Theft, insurance timeframe, and Fiesta replacement?!

[mikeiow]

Daughter had her Fiesta 1.0 eco boost (zippy petrol, zero road tax!) stolen from Parrs Wood car park in Manchester a fortnight ago: she was pretty devastated (first car!).
Turns out there have been many Fiestas and Focus’s nicked there - crap car park security, no warning signs

Anyway…Police have called her to confirm they are charging 3 people with multiple such thefts, & that whilst her car has not been recovered, they have “evidence” hers was amongst them.

Any idea how long it will be until her insurance (1st Central) might make a derisory offer to her?

Next…she will need to replace it (much longer work journey until then!).

She isn’t so keen on Fiesta’s now….and would even prefer no keyless locks (although that wasn’t really part of the theft, to her knowledge: she was in the cinema when it was taken).
Also: any cheap but good alarm systems to look at, or not-too-hefty physical security?

Any suggestions? In the range £6-9k (likely something 2015-17’ish - low or zero car tax would be nice!)

[colin79666]

Sorry to hear this. Expect her insurance bill to rocket after a claim so you may need to revise down the budget for a replacement. The best deterrent is probably a disklok but they are a total pain to deal with. A Suzuki Swift is similar size to a Fiesta, good value and generally reliable.

[ZX10R NIN]

208 GT Line

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110198...

Allure

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202011105...

DS3 DStyle Plus

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202111069...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202111029...

DSign

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110268...

Mazda2 Sport

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202111039...

Kia Rio 4

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202109197...

Picanto Sport

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202108106...

Vauxhall Adam Slam

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202108035...

Clio Dyamique S Media Nav

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110158...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110299...

[georgeyboy12345]

A potential good strategy is to buy a car that scrotes aren't familiar with or are otherwise unwilling to nick


Alfa Romeo MiTo TwinAir
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110018...


DS DS3 1.2 Puretech
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110148...


Peugeot 208 1.2 Puretech
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106033...


Mini Cooper D
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202109267...


Volvo V40 D2
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110289...

[mikeiow]

Cheers for those.
Her insurance is NCB protected, but I’ve warned her it will likely rise nonetheless.

I assume since her car is stolen, so her insurance would be cancelled? A refund for the rest of the year & start afresh with <replacement motor> ?
(It’s been 30 years since I had my XR2 nicked, & it was found burned out the next morning, so an easy one for insurance to deal with!)

Another pal suggested the Pug 208….might check that further!

[Dingu]

mikeiow said:

Cheers for those.
Her insurance is NCB protected, but I’ve warned her it will likely rise nonetheless.

I assume since her car is stolen, so her insurance would be cancelled? A refund for the rest of the year & start afresh with <replacement motor> ?
(It’s been 30 years since I had my XR2 nicked, & it was found burned out the next morning, so an easy one for insurance to deal with!)

Another pal suggested the Pug 208….might check that further!

The whole of this years premium is due since there will have been a claim the insurer has paid on, if she pays monthly typically this would be deducted from the settlement.

Future premium may rise but will depend on how previous similar customers have performed. Compare as usual.

ETA some insurers will allow reinstatement of the insurance with the new vehicle with any difference paid to the original premium, others may not.

[CarCrazyDad]

mikeiow said:

Cheers for those.
Her insurance is NCB protected, but I’ve warned her it will likely rise nonetheless.

I assume since her car is stolen, so her insurance would be cancelled? A refund for the rest of the year & start afresh with <replacement motor> ?
(It’s been 30 years since I had my XR2 nicked, & it was found burned out the next morning, so an easy one for insurance to deal with!)

Another pal suggested the Pug 208….might check that further!

Don't go near a Peugeot 208, or any Peugeot in fact.... The Fiesta is by far the best small car in its class, handling wise and overall reliability - I understand she may not want another but a few minor security tweaks by a car security specialist would resolve that for not a lot of money

Otherwise maybe look at a Golf or Polo or a BMW 1 series (F series) but again they can be a bit more expensive and sometimes unreliable depending on engines

[mikeiow]

CarCrazyDad said:

mikeiow said:

Cheers for those.
Her insurance is NCB protected, but I’ve warned her it will likely rise nonetheless.

I assume since her car is stolen, so her insurance would be cancelled? A refund for the rest of the year & start afresh with <replacement motor> ?
(It’s been 30 years since I had my XR2 nicked, & it was found burned out the next morning, so an easy one for insurance to deal with!)

Another pal suggested the Pug 208….might check that further!

Don't go near a Peugeot 208, or any Peugeot in fact.... The Fiesta is by far the best small car in its class, handling wise and overall reliability - I understand she may not want another but a few minor security tweaks by a car security specialist would resolve that for not a lot of money

Otherwise maybe look at a Golf or Polo or a BMW 1 series (F series) but again they can be a bit more expensive and sometimes unreliable depending on engines

Interesting….I have read some poor reviews on the Pug, & I know the Fiesta is the best small car from many reviews.
What minor teaks do you mean, & what is not a lot of money? I see thatcham alarms around £600 mark, but that is maybe 8-10% of the cars value. Disk locks looks solid yet massively unwieldy. Anything else?
Cheers

[ChrisH72]

I use a disklok for my fiesta ST.

At first I found it a real pain but now I’ve got used to it I can take it off and on very quickly and it’s fine. I just put it on the passenger seat when driving. Before that I used a small T bar steering lock which was no trouble. Probably less secure but sometimes it’s just the visual deterrent needed for the scumbags to move on to the next car.

If you want something that won’t get pinched go for a Corsa!

I’m not taking the mick, the Latest Corsa is plenty good enough for most and it’s cheap to buy mainly because people don’t want them. Look fine to me though especially in a nice spec.

[ConnectionError]

ChrisH72 said:

I use a disklok for my fiesta ST.

At first I found it a real pain but now I’ve got used to it I can take it off and on very quickly and it’s fine. I just put it on the passenger seat when driving. Before that I used a small T bar steering lock which was no trouble. Probably less secure but sometimes it’s just the visual deterrent needed for the scumbags to move on to the next car.

If you want something that won’t get pinched go for a Corsa!

I’m not taking the mick, the Latest Corsa is plenty good enough for most and it’s cheap to buy mainly because people don’t want them. Look fine to me though especially in a nice spec.

Not sure if I would want a disklok unsecured on the passenger seat in an accident . It should really be secured I the boot for your safety

[ZX10R NIN]

CarCrazyDad said:

Don't go near a Peugeot 208, or any Peugeot in fact.... The Fiesta is by far the best small car in its class, handling wise and overall reliability - I understand she may not want another but a few minor security tweaks by a car security specialist would resolve that for not a lot of money

Otherwise maybe look at a Golf or Polo or a BMW 1 series (F series) but again they can be a bit more expensive and sometimes unreliable depending on engines

Why wouldn't you go near a Peugeot & particularly a 208?

I've supplied lots with no issues & apart from the handling (where the Fiesta is top of the class) wise BUT the 208/DS3 are no less reliable than a Polo/Fiesta/Fabia etc.

[georgeyboy12345]

I agree with ZX10R, what's wrong with 208s or any newer Peugeot for that matter? As well as the 208, the 308 and new 508s are excellent cars. The PSA 1.2 Puretech suffers no more problems than the 1.0 Ecoboost does. Will class leading handling really matter for your daughter? Will she be tracking it?

[mikeiow]

georgeyboy12345 said:

I agree with ZX10R, what's wrong with 208s or any newer Peugeot for that matter? As well as the 208, the 308 and new 508s are excellent cars. The PSA 1.2 Puretech suffers no more problems than the 1.0 Ecoboost does. Will class leading handling really matter for your daughter? Will she be tracking it?

I suspect not....although wowsa, prices are frothy - found one that could be interest, private seller at £7,500.....*top* WhatCar price was £6k !!
Also seen some fairly priced Skoda Fabia that could be decent.

So: latest update Police are charging 3 people with a bunch of thefts, & whilst they don't have her car, are confident it was one of them. She's done a victim statement, and today spoke with her insurance company - they asked for it, but glossed over any timeframe on an offer coming across.

What is reasonable to expect? I'd have thought given the Police action, even though the car remains missing, 30 days ought to be a point at which they should make her an offer.
She needs a car: we were both surprised that having the courtesy car option only applied for repairs - I never realised that (feels cheeky - when your car is stolen is a time you CERTAINLY need another vehicle)

Anyone got any thoughts on this?

[ConnectionError]

mikeiow said:

georgeyboy12345 said:

I agree with ZX10R, what's wrong with 208s or any newer Peugeot for that matter? As well as the 208, the 308 and new 508s are excellent cars. The PSA 1.2 Puretech suffers no more problems than the 1.0 Ecoboost does. Will class leading handling really matter for your daughter? Will she be tracking it?

I suspect not....although wowsa, prices are frothy - found one that could be interest, private seller at £7,500.....*top* WhatCar price was £6k !!
Also seen some fairly priced Skoda Fabia that could be decent.

So: latest update Police are charging 3 people with a bunch of thefts, & whilst they don't have her car, are confident it was one of them. She's done a victim statement, and today spoke with her insurance company - they asked for it, but glossed over any timeframe on an offer coming across.

What is reasonable to expect? I'd have thought given the Police action, even though the car remains missing, 30 days ought to be a point at which they should make her an offer.
She needs a car: we were both surprised that having the courtesy car option only applied for repairs - I never realised that (feels cheeky - when your car is stolen is a time you CERTAINLY need another vehicle)

Anyone got any thoughts on this?

Did you read the T&C's before buying the insurance cover?

Many people fall into the trap of assuming and not reading, and then realise that the cover they have purchased was the cheapest on the comparison website for a reason!

[stevemcs]

I'd avoid the 1.0/1.2 pug engine too, we have had a couple in that have been nothing but problematic, they run a wet belt which degrades and causes lots of issues, front shocks are weak and they all break exhaust brackets

[ZX10R NIN]

mikeiow said:

I suspect not....although wowsa, prices are frothy - found one that could be interest, private seller at £7,500.....*top* WhatCar price was £6k !!
Also seen some fairly priced Skoda Fabia that could be decent.

So: latest update Police are charging 3 people with a bunch of thefts, & whilst they don't have her car, are confident it was one of them. She's done a victim statement, and today spoke with her insurance company - they asked for it, but glossed over any timeframe on an offer coming across.

What is reasonable to expect? I'd have thought given the Police action, even though the car remains missing, 30 days ought to be a point at which they should make her an offer.
She needs a car: we were both surprised that having the courtesy car option only applied for repairs - I never realised that (feels cheeky - when your car is stolen is a time you CERTAINLY need another vehicle)

Anyone got any thoughts on this?

I've heard of this a lot, because there's no third party paying for the car, you don't tend to get one.

If the 208's a pricey take a look at the DS3 & Mazda2.

[mikeiow]

ConnectionError said:

Did you read the T&C's before buying the insurance cover?

Many people fall into the trap of assuming and not reading, and then realise that the cover they have purchased was the cheapest on the comparison website for a reason!

I personally have no need for a courtesy car: have enough choice of vehicles here to stand such an event.
& no, sadly I didn't read my daughters Ts & Cs in detail. She's pretty detailed....but I bet a LOT of people think they have a courtesy car because they checked the courtesy car box without realising they could be without a car and without a courtesy car

ZX10R NIN said:

I've heard of this a lot, because there's no third party paying for the car, you don't tend to get one.

If the 208's a pricey take a look at the DS3 & Mazda2.

Possibilities!
She may end up with another Fiesta (she did love it), and beef up security. Skoda Fabia looks decent value too. She's no badge snob (NextGen drivers without the historical knowledge of OurGen!)

Any recommendations on alarms? The full wheel 'disklock' looks a proper faff to put on & off, even if it is the best physical deterrent.
Still waiting for @CarCrazyDad to return to explain the "minor security tweaks" he mentioned above.....

& back on insurance: she has been contacted to say their "Specialist Theft Team" will be in touch soon to validate her claim. Hopefully they will accelerate things a bit!

[anonymous-user]

stevemcs said:

I'd avoid the 1.0/1.2 pug engine too, we have had a couple in that have been nothing but problematic, they run a wet belt which degrades and causes lots of issues, front shocks are weak and they all break exhaust brackets

This, personally I would not buy anything that has a wet belt, the 1.0 Eco boost has one too.

Lots of short journeys cause the oil to get contaminated with petrol which attacks the wet belt and causes parts of it to disintegrate. These parts then end up blocking the oil pickup which causes oil starvation and a dead engine.

[deltaS4]

Suzuki Swift Boosterjet. Bought one for my 18yo daughter. 1.0 boosted 3 pot with 110 bhp, but chaincam. Engine & car appear bulletproof. My daughter has covered approaching 50k & it's needed nothing but consumables.

delivers approaching 60mpg. I paid 8.5K over 3 years ago & they seem to be about 8K now with the rise in 2nd hand values. Hasn't got keyless & seems to go under the radar for scroats.

[Dingu]

mikeiow said:

ConnectionError said:

Did you read the T&C's before buying the insurance cover?

Many people fall into the trap of assuming and not reading, and then realise that the cover they have purchased was the cheapest on the comparison website for a reason!

I personally have no need for a courtesy car: have enough choice of vehicles here to stand such an event.
& no, sadly I didn't read my daughters Ts & Cs in detail. She's pretty detailed....but I bet a LOT of people think they have a courtesy car because they checked the courtesy car box without realising they could be without a car and without a courtesy car

It’s pretty clearly stated when running through quotes and in the info provided as insisted by the regulator. Certainly not hidden. That’s why on the phone when buying insurance it takes so long with all the scripting they have to include.

Issue is most people see it as a chore (reasonably) and aren’t thinking of all eventualities when selecting cover.

The courtesy car is usually upgradeable to cover these situations but generally not included as it’s a very competitive price driven industry, which is what many consumers base their decision on.