Golf R stolen - that didn't last long!

[TNJ]

If anyone sees a Lapiz blue Golf R - reg RF14 NZG around South London/Kent - please call the police. Stolen this afternoon - my wife got home to find the front door of the house kicked in and the car gone.

Having waited 3.5 months for it to arrive, bit gutting that it is gone in only 6 weeks. Just glad I went for GAP insurance so at least the lease company will be paid off. Still going to be out of pocket though after paying insurance, GAP premium and the upfront payment to the lease company.

[TNJ]

Gregmitchell said:

Really sorry to hear that, there are some scum bags about... just glad no one was in i guess.

Yes, glad my wife and kids were not there. They obviously were only interested in the Golf - left the keys to our other car where they were.

Just have to try and look on the bright side - I get all the fun of choosing a new car again! Pity I won't have a chance of getting a deal anywhere near as good as the Golf though.

[TNJ]

FuryExocet said:

Got your message, I'll do some research tomorrow morning, can't make any promises though, but we'll keep looking for it.
They'll probably use it to commit other crime in, so you probably won't want it back

Thanks for trying - as you say, I may not want it back but if there is a way to get them and stop it happening to someone else, then so much the better.

[TNJ]

Looks like all should be sorted with the insurance fairly quickly - they are in touch directly with the lease company.

Will not be a replacement offered as far as I am aware so I basically lose the deposit (3 months upfront) and excess. I am glad now that I only went for 3 months up front with a slightly higher monthly payment rather than 6 months.

Deciding on a replacement is going to be difficult as all the good deals on the R have gone and I don't think I would be happy taking a new deal and knowing I am paying more every month for the same car. Plus I don't want to wait another four months!

[TNJ]

Dr Interceptor said:

Sorry to hear that OP Glad the insurance is proving straight forward.

I had two lads getting very intimate with my Golf R a few days ago while it was parked outside work in Farnborough. Hope they didn't suss where it belonged to.

I think your last sentence is the main point - they need the keys nowadays so if they know where you live - and mine is parked on the drive each weekday - it is easy for them to break in and get them.

Hopefully the insurance will be sorted quite painlessly - I am on a business trip in Canada at the moment so my wife has been sorting everything out. There have been the usual question sessions with two or three different people from the insurance company - I guess understandable as they will want to make sure that all the facts are consistent as they are facing a £30k payout to the lease company.

It is making me think carefully about what yo replace the Golf with - would rather not have a repeat of this but then also don't want to let some scumbag dictate whether I get a nice car or an old shed.

[TNJ]

Well, the police have just called to say the car has been found. Not sure what state it will be in - has been used by a criminal gang which the police have just chased to Northampton where the car got dumped in a field and the toerags ran off. Police have got the helicopter out trying to get them.

Safe to say it has probably been thrashed to hell - not sure what that will have done to an engine with only 900 miles on it.

Since it is a lease car, I presumably don't have any choice if it is repaired and then returned to me? I guess it doesn't matter - I will never own it and the lease is a fully maintained one so any issues should be covered under either warranty or the maintenance plan.

[TNJ]

Well, the police have just called to say the car has been found. Not sure what state it will be in - has been used by a criminal gang which the police have just chased to Northampton where the car got dumped in a field and the toerags ran off. Police have got the helicopter out trying to get them.

Safe to say it has probably been thrashed to hell - not sure what that will have done to an engine with only 900 miles on it.

Since it is a lease car, I presumably don't have any choice if it is repaired and then returned to me? I guess it doesn't matter - I will never own it and the lease is a fully maintained one so any issues should be covered under either warranty or the maintenance plan.

[TNJ]

I haven't heard whether the thieves were caught - I hope they were.

The insurance will now take a bit longer to sort out - the insurance company will need to make a decision as to whether the car can be satisfactorily repaired or whether it is a write off. Until then, I will not know whether I need to get something else or if I will get this one back, so I am very much in limbo now.

Problem is I cannot think of another car that I would rather have that does not cost a huge amount nore than the Golf R. In truth, I was hoping that the damage wouldn't be too bad and I could get the car back fairly quickly.

[TNJ]

rix said:

Any update? I must admit the stealth factor of the R does almost work against it in terms of its nickableness!

Not much more to tell yet. The insurance company are picking up the car from the recovery company and will decide if it is a total loss. The police have told me that it has been rolled and there is damage to every panel, so much so that the doors cannot be opened properly. It sounds like it may well be a write off.

It will probably take another month before everything is sorted out, possibly longer as I have Gap insurance as well so there are now four parties involved - me, insurance co, Gap co and the lease co. The frustrating thing is that I cannot commit to another car until I know that everything is finalised so I may be car-less until the New Year.