John R. Duffy Insurance Brokers Limited

[rcaste]

Everytime I called Brian has been very helpful. I paid in 3 installments that no other ins company/broker could match. Very pleasant to work with.

[Buddhacide]

Very Impressed with my quote from these guys. I'll be spreading the word.

[chinto]

called for a quote on a 2001 hayabusa. I was told right off the bat that the price would be twice as much as I am paying at state farm (I didn't even say how much I was paying). I didn't even bother getting the rest of my vehicles quoted.

[gcrouse]

called for a quote on a 2001 hayabusa. I was told right off the bat that the price would be twice as much as I am paying at state farm (I didn't even say how much I was paying). I didn't even bother getting the rest of my vehicles quoted.

well they didnt waste too much of your time then.

[chinto]

well they didnt waste too much of your time then.

nope. Nancy seemed like a very nice woman to talk to as well. (at least for the minute I spoke with her)

[thumpit]

For any of you guys who have been shopping around for insurance, do all the places have 9 or 10 ! page application form?
They started to fax me an app and I thought the machine would never quit spitting out paper!

Then, after reading every single word on these pages, and trying to interpret some of the fancy language, there were some pretty significant caveats in there. Ones that if you don't read (and understand) and instead just choose to sign it and fax it back, could well leave you UNINSURED when or if the time were to come.

Has anyone else noticed this? Are they all the same for bikes? I ask this because I did end up switching my car insurance last year, by phone, and no 10 page application form. As for the bike, I ended up deciding to stay put with my original insurer.

[Buddhacide]

^^^ could you specify?

[Insurance Guy]

For any of you guys who have been shopping around for insurance, do all the places have 9 or 10 ! page application form?
They started to fax me an app and I thought the machine would never quit spitting out paper!

Then, after reading every single word on these pages, and trying to interpret some of the fancy language, there were some pretty significant caveats in there. Ones that if you don't read (and understand) and instead just choose to sign it and fax it back, could well leave you UNINSURED when or if the time were to come.

Has anyone else noticed this? Are they all the same for bikes? I ask this because I did end up switching my car insurance last year, by phone, and no 10 page application form. As for the bike, I ended up deciding to stay put with my original insurer.

When you insure an automobile or a motorcycle in the province of Ontario you are dealing with a standardized application form OAF #1. This means that the same application word for word applies for every application from every insurer in this province - no variations are possible whatsoever.

The basic application is four pages. Then there was likely a payment authorization form, an application page to get you a group discount, privacy info page, and a covering page. I don't see any kind of issue here. Should you have any concerns, don't be shy pick up the phone & call - we don't bite.

[thumpit]

I'll try to find those pages from last year. I would like to ask you about some of the wording in certain paragraphs.

I wonder if this site would mind you posting the entire list of 8 pages so that we could view it here?

[Stellastar]

I was truly impressed with the quote I've received from them. Not only is the staff extremely knowledgeable, they took the time to explain the details of my policy and also, they created a friendly and inviting atmosphere on a personal level.

I will definitely consider them for my home and auto insurance as they come up for renewal.

Thanks John R. Duffy

[VifferFun]

As for the service, I don't really see what is there to compare, except for the speed in providing a quote and processing the paperwork. Other than raw price, there is very little difference between brokers/insurance companies. How they handle a claim is a different question, but that one is really hard to answer in advance.

There can actually be a pretty large difference in the way an insurance company handles claims. You should note that it is the Insurance Company and not the Insurance Broker who handles claims. FSCO (the Financial Services Commission of Ontario) used to conduct an annual survey to determine claims satisfaction by company, and the "percentage of satisified claimants" usually fell within the range of 75% to 98%. Nonstandard carriers such as Kingsway were usually near the bottom of the spectrum, and more elite carriers such as Pilot, Dominion, and Unifund were near the top. For some reason I can't seem to find these surveys any more.

My advice for brokers: Do your own comparison with competition and tell us where you are beating them. Something like "We'll beat any quote for scooter insurance." or "Best rate for riders over 40, guaranteed.". Everything else is just empty talk.

Your advice for the brokers is something that is impossible for them to carry through on. A broker is essentially a salesperson or representative for a number of insurance companies (usually up to five or so). Being the sales person, they have to use the rating manuals of the companies they deal with to give you a quote--they do not create the rating manual. Creating the rating manual and setting rates is part of my job as an Actuarial Analyst at the head office of an Insurance Company (which involves a lot of analysis of historical statistics). The broker does not have the freedom to deviate from an Insurance Company's rating manual.

The rating manuals contain the company's algorithm to calculate your quote based on certain characteristics (such as age, gender, marital status, bike, location, etc.). A broker can't guarantee the lowest quotes for scooters (or similar) because the competitiveness of your quote depends on whether or not you fall within the target market of one of the companies that the broker is licensed to quote.

Cheers!

[Vlad]

There can actually be a pretty large difference in the way an insurance company handles claims.

That's what I said. I also said that customers cannot gauge that difference on anything more reliable than word of mouth, so it's practically irrelevant to this discussion. All I can say with certainty is that company X charges me more for the same coverage (at least on paper) than company Y.

The broker does not have the freedom to deviate from an Insurance Company's rating manual.

If this is correct then all brokers are not given the same rating manuals from company X, or they don't read them all the same. I have been told straight up by broker A that he cannot give me a quote even close to the one I got from broker B - for the same insurance company.

Bottom line is that I saved $300 (~30%) just by switching brokers. I don't know all the intricacies of how insurance companies and their brokers work and I don't need to know. There is a standard coverage (say, liability only, $1M) and the quote for that coverage - everything else is just smoke and mirrors.

because the competitiveness of your quote depends on whether or not you fall within the target market of one of the companies that the broker is licensed to quote.

That is probably true, but it's only one part of the equation. If that was all there is brokers will be practically irrelevant, i.e. it wouldn't matter who I called as long as I got the quote for the insurance company that I am the target market for. In my case exactly the opposite was proven - broker made all the difference regardless of the insurance company offered. Go figure.

My conclusion is that it pays to call a few brokers every year, just to make sure you are paying the best price. What's great this year can be crappy the next and I'm the living example of that. That's even if we don't consider that you may fall into a different age/experience/demographic bracket next year.

[matt491]

I'm with J R Duffy. Best quote around for me by a couple hundred bucks, and very fast to get everything done. Had me on the road in a half hour or less. Very friendly and helpful.

+1 to Duffy Ins

[VifferFun]

That's what I said. I also said that customers cannot gauge that difference on anything more reliable than word of mouth, so it's practically irrelevant to this discussion. All I can say with certainty is that company X charges me more for the same coverage (at least on paper) than company Y.

FSCO used to publish the annual Claims Satisfaction Survey (within the last couple of years), but I'm not sure where they went. You can contact FSCO at www.fsco.gov.on.ca and ask them for a link.

If this is correct then all brokers are not given the same rating manuals from company X, or they don't read them all the same. I have been told straight up by broker A that he cannot give me a quote even close to the one I got from broker B - for the same insurance company.

If two brokers are rating with the exact same insurance company, then the rates that they quote should be the exact same for the exact same coverage. If the broker doesn't know what they are doing or makes a mistake, then they might quote the wrong premium; however, the probability of this happening should be reduced, because most companies produce in-house software (or make use of a third-party software called Compu-Quote) to calculate rates for the brokers. If you are receiving different rates for the same coverage and company, I suggest that you contact that company directly and explaining the situation. If there is a problem with a specific broker, they can investigate and possibly take away that broker's ability to sell their insurance policies.

Bottom line is that I saved $300 (~30%) just by switching brokers. I don't know all the intricacies of how insurance companies and their brokers work and I don't need to know. There is a standard coverage (say, liability only, $1M) and the quote for that coverage - everything else is just smoke and mirrors.

You are correct . . . the intricacies of the insurance process can be left to us, but be sure that you understand the product you are purchasing. If you have questions, ask your agent/broker and they should be able to explain and if they can't, I would look for a different broker.

That is probably true, but it's only one part of the equation. If that was all there is brokers will be practically irrelevant, i.e. it wouldn't matter who I called as long as I got the quote for the insurance company that I am the target market for. In my case exactly the opposite was proven - broker made all the difference regardless of the insurance company offered. Go figure.

The broker you choose certainly does matter . . . you can think of them as your insurance purchasing consultant. If your consultant sucks and is not doing a good job for you, you fire him. If he is awesome, you get the wife to bake him cookies.

My conclusion is that it pays to call a few brokers every year, just to make sure you are paying the best price. What's great this year can be crappy the next and I'm the living example of that. That's even if we don't consider that you may fall into a different age/experience/demographic bracket next year.

Yes, I tell people this all the time. Consider this simple example:

Broker A deals with Companies 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Broker B deals with Companies 1, 3, 4, 5, 8
Broker C deals with Companies 3, 4, 7
Agent D deals with Company 6

Suppose that the company names (i.e. 1, 2, . . .) also represents their competitive stance for a person in your risk class.

You will get a great premium if you quote with Broker A or Broker B.
You will get a decent premium if you quote with Broker C.
You will get a a really poor premium if you quote with Agent D.

Even though a broker usually deals with multiple companies, they may not deal with the company who you are best matched with.

Cheers!

[TSquared]

okay. i was talking to state farm. and i had 2 tickets at the time zero points. and they quoted me 108/mo for my ZZR250. Now i got another ticket. zero points. (running a yellow light). got it reduced to "fail to obey lane lights" with no points. Now Statefarm wont insure me because i have over 2 tickets.

I currently have over 5 years drivers license Class G. I am under 25(currently 22 turning 23 in 2 months). with 3 tickets no points. would you be able to help me out? please pm me!

[You Know]

These folks gave ma a better deal then state farm. Very helpful and knowledgeable. Thanks Guys!

I pay 800bux a year full coverage on my gixxer6 through statefarm(no tickets no claims in over 10years). Although duffy agents were super friendly the best they could do for me was 2400bux!!!! Shop around folks. I must admit it's cool how duffy ins. supports the motorcycle industry as a hole!

[Trekie2]

+1 for these guys...super friendly and really great rates!!!!

[Fly_Or_Ride]

Just finished shopping around with a number of brokers for insurance on my first bike. The experience varied from broker to broker, but without a doubt, Brian Duffy was the best. His service was fast, friendly and very informative. He was able to provide me with a competitive quote but it was the fantastic service that made him stand out from the rest. I'd recommend him anytime.

[BignrBiker]

+1 For brian
My first time getting bike insurance and i have a few tickets. I shopped around and he was by far the cheapest. Very nice, helpful, quick andprofessional. I would recommend him to any 1st time or veteran rider.

[Jlin]

Just got a quote. Cheapest for me but service lacked dexterity. Other than that, the lady i spoke to (shirley) was nice and also helpful but the way she spoke made me feel like i was being rushed.