Every Friday, Lynda Steele dips into the viewer mailbag to answer your questions. This week, Steele on Your Side investigates insurance on cars with recalled parts and an update on a story about a Delta pet store.
Vehicle insurance
A viewer named Laurie wrote to say her BMW was part of a recall for passenger side airbags. She says she heard if she got in an accident before replacing those airbags any settlement to a passenger could be reduced if the driver knew about the recall. She wants to know if that’s true.
ICBC says it recommends customers follow the instructions from the manufacturer until any recalled item can be replaced. In this case, BMW told Laurie to avoid having people ride in the front passenger seat until the airbags are replaced. But despite that, customers who have third-party liability coverage with ICBC are still covered if they're found responsible for causing injuries to another person in a crash.
Pet store update
In May 2014, Steele on Your Side reported on a pet owner that had a dental problem with her pet that was purchased from a Delta pet store.
At the time, the owner of the Puppies, Fish and Critters store claimed his breeders had all been checked out by the SPCA. It was a claim the SPCA denied.
The Vancouver Humane Society contacted CTV News this week to say the store is still telling customers its breeders are inspected by the Delta Humane Society and the SPCA. But again, both organizations confirmed they do not register or regularly inspect breeders. The BC SPCA will only inspect a breeder if there's a complaint.
