Some British Columbians still waiting for ICBC gas rebate, others ineligible

About two weeks after they were signed, sealed, and left with Canada Post, some people are still waiting to get their ICBC gas rebates in the mail.

The auto insurer says it has sent out everyone’s money.

“All 2.8 million cheques have been sent to Canada Post for delivery. This includes customers who paid by debit, cash, cheque or payment plan, as well as customers whose credit cards could not be processed (for reasons including expiry dates or other technical reasons),” ICBC said in an email to CityNews Vancouver.

Related articles: 

• ICBC confident gas rebates will be distributed by end of July

• Some B.C. drivers may not get ICBC gas rebate cheques until the summer

Overall, about 3.5 million cheques were cut, totalling more than $396 million.

Canada Post says its operations are running normally and confirms there are no delays or backlogs with delivery, meaning, if you are still waiting, you will get your money — eventually.

ICBC rebate exemptions

Meanwhile, CityNews has learned there are thousands of people who won’t be getting the $110 payment for certain reasons.

ICBC says exemptions include those with storage policies, golf carts, off-road vehicles, rental vehicles, trailers, and collector vehicles.

Retiree Harry Barlett is among those who falls under these scenarios.

He has two vehicles — one for which he got the rebate and the other, a collector, for which he did not. However, he doesn’t understand why his collector doesn’t qualify for the rebate, since he still has to gas it up.

Barlett reached out to ICBC to find out.

“[ICBC] said to me, my insurance rates are already cheap enough, so I don’t qualify for one. My collector plate has exactly the same coverage as my regular car, there’s no difference,” he told CityNews.

Harry Barlett restored this 25-year-old Pontiac Sunfire with and for his niece. The insurance policy he has for this vehicle is not eligible for the ICBC gas rebate announced earlier this year, because it is a collector car. (Submitted)

Barlett acknowledges insurance on the collector vehicle is cheaper but hopes the next time the government issues a province-wide rebate, it’s clear who will be left out.

“It would have been nice when [the province] announced it because when the premier made the original announcement back in March, he specified anybody with an existing automobile policy in B.C. would qualify for this $110 gas rebate. You were quite specific about who qualified to get the rebate and who was going to get it and you didn’t mention collector cars at all and those are regular ongoing policies.”

He also takes issue with how long it took ICBC to get people their money. The provincial government made the announcement in March and said people would start getting the funds by May. However, ICBC then updated its timeline, confirming it wouldn’t be sending out all the cheques until the end of July.

“I think the government should have just shut up and kept their millions and said nothing for all the good it did. I mean a $110 is fine but that’s not going to make a dent. The next time you’re going to give someone a rebate, do it within 30 or 60 days — it’s not as if ICBC can’t press buttons.”