Auto Insurance 101: S.E.F.’s

In part three of our blog series on personal automobile insurance, we would like to outline some of the most common Standard Endorsement Forms (S.E.F.’s) that can be added to your Alberta Standard Automobile Insurance Policy.  These Endorsements serve the purpose of either adding or removing coverage from your policy.

 

S.E.F. 5 – Permission to Rent or Lease

• Applies to Leased vehicles, and extends the policy to provide the Lessee the same coverage as if the vehicle were an owned vehicle.

 

S.E.F. 6 – Permission to Carry Passengers for Compensation

• Provides permission to carry fellow employees, or neighbours, for compensation to and from work.
• This endorsement is not required when the insured person’s vehicle is used to transport clients or when the person uses their vehicle on the business of their employer, even though the employee is paid to do so.
• This endorsement is not required where a volunteer is paid mileage and expenses when using their vehicle for volunteer purposes or if the insured person is taking their turn driving someone in a carpool arrangement, taking occasional trips where passengers share cost, transporting babysitters, or the occasional carrying of school children.

 

S.E.F. 13D – Comprehensive Cover – Limited Glass

• Provides specified perils coverage for all glass on a vehicle and in addition vandalism to windows other than the front window. This endorsement generally reduces your Comprehensive premium by around 50%. Most policies with Comprehensive coverage have this endorsement on them as the cost to replace your windshield is usually around the same as the amount of your deductible. We add this limitation on to your policy so you do not need to pay for coverage on your glass when your deductible will cover the cost of the glass anyway. If you wish to cover your glass we can offer coverage through a specialized glass insurance company with much lower deductibles and reasonable rates.

 

S.E.F. 19A – Valued Automobile

• Provides coverage on an agreed value basis with no actual cash value limitation.  A current appraisal completed by a qualified appraiser is required.

 

S.E.F. 20 – Loss of Use

• Provides for the rental of an automobile while the insured vehicle is out of use due to an insured peril.
• Different limits per occurrence can be purchased.

 

S.E.F. 27 – Legal Liability for Damage to Non-Owned Automobiles

• Extends coverage for legal liability for loss or damage arising from the care, custody or control of any automobile not owned by the Insured. For example, coverage can be extended to a private passenger vehicle you rent anywhere in Canada & the U.S.
• A deductible applies and the endorsement provides a limit on any one vehicle (which can be increased for an additional premium).

 

S.E.F. 35 – Emergency Service Expense

• Provides coverage for a specific amount per occurrence (depending on the Insurer) for towing and emergency service expenses if the insured vehicle is disabled.

 

S.E.F. 39 – Accident Rating Waiver

• Protects the renewal premium from increasing as a result of an at-fault accident involving the vehicle to which the endorsement applies.
• Available to all private passenger vehicles with a principal operator who does not have any at-fault accidents within the past 6 years and does not have any moving traffic violations within the past 3 years (qualifications vary based on the insurance company).

 

S.E.F. 43 – Limited Waiver of Depreciation

• Applicable to newly purchased private passenger vehicles used for Pleasure or Business.
• Waives the depreciation on repair or replacement for loss from an insured peril for a specified number of months (depending on the Insurer)
• In order to apply, the insured must be the original owner/lessee and request the endorsement within 3 months of the purchase or lease.

 

Several of the above-mentioned endorsements are automatically included on your policy, depending on the Insurer, and other endorsements can be added for a small additional premium.  Newer endorsements are also being created by Insurance Companies to adapt to changing technologically, such as the introduction of companies like Uber and Turo.

 

Please do not hesitate to contact our Office if you have any questions regarding this information or if you would like us to provide you with a complimentary review of your existing coverage.  As always, we would be more than happy to assist you!

 

Thank you,

The Costen Insurance Team