Hey all;

So, last night was the first night of my new business, Responsible Rides - Quinte's Designated Drivers.

I'm in the process of trying to get insurance for my company and my drivers.

Now, in Ontario, it is completely legal to drive anyone's car as long as their car is insured, you are over the age of 25 and hold a valid G class license.

Also, it is completely legal and insurable to be involved in an at-fault accident in someone else's vehicle as long as you have been given permission from the owner to drive that vehicle. Their insurance covers you and their vehicle.

What I am being told by my insurance company is any insurance company in Ontario will deny a claim if money is being exchanged.

Example:

You have been drinking at a friends house. You call your buddy to come and get you and drive you in your car home because you have been drinking. It's snowing out and you hit black ice and go into the ditch. The car rolls over, and is written off. You are injured as well as your buddy. No charges are laid.

Insurance WILL cover the claim, or so I'm told.

Example 2:

You have been drinking at a friends house. You call a DD service to come and get you and drive you in your car home because you have been drinking. It's snowing out and you hit black ice and go into the ditch. The car rolls over, and is written off. You are injured as well as the DD.

Insurance will not cover it because you were paying the person to drive you home.

EXACT SAME SCENARIO!!! The difference being, you gave the driver a $20 bill.

Now, is my insurance agent completely on glue? I wanted to take out Non-Owner Ontario Driver Policies on my drivers to ensure they are covered, but the insurance company wants to charge me $3800/year PER DRIVER!

It costs me $1200/year to insure my 2005 Subaru Imprezza 2.5RS under an artisan policy with the car all decaled up, including comprehensive, fire, theft and glass. My record is spotless and I'm rated the highest of everything.

But apparently my driving habits change because I run a business so I am being extorted for over 3X my premium and that is to cover liability and comprehensive up to $30,000

A General Business Liability insurance package does not cover anything to do with an automobile or the operation of.

Am I being extorted here? I want insurance for my company, period. I will have a General Liability coverage as of next week, which is cheap. My company vehicle is insured under a business policy.

The risk is SO LOW of something terrible like this happening, however I'm told that insurance companies do not understand what a DD service is, so they have no way of classing it. I'm put into the highest risk possible with the largest premium. They don't understand it partially because the fat man who's my insurance broker doesn't know how to explain it.

Jump ship you say? Sure! I will in 3 years when my accident rolls off my file. I have accident forgiveness so my rate didn't change when I hit black ice last year and hit the pole in the GLI. My record is spotless otherwise.

Anyone have any insight?