There are many reasons why your car insurance policy can be cancelled. As a result, the insurance cancellation experience is both frustrating and scary. In some cases, you may not even know the reason why your insurer cancels your policy. That’s perhaps the most worrisome because the repercussions of this can be costly. Was it something you did? Was it your driving record? Did you forget to pay or did the payment bounce? Once you know the reasons, you can take the necessary steps of getting your car insurance back. Let’s take a look at how non-payment and insurance cancellation may affect your rates.

What do I do after an insurance cancellation?

The first thing to do after an insurance cancellation is to find out why your insurance was cancelled. Without knowing the root cause, you can’t address it properly. After you know why your insurance was cancelled, you can determine if you should start looking for new insurance. You can start by requesting an auto insurance quote with isure. We compare the rates of dozens of the top car insurance providers in Ontario to get you a great policy for an affordable price. If you are as a high risk driver, affordable car insurance is still a possibility.

Now, while you’re going about the task of re-acquiring car insurance, you must avoid using your car. In Ontario, it is a law that all drivers must have insurance when behind the wheel. If you drive without insurance, you risk major fines, licence suspensions, and possibly worse consequences. Consider public transit, cabs or car pool services if they are available in your city. If unavailable, cost prohibitive or unnecessary, you should consider a bicycle or even an e-bike.

Why was my policy cancelled?

Ontario insurance companies are required to detail why they are cancelling your car insurance. The reasons can vary, but generally it comes down to a small group of possibilities. The most common reasons your car insurance policy is cancelled include:

  • Breaking the terms of your insurance policy. It’s important to know what your car insurance policy covers and what it prohibits. If your policy says you cannot use your vehicle for business purposes, such as Uber, then you should not run that type of service. Make sure to read your policy in detail!
  • Lying or committing fraud. If you ever need to make a claim, an insurance company will dig through your application and history to make sure everything is legit. If you’ve lied about something, or you are making a false claim, they can deny your claim and cancel your insurance.
  • Being a poor driver. One of the biggest reasons why many people experience a car insurance cancellation is if they are a poor driver. Insurance is a business about risk, and if someone is too high risk, it’s bad business to insure them. You can make too many claims, get too many traffic tickets or be the cause of various accidents. Generally, this will give you the designation as a high risk driver. High risk drivers need to seek out high risk insurance, which is generally more expensive.
  • Non-payment or failure to pay. One of the most immediate ways to have your insurance policy cancelled is to not pay it. Whether the payment slipped your mind, or you made a change at your bank – in either case, a non-payment is serious. Unlike missing a phone bill, missing an insurance payment can be damaging to getting cheap car insurance.

Do non-payment and insurance cancellation affect my insurance rate?

Yes, a non-payment or insurance cancellation will affect your car insurance rates. If you lose your car insurance due to a non-payment, the impact is immediate. Unlike forgetting to pay a phone or hydro bill, insurers insist you pay on time. There are several possible outcomes:

  • Insurance cancellation. Insurers can cancel your policy immediately if you have a non-payment. Without insurance, you cannot drive.
  • Fees. There are extra fees that can be charged by the insurance company.
  • A note on your account. An insurance company may forgive you one time if you’ve been a long-time customer or there are extenuating circumstances. That being said, they will likely put a note on your profile about your payment history.

A non-payment can also result in your insurance premiums going up. Worse still, if you have many non-payments along with driving tickets, at fault accidents or claims, you will likely be labeled a high risk driver. High risk insurance is more expensive than normal insurance. As such, you should always pay your insurance premiums on time.

If I require high-risk insurance, will my insurer cancel my current policy?

As previously mentioned, high risk insurance is a type of insurance designation that you get if you’ve made many errors as a driver. This title can come from car accidents, DUIs, speeding tickets, excessive claims and more in relation to your driving. High risk insurance costs significantly more than regular insurance, sometimes up to five times as much! If you become a high risk driver, your insurance company may decide to cancel your insurance when it’s time to renew your policy .

Can I cancel my car insurance early?

Yes, you can cancel your car insurance early. However, its not always advised. The best way to cancel your car insurance is by first contacting your insurer. The worst thing you can do is stop paying. By having a non-payment, your insurance policy will be cancelled BUT you’ll also have it listed on your record. Instead, you will need to pay a small fee for each month early that you are cancelling.

To find out how much it will cost, use our convenient online Cancellation Calculator.

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