The Insurance Corp. of B.C. is floating the idea of working with vehicle sellers who would pay ICBC a referral fee for customers.

It would be aimed at ICBC customers who want a replacement vehicle after their own is written off. They would receive a referral to a seller or sellers from ICBC when receiving money from the corporation.

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ICBC issued a request for information this week to find out whether companies are interested in participating in such a program. Responses are due by Sept. 9.

It is being proposed for Victoria, the Lower Mainland and Kelowna.

Customers would not be required to buy from a referred company. They would continue to have a choice on whether to replace a written-off vehicle and where they want to buy from, said Sam Corea, an ICBC spokesman.

“Unexpectedly having to replace a vehicle can be challenging, and we want to help our customers by referring them to a vehicle purchasing provider that can offer them various purchase benefits and the assurance of buying a vehicle from a reputable and licensed source,” he said.

ICBC would not be involved in any sales, Corea said.

Last year, 48,000 ICBC customers saw their vehicles written off, with total loss payments surpassing $500 million, he said.

Details of the program have not been developed. “At this time, we are simply doing market research and don’t have a specific model in mind.”

It would bring in revenue for ICBC at a time when the corporation’s insurance rates have been increasing along with the number of claims and related costs, he said. About 900,000 claims are handled every year.

Fees could help shave operational costs, the corporation said.

ICBC said it hopes to hear from vehicle dealerships, auto brokers, and other vehicle-purchasing services with descriptions of value and service which could be provided.

The fee paid to ICBC by sellers has not been set, so there are no revenue projections yet.

cjwilson@timescolonist.com