'I feel horrible': Ontario man denied theft coverage owes $55,000 for stolen truck

An Ontario man said he was shocked when his truck was stolen not once but twice, and the second time it was taken he was surprised to discover he was no longer covered for theft.

"I feel horrible. Had I known that the insurance company had canceled the comprehensive coverage I would have gone to another company," said Roger Sodhi of Toronto.

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Sodhi said when his 2021 Ram 1500 truck was stolen in February of 2022 police found the pick-up badly damaged in Montreal and his insurance company agreed to tow it back and repair the damages that happened during the theft.

Then, the same truck was stolen again in September.

"It got stolen again a second time. I guess they really wanted it bad, it must be in high demand these Rams” said Sodhi.

The second time Sodhi's truck was stolen his insurance company advised him he was no longer covered for theft as collision and comprehensive coverage had been dropped when his policy renewed in April after the truck had been stolen the first time.

Sodhi is with Desjardins Insurance which said it assured him he was informed by letter and on the phone that changes had been made to his policy.

"The insurance company apparently sent a notice to me that they had canceled it (comprehensive coverage) but I never got anything," said Sodhi.

Sodhi said he still has a loan on the truck and owes the bank $54,350.

“It’s painful to be paying for something you don't even have," said Sodhi.

CTV News Toronto reached out to Desjardins Insurance about Sodhi’s case and a spokesperson said, “Due to privacy reasons, we can’t discuss details of an insured’s policy. However, I can confirm that in a registered letter dated April 7, 2022, the client was informed of the decision and reason to remove certain coverages from his policy at renewal. Unfortunately, since the claim for vehicle theft was made months after on September 28, 2022, no coverage was applicable.”

The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) said that insurance companies can modify coverages and make changes to a client’s policy but they must make sure the customer is made aware of the changes.

“Insurance companies have to give written notice to a policy holder when they make these type of changes," said Anne Marie Thomas, Director, Consumer and Industry Relations with IBC.

Thomas said it’s important to always pay close attention to any correspondence received from your insurance company, especially if it comes in the form of a registered letter.

“If a letter comes registered that means the insurance company is wanting to make sure that you get the information and they want proof you have received it," said Thomas.

Sodhi is adamant he didn't know his coverage had changed and is shocked he still owes more than $50,000 for the stolen truck.

You should never ignore any correspondence from your insurance company and always double check your policy at renewal time for changes in case you need to find coverage somewhere else.