It鈥檚 not that Gertrude Landreville doesn鈥檛 know how to use a cell phone.

She just doesn鈥檛 have much use for one.

鈥淚鈥檝e lived all my life without being connected 24-7 to the hip,鈥� said Landreville, an 83-year old retired medical clinic manager who lives in 91原创 City.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a choice that I make.鈥�

Landreville said she hasn鈥檛 really missed having a smart phone in the eight or nine years since she stopped using them.

She has a wireless land line phone and an internet connection.

Normally, Landreville would get her auto insurance from the Aldergrove Credit Union, but after a few years without a car, she was planning to get back on the road.

When she saw some ads from belairdirect, an insurance company that was promising a deal on topping-up basic ICBC coverage, it sounded interesting.

But when she phoned, she was surprised to hear that without a cell phone, specifically a smart phone that can download an app, she was out of luck.

鈥淭hey said, if you don鈥檛 have a smart phone, we can鈥檛 deal with you,鈥� she recalled.

鈥淚 just think it鈥檚 unfair.鈥�

A spokesperson for belairdirect, Jennifer Beck, confirmed that the 鈥渁utomerit鈥� program that Landreville was interested in 鈥渉as to be accessed through the belairdirect app.鈥�

In B.C., where ICBC has a lock on basic coverage, belairdirect only supplies optional coverage, Beck added.

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In an email to Black Press, Beck said using the app allows customers to be rewarded for their safe driving behaviour and to receive a personalized insurance discount based on their actual driving skills.

鈥淚n order to monitor the person鈥檚 driving, the automerit app relies on your smartphone鈥檚 GPS, accelerometer and gyroscope, so participants are required to have a smartphone, Beck said.

A news release from the company said the app requires a recent iPhone or Android device to operate.

Landreville has no plans to get a smart phone.

鈥淚鈥檝e sat in a restaurant and watched four family members eat while looking at their phones,鈥� Landreville said.

鈥淭hey don鈥檛 talk. It鈥檚 the most ridiculous thing.鈥�

She will go back to the Aldergrove Credit Union for her auto insurance.

鈥淚t鈥檚 an issue for [belairdirect], not me, because they won鈥檛 get my business,鈥� she said.

鈥淚鈥檓 not going to lose any sleep over it.鈥�