Aviva Home Insurance Reviews

I wish I had read some of these reviews prior to switching to Aviva last August. If my experience arranging for a new policy is any indication, I sure hope I don't ever need to make a claim! Two hours on phone getting quote... Not a simple policy, for two properties, three autos and a boat, so I don't begrudge this time spent at all. I provided much detail about the properties, including outbuildings, and the boat - just a small runabout but we want to ensure there is liability coverage. Placed on hold several times while the agent spoke to underwriting for clarification. Again, no problem, in fact, I commented that I appreciated the agent being so thorough. Left with a list of info to provide - driver profiles for my daughters, serial number for the boat, mortgage #, etc. Five days later called back to provide all of the above. Not a quick call. Many of the same questions asked, as though info had never been entered in a file. Finished call satisfied, however, that all would be in place, policy bound, payment arranged... Based on this, arranged to cancel with the current insurer on the renewal date. Since then: NOTHING received by mail (despite expressions of shock every time I tell Aviva CS this, and in fact incredulity - "Well, did you check your mailbox?" - seriously???). Policy documents posted on Myaviva website do not reflect coverage promised both over the phone and clearly documented in emails from contact@avivainsurance.ca. Repeated requests for additional information (that has already been provided), then a demand for a marine survey of a 16' runabout (again, all pertinent details provided - never mention of the marine survey). Most recent call one hour in length, again answering the same series of questions, again a comment, "I'm sorry, someone clearly has not done their job here, I'm going to make it right." Borders on fraudulent behaviour - make promises, get customer under contract, ignore promises. The couple of hundred dollars I've saved are far outweighed by the time wasted and the fact that I have no assurance in writing at all that I have the coverage I've been promised over the phone and email. Shameful.

Aviva took RBC and ran it into the ground. Their staff is inept. Had a claim. The road adjuster did nothing. No money, no calculation of cost nothing. What Aviva does is send their "preferred contractor". Instead of paying road advisers they rely on this third party to do the quote for repair. Which is BS. Its AVIVAs job to pay their own people to come up with numbers. Not pay 3rd parties out of my insurance limit. This is what happens. Using my claim money to pay this third party to come up with a lowball estimate and do so at my cost for their fee. The truth is, they lowball. Then when the "unexpected" comes up during repair the contractor will amend. Why? So people get less of a cash out option for one. But more important you have the right to hire your own contractor. But the lowball estimate cannot be exceeded. Further pushing clients in favor of the "preferred vendor". Here is what the "preferred vendor" did for me. I had a sewage flood. They DID NOT clean. They DID NOT remove any contents. They DID NOT disinfect. They ripped out 600 sf of flooring and cut into some wallboard. End of them. I had to clean my own house of sewage. I had to disinfect myself and do all the content manipulation myself. Aviva was made aware with a detailed timesheet. They dont care. They waived my $1000 deductable. Gee thanks because you paid your "preferred vendor" $6000. What for? I beleive AVIVA to be 100% without ethics and I believe how they are operating is in contradiction to the laws in Ontario. This is not honest business nor regulation practice. AFter my lowball claim they sent me a letter saying they wont insure my house anymore. You see .... they are there to take money and invest it for their gain. They are not there to insure things.

This company is not operating legally in my opinion.

RBC used to have their own people to assess cost/damage. I had a flood and Aviva sent their "road advisor" to my home. This person did nothing but draw pictures of the rooms. They didnt cost anything out. Aviva now relies on 3rd party "approved" contractors for this. Which is ridiculous. Consumers have a right to use their own contractors. Its Insurance Co's job to have their own people to cost things.

Aviva paid me nothing up front. Its a clown and pony show to get things approved so they will pay. My claim exceeds my coverage so settling is real easy but Aviva refuses to do that. If they just did things like insurance companies have done things up until now (as is actually legally REQUIRED) we could just settle.

PROMUS restoration was assigned to my house. They did next to nothing. A few hours tear out. No clean up, no disinfecting, no contents removal/storage. Basically, nothing. I could have torn out floors by sawing it out quick too. Insurance pays them thousands for this then relies on them to do all the cost quoting. This way see YOU pay for it out of your end rather than Aviva paying their employees to do their damn job. Obviously PROMUS has nothing but subcontractors giving ridiculous quotes for simple lipstick things and ignoring what actually needs to be done. Using up the claim in nonsense.

Aviva needs to do what all other insurance companies do and actually cost things out via the computer aided systems that have been in place for decades and are very accurate in experienced hands. Tossing the ball to fly by night claim raping "restoration" companies is a joke.

Stay away from Aviva. RBC wasnt the greatest but it ran like an insurance company. Aviva runs like children playing pretend insurance company.

Worst experience of my life was and still is dealing with Aviva. They made so many mistakes, disposed of all my hard contents without my consent and the original adjuster was fired. It's been one and a half years and my claim is still not settled. They did not take pictures of the contents that were removed from the house or at the warehouse. The soft contents were evaluated by a man who is not qualified to assess the damage of textiles. He strictly writes in his reports whatever Aviva tells him to and is extremely biased. The way Aviva conducts itself as a company and the staff employed should be sued and their incompetence dealt with by an entity with the financial power that they do. The little people get screwed, insulted, made to wait. The way they conduct themselves should be considered criminal by the proper channels!!! Extremely disappointed with Aviva and the HELL they have put me through as a single mother of 3. I lost my Job due to the emotional stress and trauma caused by the original adjuster whose main goal was to patronize and instigate conflict with me!

One disaster after another. A flood that clearly happened outside my unit and my insurance company not only does not support me, they make my life a living hell. Take well over 8 weeks to repair flooring that was sitting in my unit 2 weeks after the flood. The approval process is ridiculous. And the claims adjuster I had did not know the meaning of customer service. Worse yet, I put in a complaint to their head office and to the supervisor of the claims adjuster I had. 2 and a half months later I have not heard from either of them. Aviva doesn't even handle their own claims. They contracted me out to someone in Ontario. I live in BC. the 3 hour time difference made it impossible to get any real customer service out of him. He didn't even visit my home to see the damage.

The worst part about this, the flood not only effected my unit, but my neighbour's unit. As I was going through hell to try to get my claim approved, her adjuster approved her claim and her place was repaired and back to normal in 3 weeks. It did not cost her a penny, not even initially. I am out almost $8,000 as my adjuster would only pay 60% up front, then he said he would reimburse me the rest once he received proof of payment. I sent that along many moons ago... still have not been paid anything - who's ever even heard of someone having to pay out of pocket for an insurance claim anyway?

I would never ever in a million years recommend Aviva to anyone. Save yourself the hassle and go elsewhere.

20% increase in premium this year even though I NOW have a age, loyalty and no claims discount. Rude and non english speaking employees waiting to not help you.

Very disappointing, my case was considered urgent, through Aviva it took two weeks to let me know that there was one clause in the contract stating that I was not qualified for a claim. Meantime, no help for helping me to clean up the water or giving any hints on how to proceed specially from their specialists, when i was two weeks after the claim doesn`t qualify because of a detail. The specialists for floods. wanted to recuperate their machines right away half hour after i hung up with Aviva, so no furniture was compensated for the damage either meanwhile, there were mushrooms growing in my walls. It was smelling very humid in the house, but Aviva doesn`t care about their customers, they want your business and nothing else… I have two houses with them, and two cars also…

There was a two week wait minimum between every call or e-mail to Aviva Rep. They didn't even answer my inquiries unless I sent them/ re-sent them two or three times. Lazy and disinterested, too casual and slow to acknowledge or don't even bother... I was surprised. I like the RBC Info Line people, maybe they are still "RBC" people there. That's the difference.

I had frostting in the attic due ventillation issues during the big storm in Feb 2017. I called them up and they send the emergency fast,that was a good thing.
Now the emergency company had little knowledge in the attic, so they made things worse. They removed the attic cover and sealed it with nylon, more warm went up.
They sent another emergency company which did nothing, then a consultant who just said it was air circulation problem.
It took 3.5 weeks for them to say go fix it as you wish on your own.
The insulation got all wet becuase it melted down, the wood started to have mold problems and the gyp of the bedrooms got wet. all this and they are not covering anything of it?

Aviva sales person used any excuses to deny online quote. Very poor and unprofessional service...