Stolen car / replacement hire car
Discussion
My brother had both of his cars stolen last night. One a old and tired Seat Ibiza, and the other a Volvo XC90 with 500 miles on the clock.
They got into the house after forcing an external key safe lock.
Both cars have been found relatively safe and sound parked up. With one of them were a further 3 stolen cars. They have been recovered by the police for forensic investigation.
The genius thieves also took his wallet and wife's handbag and tried to use their cards in a local shop. The transactions were declined, but their faces were captured on CCTV and the scrotes are believed to be locals. Geniuses it seems they are not.
My brother is now without normal vehicle transport. His insurance company tell him that they don't class the cars as recovered until the police release them and will not arrange a hire car (he has the appropriate cover) until then.
This makes no sense to me, either on the face of it, or after reading his policy, so I thought I would open the floor for discussion.
In case anyone would like to read it - the standard policy is here - https://www.lv.com/boundless/docs/document-of-car-...
They got into the house after forcing an external key safe lock.
Both cars have been found relatively safe and sound parked up. With one of them were a further 3 stolen cars. They have been recovered by the police for forensic investigation.
The genius thieves also took his wallet and wife's handbag and tried to use their cards in a local shop. The transactions were declined, but their faces were captured on CCTV and the scrotes are believed to be locals. Geniuses it seems they are not.
My brother is now without normal vehicle transport. His insurance company tell him that they don't class the cars as recovered until the police release them and will not arrange a hire car (he has the appropriate cover) until then.
This makes no sense to me, either on the face of it, or after reading his policy, so I thought I would open the floor for discussion.
In case anyone would like to read it - the standard policy is here - https://www.lv.com/boundless/docs/document-of-car-...
I think it's pretty normal that it doesn't kick in until the car is with their repairer - partly, I suppose, as it's usually the repairers who supply the cars.
We got 'caught' (as we'd never ben in this position before) by the loan car being taken back four days after they'd declared a crash damaged car a write-off. Four days isn't long to find a replacement car, especially when we'd been expecting it to be repaired, and it leaves you a pretty stuffed if you want a new one when everything is on 3-6 months delivery.
We got 'caught' (as we'd never ben in this position before) by the loan car being taken back four days after they'd declared a crash damaged car a write-off. Four days isn't long to find a replacement car, especially when we'd been expecting it to be repaired, and it leaves you a pretty stuffed if you want a new one when everything is on 3-6 months delivery.
I had a car stolen earlier in the year, recovered same day, released by Police a day later, I was without a courtesy car for a whole month as my insurer doesn’t provide one until the car is in for repair, and it took them a month to officially decide it was going to be repaired - despite the fact it was 2-weeks old and only had minor interior damage. They did a full investigation too even though it was recovered same day.
Total pain and not something I’d realised before, next policy I’ll be checking the courtesy car cover with a bit more scrutiny!
Total pain and not something I’d realised before, next policy I’ll be checking the courtesy car cover with a bit more scrutiny!
OddCat said:
....surely they didn't leave keys in the external key safe while they were actually in the house ?
Quite a common thing to do, particularly for elderly folk with care arrangements and/or potential need for next of kin to gain entry if deceased, or teenagers with a tendency to shut the door on their way out without checking they have keys to get back in.....Be interested to know what key safe it was - some look stronger than others - and whether it was out of sight. I always think those in plain sight from the street are asking for further investigation by those looking for an easy in.
OddCat said:
....surely they didn't leave keys in the external key safe while they were actually in the house ?
Probably a door key to the house allowing access to the car keys inside. Most of those number combination key safes you can get are s
te, offering poor security. 5 minutes on youtube shows you how to 'pick' themshep1001 said:
OddCat said:
....surely they didn't leave keys in the external key safe while they were actually in the house ?
Probably a door key to the house allowing access to the car keys inside. Most of those number combination key safes you can get are ste, offering poor security. 5 minutes on youtube shows you how to 'pick' themByker28i said:
shep1001 said:
OddCat said:
....surely they didn't leave keys in the external key safe while they were actually in the house ?
Probably a door key to the house allowing access to the car keys inside. Most of those number combination key safes you can get are ste, offering poor security. 5 minutes on youtube shows you how to 'pick' themSheepshanks said:
I think it's pretty normal that it doesn't kick in until the car is with their repairer - partly, I suppose, as it's usually the repairers who supply the cars.
We got 'caught' (as we'd never ben in this position before) by the loan car being taken back four days after they'd declared a crash damaged car a write-off. Four days isn't long to find a replacement car, especially when we'd been expecting it to be repaired, and it leaves you a pretty stuffed if you want a new one when everything is on 3-6 months delivery.
My insurers repairer came and took the courtesy car less than an hour after they (the repairers) decided my car was to be written off, they came with a low loader and took the courtesy car, threatened me with the police if I didn't hand over the keys when I said I wanted to confirm it with the insurers.We got 'caught' (as we'd never ben in this position before) by the loan car being taken back four days after they'd declared a crash damaged car a write-off. Four days isn't long to find a replacement car, especially when we'd been expecting it to be repaired, and it leaves you a pretty stuffed if you want a new one when everything is on 3-6 months delivery.
I never had a chance to speak to my insurer, the repairer claimed my car was gone when I asked them to drop it off at my works yard for me, they didn't know where, 3 weeks later when I went to get my belonging out of it, it was still in the repairers yard. I was steam rolled into never getting the car back, the insurers figure for me to buy the car back was £500 less than the payout. It was a low mileage merc so pretty obvious that someone at the repairer wanted the car to fix and flip and they were trying to make it as awkward as possible for me. When it was all dealt with I only returned the paper work they asked for (ie the v5), I still have the rest of the documents, the service history and receipts. I always wonder if it now has a fake service history.
2 weeks getting lifts and the bus to work before I sorted a new car, I dread to think what its like for someone who cant afford to just go out and get a car loan, took a further 8 weeks before the insurers paid out.
Just beware
Edited by Foliage on Wednesday 16th October 10:49
Foliage said:
I never had a chance to speak to my insurer, the repairer claimed my car was gone when I asked them to drop it off at my works yard for me, they didn't know where, 3 weeks later when I went to get my belonging out of it, it was still in the repairers yard. I was steam rolled into never getting the car back, the insurers figure for me to buy the car back was £500 less than the payout. It was a low mileage merc so pretty obvious that someone at the repairer wanted the car to fix and flip and they were trying to make it as awkward as possible for me. When it was all dealt with I only returned the paper work they asked for (ie the v5), I still have the rest of the documents, the service history and receipts. I always wonder if it now has a fake service history.
That's extremely similar to what happened to us (daughter's Golf). The insurer wouldn't give a price to buy it and the repairer said it had already gone. I was convinced someone at the repairer had knabbed the car as the repairs would have been simple (they were remarkably confined to the hatch door but without even breaking the lights or window, after a Merc van hit it) but it did turn up at Copart a few weeks later. I've still got all the docs, spare key etc.She was lucky with replacement as this was the height of the WLTP shortages - she got a SEAT Ateca that a dealer had ordered for stock and was on its way. It took 3 weeks and in the meantime they lent her a courtesy car, and that, and the Ateca being a very good price, helped me overlook how compeletely useless the dealer was in every other respect. Apparently that's normal for SEAT dealers though.
ETA: This bit:
Foliage said:
2 weeks getting lifts and the bus to work before I sorted a new car, I dread to think what its like for someone who cant afford to just go out and get a car loan, took a further 8 weeks before the insurers paid out.
is different to our experience - LV= wanted the car back 4 day after they issued the cheque. But that happened pretty instantly - they just posted it without any discussion and then left a message saying they'd done it and were coming for the loan car. They did up the amount after some discussion, but were at pains to point out that didn't affect the timescale.Edited by Sheepshanks on Wednesday 16th October 11:20
OddCat said:
surveyor said:
They got into the house after forcing an external key safe lock.
....surely they didn't leave keys in the external key safe while they were actually in the house ? TwigtheWonderkid said:
OddCat said:
surveyor said:
They got into the house after forcing an external key safe lock.
....surely they didn't leave keys in the external key safe while they were actually in the house ? In hindsight a bolt on the door would have helped.
He's leaned on his insurance company today, who have decided actually they should be supplying a hire car. Although it's taking Enterprise another 24 hours to supply a car.
That means he will be without car for 2.5 days - not what you expect when you click on the courtesy cover option when deciding what you want to pay.
(on top of this they have a strange idea of equivalent size car, again a little extra over and above the basic option).
I'm quite disappointed by all this. I always thought they were ok to deal with.
That means he will be without car for 2.5 days - not what you expect when you click on the courtesy cover option when deciding what you want to pay.
(on top of this they have a strange idea of equivalent size car, again a little extra over and above the basic option).
I'm quite disappointed by all this. I always thought they were ok to deal with.
TwigtheWonderkid said:
OddCat said:
surveyor said:
They got into the house after forcing an external key safe lock.
....surely they didn't leave house keys in the external key safe while they were actually in the house ? OddCat said:
TwigtheWonderkid said:
OddCat said:
surveyor said:
They got into the house after forcing an external key safe lock.
....surely they didn't leave house keys in the external key safe while they were actually in the house ? TwigtheWonderkid said:
I thought the whole point of a key safe was in case you lost your keys while you were out, therefore you have a spare set in the key safe 24/7. The never come out from 1 year to the next. At least that's what I do. My key safe is hidden in a very awkward place. No way I'm emptying it ever time I get home and filling it every time I leave.
I think they’re mainly used by carers.Don’t know if the all work the same but some have a very limited number of key sequences because you don’t have to press the keys in the correct order
surveyor said:
He's leaned on his insurance company today, who have decided actually they should be supplying a hire car. Although it's taking Enterprise another 24 hours to supply a car.
That means he will be without car for 2.5 days - not what you expect when you click on the courtesy cover option when deciding what you want to pay.
(on top of this they have a strange idea of equivalent size car, again a little extra over and above the basic option).
I'm quite disappointed by all this. I always thought they were ok to deal with.
makes me feel pretty fortunate then, Enterprise sorted me out the next morning after I crashed, and would happily have sorted me that same afternoon but I didn't need the car that quickly. Glad they didn't make me wait until "they" had the car, it was still with the local recovery firm a week after I crashed as they didn't have the time to get it to Copart apparently. Still I await news as to whether its a total loss and how much they'll settle for... That means he will be without car for 2.5 days - not what you expect when you click on the courtesy cover option when deciding what you want to pay.
(on top of this they have a strange idea of equivalent size car, again a little extra over and above the basic option).
I'm quite disappointed by all this. I always thought they were ok to deal with.
surveyor said:
He's leaned on his insurance company today, who have decided actually they should be supplying a hire car. Although it's taking Enterprise another 24 hours to supply a car.
That means he will be without car for 2.5 days - not what you expect when you click on the courtesy cover option when deciding what you want to pay.
(on top of this they have a strange idea of equivalent size car, again a little extra over and above the basic option).
I'm quite disappointed by all this. I always thought they were ok to deal with.
If you click the courtesy car option, this basically gives you a car from the repairer, and the car is whatever the garage have applicable for the duration of the repairs, they may get someone like enterprise involved if the garage has none available, but this is usually at the garages cost, and will be the cheapest possible, if the car is a total loss, then you are unlikely to get a car.That means he will be without car for 2.5 days - not what you expect when you click on the courtesy cover option when deciding what you want to pay.
(on top of this they have a strange idea of equivalent size car, again a little extra over and above the basic option).
I'm quite disappointed by all this. I always thought they were ok to deal with.
If you want a similar sized vehicle, and you want it regardless of the repair or total loss, then you usually need guaranteed hire cover, but this is usually only for 7/14/21 days, dependant on how much extra you pay.
surveyor said:
Some good news.
The Police have arrested and are about to charge two individuals. Thais quite a good result - although a lot of the information that led them to the cuprits was supplied by people on various facebook groups.
That's good.The Police have arrested and are about to charge two individuals. Thais quite a good result - although a lot of the information that led them to the cuprits was supplied by people on various facebook groups.
Hope they get more than a 12 month suspended sentence.
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