Fit is worth – and ten times more than she had previously been paying.

McArthur received the quote after inquiring into adding her partner, Chris Hodge, as principal driver so he could use the car to commute to work, CTV News reports. 

She says they had both paid reasonable rates on their own previously in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Australia. 

ICBC says changes coming in September will ease the pain. But in the meantime, McArthur can keep her existing policy, it clarified.

The shocking quote came because McArthur had some previous claims. And under the current system, her claims history would be a strike against Hodge, who would be treated as an inexperienced driver.

“They’re deciding a future insurance on a fictional history,” a relieved McArthur told CTV, who said she'll "see how it all plays out."

Come September, ICBC changes will see a new ‘unlisted driver protection’ option for new residents like Hodge, who will only have to prove how long they've had a driver’s licence, without having to provide driving histories.

"It is an incredible challenge for some jurisdictions to actually get your abstract, so we want to do away with that," ICBC spokesperson Joanna Linsangan said.

– with files from CTV Vancouver