Canadians throw caution to the wind

A new PC® Insurance poll reveals basic vacation-season precautions are lost on many

TORONTO, July 29, 2013 /CNW/ - With vacation season in full swing, a new national poll conducted by Leger for PC® Insurance that was released today reveals that many Canadians fail to take basic precautions to safeguard their homes and property. With the widespread adoption of social media, more than four in 10 (41 per cent) respondents admitted to openly sharing their vacation details on social media sites, making their plans to be away from home available to anyone and everyone.

Meanwhile, nearly four in 10 Canadians said that they do not always have a family member, friend or neighbour check on their dwelling while they are away. And 14 per cent of respondents admitted they do not always lock the doors of their homes. Not surprisingly, those who live in urban or suburban areas are more likely to always lock their premises than those who live in rural or remote regions (89 per cent versus 77 per cent).

While more than half of respondents (54 per cent) viewed insurance in general as a "must have" or something that provides "peace of mind," a significant number do not fully understand the difference between using an insurance broker and relying on carriers that sell their own products. Despite the fact that 78 per cent of respondents said they worry about their insurance rates going up, 73 per cent trust their current insurance provider to give them the best coverage—and 21 per cent see no difference whatsoever between an insurance agent and an insurance broker.

"While 89 per cent of Canadians have insurance on their homes, many do things that leave them potentially vulnerable, possibly even uninsured," said Maria Forlini, senior vice president of President's Choice Services Inc. "A surprising number do not realize that brokers, like PC® Insurance, can act in the interests of clients, shop for the right products at the right price, and even provide completely confidential advice and claims counselling, when required."

Other interesting findings from the PC® Insurance survey include:

• Those with home insurance are more likely to always have someone check on their residence while they are away than those without (65 per cent versus 31 per cent);
• 15 per cent of Canadians admitted they do not always keep their front walkways clear to help prevent trips, slips and falls;
• 82 per cent of those with home insurance said they always keep their walkways clear compared with only 61 per cent without home insurance;
• Men are more likely than women to disagree that their current insurance provider will offer the best coverage;
• Almost a quarter of Canadians (24 per cent) said that they have been in an automobile accident but settled with the other driver without notifying their insurer:  13 per cent because the damage was minor, and 10 per cent because they did not want their rates to increase.

The poll also asked Canadians what drivers should do if they ding another car in a parking lot. Nearly a quarter of respondents (23 per cent) said they should wait for the other driver to return; 72 per cent said they should leave a note with their information; and only one per cent said they should do nothing and just drive away.

Interestingly, though, we are not always as honest as we expect others to be. Sixteen per cent of Canadians with car insurance acknowledged they had dinged another car in a parking lot, and 20 per cent of those who did said they simply drove away without leaving any information.

"When it comes to insurance, there seems to be a 'disconnect' between what people think and what people do," said noted award winning writer, Kathy Buckworth, Chief Family Advisor for President's Choice Services. "Sometimes, insurance just seems complex and people are afraid that if they make a claim their rates might go up. Getting advice on what may and may not be covered can help you and your family make the right decision. By talking to a broker, such as PC® Insurance, you can make decision-making simpler."

For details on PC® Insurance or to get a quote, please visit:  www.pcinsurance.ca.

About the PC® Insurance survey

The survey of 1500 Canadians was conducted for President's Choice Services between June 24 and June 26 using Leger's online panel. A probability sample of the same size would yield a margin of error of +/- 2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

About PC® Insurance for home and auto

PC® home and auto insurance is designed to meet a wide range of individual customer needs, at competitive rates.  Using a broker model makes buying home and auto insurance easy, as PC Financial Insurance Broker Inc. shops up to nine insurance companies, saving its customers time and hassle.

PC® auto insurance is available for personal vehicles, including motorcycles, boats and leisure vehicles. PC® home insurance options include condo, vacation property and contents/renters insurance. In addition, PC® home and auto insurance offers a 24/7 claims service, confidential claims counseling and advice, and gives policyholders the chance to earn PC® points toward free groceries* when they pay their premiums with their President's Choice Financial® MasterCard®.

For details on PC® Insurance or to get a quote, please visit: www.pcinsurance.ca or join the conversation on social media and follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/PCInsuranceCA or like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/PCInsurance.

About Loblaw Companies Limited (TSX:L)
Loblaw Companies Limited, a subsidiary of George Weston Limited, is Canada's largest food retailer and a leading provider of drugstore, general merchandise and financial products and services. Loblaw is one of the largest private sector employers in Canada. With more than 1,000 corporate and franchised stores from coast to coast, Loblaw and its franchisees employ more than 134,000 full-time and part-time employees. Through its portfolio of store formats, Loblaw is committed to providing Canadians with a wide, growing and successful range of products and services to meet the everyday household demands of Canadian consumers. Loblaw is known for the quality, innovation and value of its food offering. It offers Canada's strongest control (private) label program, including the unique President's Choice®, no name® and Joe Fresh® brands. In addition, the Company makes available to consumers President's Choice Financial® services and offers the PC® points and PC Plus™ loyalty program.

SOURCE: President's Choice Services Inc.

For more information or to schedule an interview: 

Debra Chan
Public Relations & Communications
President's Choice Services
647-309-3925
[email protected]

Irene Poon
Argyle Communications
416.968.7311 Ex. 246
[email protected]