An Alberta driver is accusing his insurer of “dragging its feet” after he said he was left to fend for himself after what turned out to be much more than just a fender-bender at the end of October.
Travis Robertson told Global News he was driving his eight-year-old daughter to school from Airdrie to Calgary when a deer darted out in front of his vehicle.
“A deer came out from across the road — in front of another vehicle — and just happened to hit my vehicle,” he described.
The deer didn’t make it. His vehicle, a Tesla, also suffered some serious damage.
Robertson says the accident was unavoidable, but what happened with his insurer, afterwards, was not. He said Allstate Canada has delayed the claims process — from start to finish.
“I did everything I was supposed to,” he said. “I called Allstate and waited on hold for someone to start the claim file.”
Robertson said the insurer first tried to get him to take his vehicle to its “preferred” autobody shop, but he balked at that, adding it was not certified to work on Teslas.
“I ended up having to make my own appointment for the car, which was now three days later.”
The shop, he said, was fantastic. But the communication with Allstate continued to stall — from adjusters to appraisers — further delaying the shop from ordering the parts and fixing his vehicle.
“My vehicle continued to sit with nobody doing anything,” he said. “They just kept pushing it down the road.”
“I will be looking at 2024 before I get the car back.”
Global News reached out to Allstate Insurance Company of Canada.
In a statement it said: “Allstate Canada has set high standards for its customer service and pursues a culture of continuous improvement.”
“The company has been in regular contact with the customer, explored and provided the available options for a facility to repair the damaged vehicle, payment has been issued in accordance with the estimate for repairs and the claim continues to be in good standing.”
Allstate added it takes complaints from customers very seriously and is working with the customer to address their concerns.
Robertson said “time is ticking”– especially when it comes to his rental.
“We’re going to be out of pocket on our rental car.”
“It doesn’t seem to be a two-way street,” he pointed out. “They can take days, even weeks, to respond to you in some cases, and it just does not seem right.”
The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) told Global News delays in vehicle repairs are sometimes inevitable and always regrettable.
Rob de Pruis, director of the National of Consumer & Industry Relations at IBC, said delays can be driven by a number of factors. The top three: skilled labour shortages, supply chain disruptions and new technology in vehicles.
“It’s easy to blame the insurance company but there are unfortunately extenuating factors that play into this.”
de Pruis pointed out consumers do have the ultimate choice about where they want to take their vehicle for repairs, despite an insurer using a specific and preferred shop. However, he said many insurance providers have a network of some of their recommended service providers that they trust.
He added that not all shops are created equal, especially when it comes to newer, more technologically advanced ones.
“Depending on the type of repairs that are necessary, some shops may not have the skills or the tools to do the necessary repairs.”
As for who is responsible for getting the process going and completed, he said it’s actually a job for both parties. Pruis added while the insurance company is there to help guide people through the process and ultimately pay for the cost of repairs, consumers also have to take the wheel.
“It’s a shared responsibility,” he said. “Just because you have insurance doesn’t mean you can just stand back and let someone else take care of everything. It’s still your vehicle.”
Pruis said that doesn’t mean insurers shouldn’t offer the best customer service possible, adding that is a priority for the industry. Another priority, he said, making sure repairs are done in a timely manner.
“At the end of the day, nobody wins when there’s delays.”
“All that does is increase the claim costs and that can put pressure on everyone’s premiums,” he added.