Belairdirect Auto Insurance Reviews

The company will take away discounts from existing clients and then offer to return them back but only if they agree to give up their privacy. They want access to your credit score plus they want to have your driving monitored via your cellphone. All of this is for their benefit but even after you're lulled into consenting they will bump your premiums back up under a myriad of excuses. Firstly, if they discover you operate your vehicle late at night it will increase your rate then suddenly your discounts again begin to disappear - round and round we go. Even your good credit score won't help. Their staff can't even tell you what score you'll need to qualify for a discount....because management won't tell them. So, when they ask you for consent they'll make it appear as though there's definitely a discount pending. You need to challenge them before consenting to anything - you'll then begin to realize that every sentence ought to come with a disclaimer. The company makes changes constantly and the service and products are constantly changing. I returned to my previous insurer because they are predictable. Products are always consistent. I don't want to deal with insurance more than once per year but with Belairdirect it's nonstop talking and having to read up on never-ending changes.

I paid a sum of $3000 for my annual insurance which included the auto merit discounts. After 6 months my automerit insurance was withdrawn which meant I was owing an extra 160$. I feel stupid because, in the beginning, it seemed like a good deal but isn’t because you get roped into an app they control and they end up switching the app to withdraw your discount and then you pay the full price.

When it was Canadian Direct, you received fair discounts for safe driving, no accidents, loyalty, etc. The cost of insurance was much cheaper and better coverage. Since it has changed to Belair, the rates have gone up and the discounts are much less. Even with the "discounts", it is $300 more than the same coverage as another company. The agent told me that I could get up to a 25% discount if I agreed to use their app that monitors my driving. I have to get their app and keep my cell phone on while driving. There is enough intrusion in modern-day life without my activity being monitored through my phone. That was the final straw for me. I have over 40 years of safe driving, if that doesn't qualify for a discount I don't know what would. Ending my contract with Belair.

Unhappy with the news today. Got an email this morning about an "updated policy". Because my app on the phone to monitor my driving habits was not used in over 30 days, my account was cancelled, and all the discount associated with it. 6 months of good driving data, disappeared.
Had a discount of $~45 per month after I've been using this Automerit App, and now the monthly has increased by $90.

Talking to them over the phone, they say that the premium is something about making up the difference since I have pre-payments going on for the term. I thought this discount would be permanent, but no luck. Now I have to be monitored for another 6 months.

I went online to get a quote, the price seemed good, so I called the next evening to finalize, was shocked to find my quote had changed by over 800.00 dollars! Asked representative why the difference in 24 hours, he replied that the price that I had from their web site included a discount if I bundled my house insurance with them. I explained to the representative that I did not ask for home insurance as I already have a good rate, and they should honour their quote, I asked the representative that I want to talk to his supervisor, he replied that there is no supervisor, but they have a customer experience team. I said: let me talk to them. You can't they will call you! Well, a week has gone by and no call or email. Very unprofessional and disappointed in the way this matter was handled.

The rates they advertise through Google Ads are misleading. Many hidden fees and they've applied discounts that don't exist.

Had a tough experience in getting automerit to work. Was told that it'll reduce the premium down the line, but since I couldn't get it to work, they increased previously agreed premium from $375 to $407 without any notification and when contacting customer care, I was told that some discount was taken off since I didn't use the app. Feeling cheated and helpless. Waiting to change the provider once this expires. - Poor customer service experience - Email never gets responded - Took weeks of calling customer care to get the automerit section to appear on the app. - Once it did, the app doesn't record trips properly even after turning off battery optimization (Android) and drains battery drastically. - Overall, disappointing experience to me.

Been with Belair for 5 years. This past summer 2018 I had a comprehensive claim as I was hit by a flying tire from another driver, who got charged $5000 in damage to my new 2017 Ram truck. The insurance was handled by Intact, who is the underwriter for Belairdirect. Firstly, they tried delaying the process because of a $5 per day difference in towing company charges for storage. Finally, I intervened and got that settled because they wanted to sue the towing company while my truck was in their compound and not at the dealer getting fixed, which could take weeks in the court system. After that, they were great (Intact Adjuster) and fixed my vehicle, no problems. Come Renewal of all things, they hiked my rates up by 30% and even though I still had a 22% discount using their automerit program, it was a huge increase. I called with my concerns of the rate hike even though I wasn't at fault but still had a claim. They offered a further 5% for my wife if she used automerit. I said ok, no problem. The guy on the phone was courteous and helpful and said he would get that done. A week later I get a letter telling me my wife doesn't qualify for the automerit program and rates won't change. I then called Cooperators Group and was offered a rate 35% less than Belair, and I told them I had the claim etc, they did a background check to verify and still honoured the rate $600 less than Belairdirect. Suffice to say, I cancelled my renewal with Belairdirect. Any claim and they hike the rates up on you. And I should say they didn't hike the rate up on my Ram truck that had the claim, they just applied it to my older 2012 Camry! Trying to say the claim wasn't due to the truck.

Horrible scam of an insurance company. Do not go with them. Initially, I had good experiences with Belair, for the first car I insured on my own. However, when I got a new car, I was not happy with the premium I was given. However, I was promised by the woman on the phone that as long as I went yet another year accident-free (I had been 10 years accident and ticket free at this point), my premium would decrease. It was based on that information that I decided to stick it out and stay with them, as I felt that staying with the same insurance company would be easier and better off for me in the end. Recently, I got my renewal and was shocked to see that it had gone up substantially. I called, bewildered at the fact that despite another year of being accident and ticket free, I was getting an increase. They assured me that this is how it is for everyone, due to the number of accidents. “Oh,” they said, “you have an amazing driving record! You should join our driving program to receive a discount!” I laughed, saying “if I’m such an amazing driver, why am I paying this insane amount with ten years of no accidents or tickets on my record”. They had no good answer, and it felt amazing the next day when I called to say I am cancelling my insurance with them.