Car stolen but found unscathed - what do they do with it?
Car stolen but found unscathed - what do they do with it?
Author
Discussion

willmagrath

Original Poster:

1,398 posts

177 months

Saturday 24th October
quotequote all
We had a family members car stolen off our drive using the keyless entry trick (key not in a pouch).We assumed the car had gone forever, sold or broken up for parts. But it was found having wracked up a load of parking fines and was impounded. It seems to have just been dumped unscathed, a mile away, on a dead end road.Anyone know why they do this? Do they use the car for something then dump it?Sounds ridiculous but its been such a pain for everyone involved and just for it to be found so close is very annoying.

vindaloo79

1,248 posts

111 months

Saturday 24th October
quotequote all
Is it still theirs or has insurance paid out ?

miniman

30,201 posts

293 months

Saturday 24th October
quotequote all
Depends on the car. Interesting stuff will often get parked up to see if it has a tracker on it.

Yellow Lizud

2,989 posts

195 months

Saturday 24th October
quotequote all
Nick a car, commit a crime, dump car.

kiethton

14,668 posts

211 months

Saturday 24th October
quotequote all
They'll have to recover it (and those costs), pay any fines (and those costs/admin time), pay to deactivate all prior keys and log new ones (and those costs), fix any damage anywhere in the car - scuffs, scratches, kerbed wheels as they were definitely pristine before....

If already paid out the car will go through the auctions as stolen recovered and they'll recover some costs that way. If any claim is not yet settled they'll repair as above, or write off depending on the cost of the above.

willmagrath

Original Poster:

1,398 posts

177 months

Saturday 24th October
quotequote all
It was 'just' a ford focus. But why nick it if not interesting or needed.

Kuwahara

1,575 posts

49 months

Saturday 24th October
quotequote all
miniman said:
Depends on the car. Interesting stuff will often get parked up to see if it has a tracker on it.
This 100% , a mechanic friend had his Gran Turismo stolen and it had a tracker on it and he informed the police of where it was , they said leave it and see if they come back for it….!!!

Went and picked it up himself ,job jobbed…

paul_c123

2,528 posts

24 months

Saturday 24th October
quotequote all
vindaloo79 said:
Is it still theirs or has insurance paid out ?
This is the pivotal question.

Courser

196 posts

4 months

Saturday 24th October
quotequote all
kiethton said:
They'll have to recover it (and those costs), pay any fines (and those costs/admin time), pay to deactivate all prior keys and log new ones (and those costs), fix any damage anywhere in the car - scuffs, scratches, kerbed wheels as they were definitely pristine before....

If already paid out the car will go through the auctions as stolen recovered and they'll recover some costs that way. If any claim is not yet settled they'll repair as above, or write off depending on the cost of the above.
Eh ? Are you on about cheating the insurance company for extra money ?

Can you explain what your post means bud ?

CambsBill

2,479 posts

209 months

Saturday 24th October
quotequote all
Many years ago a colleague had her car nicked only for the police to call a couple of days later to say they'd found it. I took her over to collect it and found no damage to it but in the boot were a crowbar and other, ahem, tools of the trade. Reported this to plod who weren't interested . . .

kiethton

14,668 posts

211 months

Saturday 24th October
quotequote all
Courser said:
kiethton said:
They'll have to recover it (and those costs), pay any fines (and those costs/admin time), pay to deactivate all prior keys and log new ones (and those costs), fix any damage anywhere in the car - scuffs, scratches, kerbed wheels as they were definitely pristine before....

If already paid out the car will go through the auctions as stolen recovered and they'll recover some costs that way. If any claim is not yet settled they'll repair as above, or write off depending on the cost of the above.
Eh ? Are you on about cheating the insurance company for extra money ?

Can you explain what your post means bud ?
"What happens when a stolen car is found" - generally the above typically happens.... the ... implies what the majority of people say about a cars prior condition.

Mike Legerwood

202 posts

6 months

Saturday 24th October
quotequote all
Courser said:
kiethton said:
They'll have to recover it (and those costs), pay any fines (and those costs/admin time), pay to deactivate all prior keys and log new ones (and those costs), fix any damage anywhere in the car - scuffs, scratches, kerbed wheels as they were definitely pristine before....

If already paid out the car will go through the auctions as stolen recovered and they'll recover some costs that way. If any claim is not yet settled they'll repair as above, or write off depending on the cost of the above.
Eh ? Are you on about cheating the insurance company for extra money ?

Can you explain what your post means bud ?
I think the OP was asking "what do the people who nicked the car do with it" not asking about insurance claims??

Courser

196 posts

4 months

Saturday 24th October
quotequote all
Mike Legerwood said:
I think the OP was asking "what do the people who nicked the car do with it" not asking about insurance claims??
The OP was yes. Not the poster I quoted . 👍

kiethton

14,668 posts

211 months

Saturday 24th October
quotequote all
Mike Legerwood said:
I think the OP was asking "what do the people who nicked the car do with it" not asking about insurance claims??
Ah my bad, must have mis-read. If it's what the thieves do, in my case (15 years ago) they came to my parents house and stole my dads silver E90 318d, I came home in my silver E92 335i to see his car gone and called the police. They pointed at my car and said that's what they likely wanted... my dads car was found 10 days later parked on-street in Erith (stolen from Orpington)

willmagrath

Original Poster:

1,398 posts

177 months

Saturday 24th October
quotequote all
paul_c123 said:
This is the pivotal question.
Insurance now paid out so it really doesn't matter. So im just curious!

Aretnap

1,983 posts

182 months

Saturday 24th October
quotequote all
kiethton said:
They'll have to recover it (and those costs), pay any fines (and those costs/admin time), pay to deactivate all prior keys and log new ones (and those costs), fix any damage anywhere in the car - scuffs, scratches, kerbed wheels as they were definitely pristine before....
No need to pay fines. They might get some correspondence from the council about the unpaid parking tickets but "car was stolen" is valid grounds for getting them cancelled so just reply saying that and quoting the crime reference number.

Rest of the costs would be an insurance claim had the insurers not already paid out as a total loss, though of course if it was minor damage and/or a large excess it might not be worth making a claim.

The Gauge

7,659 posts

44 months

Saturday 24th October
quotequote all
willmagrath said:
it was found having wracked up a load of parking fines and was impounded. It seems to have just been dumped unscathed, a mile away, on a dead end road.

Anyone know why they do this? .
They had either just parked it to come back to, or dumped it for good, or left it there to see if there is a tracker fitted, if its still there after a few days then they know there isn't one

OutInTheShed

14,885 posts

57 months

Saturday 24th October
quotequote all
They may have just nicked it for a joyride, or for transport for a few days.
They might not have the contacts to sell it on.
They may have found something they prefer.

If they need to be close to the keycard, for a 'man in the middle' attack, they can only do that once, near the owner's home. So if they fail to hack the security they will just dump it and nick another one?

Greendubber

15,370 posts

234 months

Saturday 24th October
quotequote all
willmagrath said:
It was 'just' a ford focus. But why nick it if not interesting or needed.
Easy to nick, blends in, no one's looking at a focus compared to a performance car etc. Perfect for a bit of criminality.

Mr Tidy

31,818 posts

158 months

Saturday 24th October
quotequote all
willmagrath said:
paul_c123 said:
This is the pivotal question.
Insurance now paid out so it really doesn't matter. So im just curious!
The car becomes the property of the insurer, so they sell it as a Stolen/Recovered. Had a couple of bargains that way when I was working for an insurance company. biggrin


Edited by Mr Tidy on Saturday 24th October 22:38