Ontario man to pay $1,500 surcharge after insurer says his SUV is at higher risk of theft
CTV
An Ontario man says it is 'unfair' to pay a $1,500 insurance surcharge because his four-year-old SUV is at a higher risk of being stolen.
An Ontario man says it is "unfair" to pay a $1,500 insurance surcharge because his four-year-old SUV is at a higher risk of being stolen.
"I find it excessive, and I find it unfair," Cliff Whiting of Ancaster, Ont. told CTV News Toronto.
Whiting has a 2020 Toyota Highlander with just under 100,000 kilometres on the odometer. He said he has had no accidents, claims or tickets.
Still, his insurance company, CAA Insurance, told him he must either install an anti-theft system, which will cost him $1,000 to $1,500, or pay an annual $1,500 surcharge.
"I have been driving since 1975 without an incident so I have a hard time with a 144 per cent increase when nothing has happened," said Whiting.
A spokesperson for CAA Insurance told CTV News Toronto that many insurers have introduced these surcharges for vehicles at the most risk of theft.
"We have adopted a targeted approach, focusing only on the highest-risk vehicles so that most drivers don't experience higher premiums due to theft," the spokesperson said.