The North Vancouver Chamber of Commercial Trade Show at Capilano Mall was a great success.  The North Shore News came by and took a bunch of pictures.

With the Canadian Dollar essentially at par again with the US, Canadians are flocking south.  Many are making day trips to do some bargain hunting.  Many are shopping for larger items, and we are bracing for another rash of cars, trucks and boats being imported from the US.  The US market is so much bigger, so along with better selection you an often save hundreds if not thousands on new and used vehicles.

Contact us to discuss your plans and what you need to know to bring home your new car or boat.  Here are some of the more major points:

1) Ensure you have done a lien check, and that the title is clear.

2) Make sure that you know the vehicles status.  Watch for Rebuilt, scrapped, and especially flood damaged vehicles.  You may not be able to register these in BC.

3) Check with both US and Canadian Customs.  You must export all vehicles from the US before you can import them into Canada.

4) Ensure you know who is responsible to insure the vehicle if it is being shipped or delivered.

Lastly, make sure you purchase travel insurance before going south, even if you’re going just for the day!

Our office is closed today, Friday April 2.
Open Saturday April 3rd 10-3
Closed Sunday April 4th
Open Monday April 5th 9-5 (Autoplan only)
Back to regular hours on Tuesday

Happy Easter!

Come and visit us Wednesday March 31st at Capilano Mall for this years Chamber of Commerce Trade Show.  We’ll be there offering advice along with 75 other local businesses.  Free to attend - 12pm to 6pm.

Talk to the Experts, Shop Local, Easy Parking, Silent Auction and Give Aways …. See You There!

A list of exhibitors can be found on the Chambers website.

Just one more way that you can keep in touch with us…Our Facebook fan page has launched!

Become a fan today!

Back in September I wrote that it looked like private vehicle transfers would not be subject to the HST. Well the recent provincial budget has changed that.

While not technically subject to HST, a private vehicle purchase will be subject to a 12% Provincial Vehicle Tax. Vehicles purchased from dealers will be subject to HST - also 12% of course.

Previously private sales were only taxed at 7% Social Service Tax while those through dealers got hit with 5% GST and 7% PST. So, this amounts to a tax increase only on vehicles sold privately.

What has yet to be released is details of any exemptions that may be available - such as gifts. Currently there are several exemptions that can be applied for; hopefully these don’t disappear as well.

Just a reminder that daylight savings time kicks back in this weekend.  Don’t forget to set your clocks an hour ahead before going to be Saturday night.

ICBC typically sees a spike in claims the Monday following the time change each Spring.  Here are ICBC’s top five smart driving tips for Daylight Saving Time:

1. Get some rest: Try to get to bed earlier – and to help yourself to fall asleep faster –exercise during the day, have a hot bath or shower before going to bed and treat yourself to a book and a warm glass of milk.
2. Plan ahead : Give yourself extra time to drive to and from work next week.
3. Slow down and keep your distance, especially with more pedestrians and cyclists on the road.
4. Lights on: Continue to use your headlights at all times to ensure you are visible to pedestrians and other road users. Make sure your headlights are clean (splattered mud can cloud them) and that all bulbs (both high and low beam) are working properly.
5. Be a role model : Set an example by making smart driving decisions – whether it’s to your children, passengers or other road users. Your smart decisions can have a significant influence on others.

Well the party is over, or is it?  While the staff at Fawcett Insurance is dealing with their Olympic hangovers, we are also looking forward to the opening of the Paralympics!  With 10 days to go, we sincerely hope that Vancouver and Whistler will embrace these games just as they did the Olympics.  These athletes deserve our support just as much.

So get out there, enjoy some the events (some pavillions will remain open!), and cheer on Team Canada going for more Gold!

All of our staff recently had the opportunity to attend a seminar dealing with ICBC Liability coverage.  While there, I learned a few interesting facts from ICBC claims files in 2008:

1) 26% of ICBC customers carry $1,000,000 or less of third party liability - this does NOT included those carry only the basic compulsory!

2) ICBC recorded on average 695 crashes a day.  Keep in mind that most crashes involve 2 or more claimants, and this also does not include thefts, fires, etc.

3) Over $2.46 billion was paid in claims - which breaks down to $6.7  million per day!

4)  More than once a week a claim exceeds $200,000.

5) Once recent claim involved a single vehicle colliding with a power pole.  The suprising part was that the final payout exceeded $1,000,000!

What people forget to consider is that there could many claiments.  The power pole case involve power being knocked out to over 800 homes and business.  The resulting power surge knocked out computers, televisions, freezers (think how much you have in your freezer!).  This all falls back onto the responsible driver.

It all serves to underscore the need for higher liability limits.  Many people carry $2,000,000 - is that really enough?  You make that decision.

Only 9 more days…wow. Where has the time gone.

At Fawcett Insurance we are very excited for the games to begin.  While it might cause some inconveniences in our daily lives, it will be business as usual for the most part.  We are planning to close for a short time on February 10th when the Olympic Torch Relay is scheduled to pass by the office - the staff can’t wait to get out and show our pride.  There may be the odd day during the games we are forced to close early, as some of our staff have chosen to taken time off both to enjoy and to volunteer during the games. We fully support them in this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Don’t forgot that many roads in and around downtown are closed or restricted.  These restrictions also carry over onto the North Shore, especially around the Lions Gate Bridge.  Also don’t forget that Capilano University is being used as one of the departure hubs for buses heading up Cypress.  You can expect traffic delays in these areas especially in the mornings and late afternoons as everyone tries to get to their events. Transportation/road closure info can be found here.

ICBC is expecting a large spike in claims due to the number of visitors expected that may not know the rules of our roads.  If you do need to contact ICBC, consider calling at night - Dial A Claim is open 24hrs year round!

All in all, get out and enjoy this time as we welcome the world. GO CANADA GO!!!