Quote:
Originally Posted by SSM_DC5
It's official boys. ICBC deems it "not economical to repair".
let the suspense begin until I find more time to share details.
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Finally got some spare time to share how ICBC handles claims these days.
So after the accident, I went to the bodyshop and let them take photos.
After that I made a claim using icbc's website, once I got the claim number, I gave that to the bodyshop to then submit the photos + $12k estimate to icbc. Because the $12k estimate is above icbc's threshold for the repairing the car, it didn't get auto approved for repairs and needed to wait for icbc's own approval.
Time goes by and I follow up with the bodyshop, they say the computer still shows it's waiting for approval and says I should go call icbc to try and get a courtesy car while I wait. I call ICBC and they tell me, no courtesy car because I don't pay for that extra insurance coverage and to try my bodyshop for a car.
More time goes by, so I follow up again with ICBC and I get the most robotic response from the CSR, the computer says it's waiting for someone from icbc to look at the file, so they'll get to it whenever they get to it and they can't provide an estimated time.
I hated that CSR, so I tried again the next day. This time, the person was more helpful and tells me that icbc must be dragging their feet because it says your car is drivable........sure it's "drivable", but it's missing a fricking headlight and I already got pulled over by cops! He tells me that icbc will not be responsible for tickets I receive and that he's going to write it down in my file that I was made aware of this.
CSR was willing to change the status to undrivable in an attempt to speed up the process, but still unable to give me an estimated time on when the file will be looked at. CSR also emails me the "Vehicle ownership transfer agreement" because I'll need it for icbc to tow it away later.
Next day, the evaluator calls me and tells me it's totaled and he's called to tell me icbc is willing to give me $10k for the car. He sends me another "Vehicle ownership transfer agreement" because the link expires after a few days and the weekend was coming up.
During the last 2 phone calls, I have also asked
1) how long it takes ICBC to tow it away (answer was don't know, but they won't even start the process of towing unless I sign)
2) can I drop it off to icbc's lot in new west (answer was yes)
As an aside, I called my insurance broker to ask how the insurance works in all of this because if I sign the form, it's ICBC's car, but sitting on my property waiting for a tow, so who's responsible for it and can I just leave it parked on the street cuz it ICBC's car, not mine. (answer is I can't leave it on the street, because I need to follow city bylaws. If I cancel my insurance early, then I need to buy 1 day insurance for the day that the car sits on the tow truck.)
So I end up signing the form electronically. Another option is the evaluator reads you the contract over the phone, then you agree to it verbally. I let him read it and it wasn't even word for word the same as the what I got via email.
I also sign up for icbc direct deposit system, so they can pay me my $10k that way instead of dealing with canada post and their strike.
Since I had the email of the evaluator, I asked him a couple more questions
1) Can I buy back the car (generally no, but they will let me if it has a lot of mods on it)
2) Can I take things off (the salvage yard does a check when they receive it, so you can't do things like pull the engine or take the tires)
3) Can you show me the info you used to come up with my $10k valuation (they forwarded the report from Mitchell International, the third party company they use for valuation. In the document, I see the comparables they used and they even gave a value for the roof racks I had on)
I drove the car to their yard in new west, told the guy inside my claim number plus showed him my ID, he said it's all good and I left.
Not long after, the money is in my bank along with the insurance money when I cancelled the insurance which was back dated to the date of the accident even though the whole process took over a month.