Aviva’s Rating
Financial Strength
Services Offered
Customer Service
Insurance Rates
Carsurance Verdict:
Financially sound and available throughout Canada, Aviva offers affordable car insurance to drivers of all ages. However, its customer service is poor. If you can be patient with it, Aviva is definitely worth a shot.
3.8
Pros
- Affordable premiums
- Robust financial health
- Lyft ride-sharing insurance
- Claim service satisfaction guarantee
Cons
- Poor customer service
- The competition offers more discounts
Aviva Canada Inc., founded in 1999 and headquartered in Markham, Ontario, is a fully owned subsidiary of the UK-based Aviva plc. The company has fast emerged as one of the country’s leading providers of home, auto, lifestyle, and business insurance.
To find out the quality of its car insurance, we perused its reviews from experts and customers alike. We also checked how Aviva Insurance ranks in important metrics like customer service and financial stability. Last but not least, we examined its website to discover its full range of coverages and discount programs.
Read on to find out how Aviva compares to other top Canadian auto insurers and if it’s a good fit for you.
Product Overview
Aviva Canada Inc. specializes in cheap car insurance across Canada and boasts a solid financial standing. It offers several useful features to consumers, such as the ones listed below.
Features
Claims Service Satisfaction Guarantee
Aviva guarantees your satisfaction with its claims process or the refund of an amount equal to your yearly premium.
As far as filing a claim with Aviva is concerned, it’s easy, simple, and quick. Simply call the Aviva Car Insurance contact number, 1-866-692-8482, or get in touch with your broker. If you want, you can also initiate a claim online by filling out a form on the website or using the mobile app.
Premium Auto Repair Centres
If your car has been damaged in an accident, Aviva helps you quickly get back on track by pointing you toward a premium auto repair centre near you. As per the Aviva insurance reviews, the insurer has handpicked quality auto repair shops across Canada, which you can locate through its website using your zip code or city’s name.
Aviva also provides its Auto Lifetime Guarantee on these repairs, which basically promises that the quality of any workmanship completed at any of its Premier Network Auto Repair Centres will be up to industry standards.
MyAviva
An online tool available to customers in Ontario, MyAviva allows you to access all your policies online, including Aviva home insurance and car insurance. You can also use it to update your contact info from anywhere, anytime.
Online Tools
Aviva’s website, while not the best in the business, is pleasing to the eye and easy to use. Finding relevant information or obtaining an online quote is straightforward and quick. Its mobile app, Aviva Express Plus, is available for download on the App Store. You can use it to file a claim and get an instant repair estimate.
Signature Feature – Lyft Insurance
Aviva reviews reveal that the insurer offers Lyft ride-sharing insurance in Ontario. In other words, if you use your personal vehicle for Lyft ride-sharing in Ontario, Aviva’s got your back.
Aviva’s ride-sharing insurance covers you the moment you log in to the Lyft app until you drop off all your passengers. The best part is that between your personal car insurance policy and the Aviva–Lyft commercial policy, you’ll be protected all the time.
Financial Strength
Aviva Car Insurance received the third-highest rating of “A” or “Excellent” from A. M. Best. Basically, this indicates that you can trust that Aviva won’t look for excuses when the time comes to pay a claim.
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Types of Insurance Offered
Aviva offers all the coverages that are standard in the Canadian auto insurance industry: third-party liability coverage, direct-compensation property damage coverage (DPCD), uninsured motorist coverage, and accident insurance coverage. In addition to these, Aviva Car Insurance in Canada provides a range of optional coverages.
Temporary Vehicle Replacement
This coverage pays for a rental car in case you’re left stuck without yours because it was damaged in a covered accident.
Collision Protection
It protects your car when you are involved in an accident with another vehicle (regardless of fault), your car hits a stationary object, or your car rolls over.
Conviction Protection
If you opt for this add-on, Aviva’s car insurance in Canada will not bump up your premium because of a minor driving conviction like a ticket.
Comprehensive Coverage
It protects your car against damages that aren’t related to car accidents. This could be a rock breaking the windshield or a tree falling on your car in a windstorm.
Aviva’s comprehensive coverage protects you against damage caused by falling objects, theft, vandalism, and more.
Disappearing Deductible
Aviva will reduce your deductible by a certain amount for every year you don’t file a claim.
Accident Forgiveness
The insurer will not raise your car insurance premium because of your first at-fault accident.
Aviva Customer Service Ratings
Aviva’s record in customer service doesn’t deliver much confidence. It earned the dubious distinction of coming last in J.D. Power’s 2019 Overall Satisfaction Study for Canada, which featured 13 auto insurers in total.
Thankfully, it enjoys a respectable rating of “B” with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), a nonprofit organization that ranks companies on their ability to handle disputes fairly.
However, most of the Aviva car insurance reviews on InsurEye, an independent car insurance website, are negative. The insurer could manage a score of only 1.7 out of 5, with many customers complaining about its poor customer service. Still, you shouldn’t read too much into this because, statistically speaking, customers are more likely to leave a review online when they’ve had a negative experience.
Nonetheless, those looking for top-notch customer service might want to check other options.
Available Discounts
Aviva reviews show that the insurer offers several discounts, though not as many as some of its competitors, such as The Personal. Aviva’s website doesn’t quantify the listed discounts, so it’s best you speak to a broker to find out how much you will save.
Retiree Discount – Retired and looking for auto insurance? Congratulations! Car insurance just got less expensive for you thanks to Aviva’s retiree discount.
Bundle Discount – Combine Aviva home and auto insurance and win a handsome discount on both coverages.
Multiple-Vehicle Discount – Most auto insurers in Canada offer this discount, and Aviva is no exception. Insure two or more vehicles with Aviva, and the company will thank you with a dip in your premium.
Clean Driving Record Discount – Like other car insurance companies, Aviva rewards drivers who manage to avoid convictions and stay claim-free.
Aviva Car Insurance Rates Comparison
The first thing we noticed when we landed on Aviva’s website was its promise to put us on the road to savings if we bought auto insurance from them. Of course, we were not going to take their word for it, so we duly obtained a quote from Aviva.
Guess what? We found that its auto insurance is really easy on the pocket. As a matter of fact, the Aviva car insurance quote we gathered in Ottawa, Ontario, turned out to be the lowest in the city. At $104 a month, Aviva offers a better value for the money than other auto insurers.
Our quote was for a 40-year-old single male with a clean driving record, and our referenced vehicle was a 2018 Honda Civic Sedan SE averaging 15,000 km per year.
Aviva Insurance vs. the Competition
Aviva vs. Intact
Aviva comes across as a much more affordable option than Intact across Canada. However, when it comes to customer service, Intact shows a better record. Aviva is placed at the bottom of the J.D. Power 2019 study for Canada with just two stars while Intact, ranked five spots above it, earned a three-star rating.
We also found Aviva Insurance to be lacking in the financial strength department, with an “A” rating from A. M. Best, compared to Intact’s “A+.”
Both Aviva and Intact provide ride-sharing insurance. The former offers an insurance solution for Lyft drivers, whereas Intact covers those who use their personal vehicle for Uber.
Overall, Aviva is a better choice for price-conscious drivers and Lyft drivers. Intact, on the other hand, is a good fit for Uber drivers and for those who want an insurer with excellent financial strength.
Aviva vs. TD Insurance
Both Aviva and TD Insurance are affordable options. In some places Aviva delivers a better bargain, while in others TD Insurance is cheaper. For instance, Aviva Insurance in Toronto is much costlier than TD Insurance, but when it comes to Ottawa, Aviva turns out to be more cost-effective.
TD Insurance fares better in customer service, notching up three stars in the 2019 J.D. Power study for Canada, compared to Aviva’s two.
Nonetheless, the latter offers more interesting policy add-ons and a wider range of useful features, the most notable being the Aviva Insurance Claims Service Satisfaction Guarantee. It states that you’ll be reimbursed for up to one year’s worth of your premium if you weren’t satisfied with the way Aviva handled your claim.
For this reason, we recommend Aviva over TD Insurance in cities where the former is cheaper, even though its customer service isn’t up to the mark.
Aviva vs. The Co-operators
As far as customer service is concerned, the difference between the two couldn’t be more striking. While The Co-operators topped the J.D. Power 2019 study for Canada, Aviva Insurance Company came dead last.
However, Aviva proves to be a more cost-effective option in most cities. It also does marginally better in the financial strength department. It gathered an “A” rating with A. M. Best, whereas The Co-operators could manage only an “A-.”
To sum it up, if Aviva’s customer service doesn’t bother you, you might want to go with it if it’s more cost-effective than The Co-operators in your city. You might also want to consider Aviva auto insurance if you’re a Lyft driver. However, in all other situations, The Co-operators sounds like a better choice.
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Best Alternatives
If Aviva’s spotty customer service is a deal-breaker for you, consider The Co-Operators and RBC Insurance instead. However, mind you, both will set you back by a few dollars since they’re a little on the expensive side. TD Insurance offers the best rates, but its customer service is only slightly better than Aviva’s. On the other hand, if you want an insurer with terrific online tools, Sonnet might just be the one for you.
Perhaps the best course of action would be to get an Aviva insurance quote and see how it stacks up against the competition. Only this way will you be sure that you’ve got the best bang for your buck.
Our Expert Verdict
Aviva is certainly an appealing option for price-conscious consumers. Its strong financial health is an added bonus, as is its Lyft ride-sharing coverage.
However, its dismal record in customer service can spoil the fun. That’s why we cannot give it a universal recommendation. Nonetheless, if you’re looking for a budget-friendly insurer or use your personal vehicle for Lyft, you should definitely consider Aviva.
People Also Ask
For general queries, you can call the Aviva Car Insurance phone number, which is 1-800-387-4518. Phone lines are open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.
If you want to file a claim, you can call Aviva 24/7 at 1-866-692-8482. You can also file a claim online by filling a form out or using Aviva’s mobile app.
Aviva Canada Inc. acquired RBC General Insurance Company in 2016 in a $582 million deal. The two former rivals also entered into a 15-year strategic agreement. As per this agreement, Aviva Insurance offers Canada drivers policy administration and claims handling, and RBC Insurance customers will gain access to Aviva’s full range of P&C products.
Technically, you can cancel your auto insurance policy anytime. However, depending on the circumstances in which you request a cancelation, you might have to pay a fee, which can vary from $25 up to a percentage of your annual premium. We recommend that you read the fine print in your Aviva Insurance policy before canceling it.
