Camper van stolen from garage doing recall

[ensnare]

Hi,

Unfortunately our camper van has recently been stolen from a garage whilst it was in for repairs due to a recall. The garage was broken into by four men who were caught on the cctv, they stole the keys from the office and reversed our van out of the gate, doing damage to the back.

The garage initially said we should go through our own insurance, however our insurance has since said they wouldn't pay out, as the vehicle was in the garage at the time. We've since made the garage claim on their own insurance, but it doens't look like it'll be a quick process (when is it ever…). Given it was stolen whilst in their ownership they aren't being very helpful, which i'm kind of surprised by, but I guess no-one likes to put claims in on insurance.

Just wanted to know if anyone else had been through anything similar? Any idea on how long this could take to resolve? Looks like the garage's insurance won't cover the contents of the van either… Is it normal to have to go through the garage's insurance?

We were due to have a month in Germany in it in August, but guessing we'll have to cancel that now!

Thanks…

Edited by ensnare on Tuesday 2nd July 20:00

[Pothole]

Repairs due to a recall or recall work? Was this a main dealer? I'm no expert but I'd certainly expect to be claiming from their insurer. Any way yours can find out who that is and do it for you?

[ensnare]

Sorry, that was unclear, there was a recall on the vehicle (Swift Escape 614), but there's no main dealers as such, so was taken to the nearest garage that could complete the required recall work.

[Retroman]

Surely you are only able to claim off of the garage's own insurance policy if the vehicle was stolen due to the garage being negligent in some way?

[ensnare]

Retroman said:

Surely you are only able to claim off of the garage's own insurance policy if the vehicle was stolen due to the garage being negligent in some way?

That is one of the questions, what's usually done in this situation? If someone can break into their office and steal a vehicle in their possession, are they being negligent?

[Pothole]

Retroman said:

Surely you are only able to claim off of the garage's own insurance policy if the vehicle was stolen due to the garage being negligent in some way?

Well, they weren't very secure...

[Trevor555]

They keep keys on site overnight?

I'd say that makes them negligent.

All the dealers I know, and the dealers I've worked for, would never leave keys on site when closed.

[meatballs]

If that's negligent then people better not leave car keys in their house...

Although if I was a garage/dealer I would take them off site

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

Surely it's for your insurance to sort out? If they get something back from the garage's insurance then that's a bonus?

[55palfers]

meatballs said:

Although if I was a garage/dealer I would take them off site

Or maybe lock them in a safe

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

ensnare said:

Hi,

, however our insurance has since said they wouldn't pay out, as the vehicle was in the garage at the time.

Thanks…

Edited by ensnare on Tuesday 2nd July 20:00

Have you asked your insurance to point you to that wording in the T&C that they will have already supplied you?

[the tribester]

The garage probably has a large excess on their policy they were hoping to avoid paying.

You should be claiming from their insurance as it was in their care.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

the tribester said:

The garage probably has a large excess on their policy they were hoping to avoid paying.

You should be claiming from their insurance as it was in their care.

But isn't that the job of the OP's insurance company. Surely he claims off his & they in turn try to get recompense from the other side?

[Fast Bug]

Garages and dealerships don't take keys home at night, they should be locked in a keysafe though.

[xjay1337]

Garages problem.
They have insurance, they need to use it.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

xjay1337 said:

Garages problem.
They have insurance,

You think.

I still think OP's insurance should sort it.

[anonymous-user]

Trevor555 said:

They keep keys on site overnight?

I'd say that makes them negligent.

All the dealers I know, and the dealers I've worked for, would never leave keys on site when closed.

You must know and have worked for some tiny dealers?

Never heard of taking keys off site. Taking away and returning 20-100+ sets of keys on and off site every day sounds like a recipe for disaster.

They go in a key cabinet or safe. If you're lucky.

[robdcfc]

Fast Bug said:

Garages and dealerships don't take keys home at night, they should be locked in a keysafe though.

Alot do take them offsite, theres clauses in a lot of insurance policies now about keys onsite overnight

[Fast Bug]

robdcfc said:

Fast Bug said:

Garages and dealerships don't take keys home at night, they should be locked in a keysafe though.

Alot do take them offsite, theres clauses in a lot of insurance policies now about keys onsite overnight

In the 23 years I've spent in the motor trade, not one of the dealerships or groups I've worked for have ever taken keys home. They're always locked in a key safe on site

[ElectricPics]

Trevor555 said:

They keep keys on site overnight?

I'd say that makes them negligent.

All the dealers I know, and the dealers I've worked for, would never leave keys on site when closed.

All the dealers I've ever known would find it difficult to take upwards of 150 keys off site, and where would you keep them anyway? That's what key safes are for.