'Baseball-sized hail': Toronto man owes car rental company $18K after hailstorm

A Toronto man is on the hook for about $18,000 after a car he rented over the summer was pelted by baseball-sized hail.

Scarborough resident Vishwa Patel said he rented a car in Saskatchewan in August to go on a road-trip to Banff, Alta., with his friends.

They had the car for six days, but on the fifth day, Patel said they were caught in a massive hailstorm.

• Download our app to get alerts on your device

"We [were] met with a hailstorm and because our car was parked outside, the front and rear windshield was damaged," Patel told CTV News Toronto.

The hail that pelted the Calgary area then caused widespread damage to houses and cars, and became the second-costliest natural disaster in Canadian history after nearly $2.8 billion in claims were made.

"That hailstorm lasted for about 10 minutes, and it was baseball-sized hail," said Patel.

Patel was told to take the car back to the Alamo Rental Company, where he was given a different vehicle. After staff examined the car's damage, they told Patel he had to pay a $500 deductible and they would settle up later with his insurance company.

About a month-and-a-half alter, Patel said he received an invoice, citing the damage repairs would cost about $18,000, and he was responsible to pay for it.

Patel did not have car rental insurance with his insurance company or credit card, and said he didn't purchase additional coverage with Alamo.

"We were not insured for that, and we did not get protection for that," Patel admitted.

Anne Marie Thomas with the Insurance Bureau of Canada said there may be rental coverage through your insurance policy or credit card, or you may need to opt for additional coverage from the rental company.

Thomas noted there may be some limitations on insurance policies based on the size and value of the vehicle you can rent, which is why you should rent a car like the one you are currently insured for and ensure you have rental car coverage.

"Your auto insurance coverage will cover you for damage for a rental vehicle if you purchase the coverage. But, before you commit to the rental policy, find out exactly what the coverage is because it may not be the same from one rental company to another," said Thomas.

A spokesperson for Enterprise Mobility, which owns Alamo Car Rental, acknowledged that Patel was caught in a hailstorm, "which smashed the front and rear windows and caused significant damage to the body of the vehicle."

"The accident report stated that the customer was aware of the damage, that a $500 charge was taken towards the deductible or cost of repairs, and that the customer was planning to file a claim with their insurance company," Enterprise Mobility said.

"Customers are financially responsible for damage or theft that occurs during a rental transaction, regardless of fault or negligence – just as if they owned the rental vehicle themselves. This is stated in our rental contract. Although the vehicle was valued at nearly $27,000, because of the extensive damage, we decided to not repair the vehicle and sell it 'as is.' Per our rental agreement, we are billing the customer what it would have cost us to repair the vehicle, which is $17,982.01 after the deductible is applied. The repair estimate was provided by an independent third-party vehicle repair shop in Calgary."

Patel said a collection agency is now after him to pay the $18,000 – money he doesn't have.

"I'm not able to pay this much money. It's too big for a person like me who is really, really struggling," Patel said.

With files from CTV News Calgary's Michael Franklin