ICBC and partner insurance brokers are moving to telephone and email transactions to decrease in-person contact during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“ICBC‘s top priority is the health and safety of its customers, partners and employees, and that’s why we are moving forward with emergency protocols to allow brokers to conduct ICBC business over the phone during this difficult time,” Nicolas Jimenez, president and CEO of ICBC said in a statement.
Autoplan (in-person) insurance services are no longer available at ICBC’s head office. However, brokers can provide the following services to ICBC customers:
- vehicle insurance renewal, cancellation and policy changes by phone
- changes to storage policies (APV345) and temporary operating permits (APV16)
- receive transactions by email
- submit signatures electronically
- submit payments by phone
- receive policy documents by email
ICBC confirmed to CHEK that police are aware there may be some delay in getting up-to-date decals for licence plates. Drivers can still provide their insurance documents to officers if requested. If drivers are waiting for their insurance documents by mail, they can present a digital version on their cellphone.
The BC government said some transactions that can’t be done over the phone, such as new vehicle registration and new policies.
“With the COVID-19 outbreak impacting brokers’ offices and customers, these provisional changes are the right move to help protect the health and wellness of everyone, while continuing to meet British Columbians’ insurance needs,” Chuck Byrne, executive director, Insurance Brokers Association of B.C., said in a statement.
ICBC customers are asked to give themselves extra time for renewals, as the transaction may take longer than usual. Those customers who have questions should contact ICBC at 250-978-8300 or toll-free at 1-800-950-1498.
At this time, there are no changes to the driver’s licence renewal protocols, but ICBC said it is working actively on further options. ICBC said it is also working through a joint task force on additional online services, including a more permanent process for insurance renewals.
CHEK News
