Sonnet has no office to walk into, so the claim starts online or on the phone
Sonnet was built as an online insurance company. It was founded in 2016, it is headquartered in Toronto, and you buy and manage the policy on a screen. Claims follow the same pattern: you can start a digital claim online at any hour or report it by phone, and there is no branch counter where you could hand over keys or paperwork.
That suits a dented door on a Tuesday morning. It is harder to manage when you are standing beside a crumpled fender in the Fairview Mall lot with a phone running low on battery. A digital claim works better when you take thirty seconds to collect what it will ask for before you open it: the other driver’s name, plate and insurance company, where and when it happened, and clear photos of both cars from a few steps back as well as close up.
Buying online changes nothing about what Ontario asks of a driver before the claim. A crash with any injury is reported through 911 while you are still there. A crash without injuries goes to a Collision Reporting Centre if the other car took off or the damage across both vehicles may be over the province’s threshold, and that police report number belongs in the digital claim.
Sonnet routes a claim at your own shop through claims chat
Sonnet’s own FAQ answers the question this page asks. You may have the vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice even if it is not on Sonnet’s list. The FAQ adds that Sonnet cannot guarantee the work or the timeliness of a shop it has not certified, and that to submit a claim with your own shop you connect with the Claims team through online chat.
That chat step is the practical detail people miss. Because Sonnet sends own-shop requests through chat, do not count on the claim form alone to record where you want the car repaired. Open the chat, say which shop you want, give its name and address, and ask the representative to note it on the file. Write down the claim number the chat confirms.
After that, most of the work runs between the shop and the adjuster. Our estimator prepares the repair estimate, passes it to Sonnet’s adjuster along with pictures, and handles the back-and-forth on parts and hours. If the panel comes off and there is more behind it, a supplement goes to the adjuster before that work starts. You hear from us when a decision is yours, such as a part choice or a pick-up date.
Why your Sonnet adjuster may introduce themselves as Definity
Sonnet is a subsidiary of Definity, and Definity Insurance handles Sonnet’s claims. It is one group, and Sonnet is the brand you bought the policy from. So when the email that arrives after your chat carries a Definity signature, nothing has gone wrong. The same applies to drivers insured with Economical, another Definity brand, which has its own page here.
Knowing this helps in two small ways. You will recognize the call when it comes, instead of letting an unfamiliar name go to voicemail. And when you ask what network, guarantee or process applies, ask it about your Sonnet policy specifically, since repair-shop terms are not necessarily the same across the group’s brands.
The chat is also where to ask how the car will be assessed, from photos or in person. If the adjuster wants to see it, ask whether the inspection can be done here at the shop rather than somewhere else. And if English is not the easiest language for going through the damage, our estimator can explain the estimate in Mandarin while the written file with Sonnet stays in English.
What Sonnet’s certified-shop guarantee covers, and what replaces it elsewhere
Sonnet describes its certified repair shops as shops it has vetted, and says the body, parts and paintwork they do carry Sonnet’s guarantee for the whole time the vehicle remains yours. That is a broad promise, covering parts as well as paint, and it is a fair reason to take the certified route if a certified shop suits you.
Crash Consultant is not a Sonnet certified repair shop, so Sonnet’s guarantee does not cover work here. The shop’s own lifetime warranty is on paint and refinish; ask us what applies to any parts on your repair. Set the two promises side by side and decide which matters more for your car.
- Start the claim online or by phone and get the claim number.
- Open claims chat and name the shop you have chosen.
- Add the reporting centre’s police report number to the digital claim, if you went there.
- Expect the adjuster’s follow-up under the Definity name.
- Ask whether your policy includes a rental under OPCF 20.
Questions people ask
Will Sonnet refuse my claim if I choose a shop that is not certified?
No. Sonnet’s own FAQ says you can repair at the shop of your choice. What changes is that Sonnet will not guarantee that shop’s work or timing, and the request goes through claims chat.
Is a Sonnet claim handled any differently from an Economical claim?
Both are Definity brands and Definity Insurance staff handle Sonnet’s claims, and the repair-shop terms can differ by brand. Check what Sonnet says about a Sonnet policy rather than assuming the Economical terms apply.
I was not at fault. Does Sonnet still pay for my car?
Yes, under DCPD, provided the other car was identified and carried insurance from an Ontario-licensed company. Sonnet pays for the damage on your own policy, and the at-fault driver’s company stays out of your repair.
Can I start the claim on my phone in the parking lot and pick the shop later?
You can, but name the shop in claims chat as soon as you have decided. The earlier your choice is on the file, the sooner the adjuster can arrange the assessment with that shop.