C63 Stolen - WARNING -
Discussion
Well I have owned my lovely C63 coupe PP +++ for a couple of months now, and last night some thieving scum broke into our house and took the keys and then stole the car.
It had a tracker on it (which I did not know about) and so I called tracker this morning and £600 later they activated the system and got a reply from the car. It was not a GPS tracker so we had to wait for it to drive near a tower or a suitable equipped police car.
Fair play to the police. There was a forensic van here, a police car, a plain clothes police car, a plain pursuit GSXR1000 and two high speed police pursuit cars here this morning!
At about 10 the police called me to say that the car had triggered in Biggen Hilland that the Met were outting up a dedicated police tracker helicopter.
An hour ago I got a call to say that my car has been secured and there is no damage!
We all have a maon and groan about the police, but I have to say WELL DONE! Absolutely on the game.
So be warned - SLEEP with your keys, do NOT leave them in your house.
The police say that this is organised crime and the thieves targeted the car for sale abroad. Another £75k AMG was also stolen in the area last night.......
Man oh man, it has been an emotional roller coaster today.
I should get my car back in the next day or two - they are doing a full forensic investigation.
With any luck this will lead to the recovery of the other AMG stolen last night in the area that did not have any tracker fitted.
It had a tracker on it (which I did not know about) and so I called tracker this morning and £600 later they activated the system and got a reply from the car. It was not a GPS tracker so we had to wait for it to drive near a tower or a suitable equipped police car.
Fair play to the police. There was a forensic van here, a police car, a plain clothes police car, a plain pursuit GSXR1000 and two high speed police pursuit cars here this morning!
At about 10 the police called me to say that the car had triggered in Biggen Hilland that the Met were outting up a dedicated police tracker helicopter.
An hour ago I got a call to say that my car has been secured and there is no damage!
We all have a maon and groan about the police, but I have to say WELL DONE! Absolutely on the game.
So be warned - SLEEP with your keys, do NOT leave them in your house.
The police say that this is organised crime and the thieves targeted the car for sale abroad. Another £75k AMG was also stolen in the area last night.......
Man oh man, it has been an emotional roller coaster today.
I should get my car back in the next day or two - they are doing a full forensic investigation.
With any luck this will lead to the recovery of the other AMG stolen last night in the area that did not have any tracker fitted.
Good news there!
I'm currently filling my pants on a similar front - a friend not far away got burgled yesterday and my view is that these things are usually part of a crime wave when some undesirable targets a certain area. My problem is that there's not much but sheep round here and if anyone wants to get in then there's not much will stop them. Consequently I'm at work with a bloody great box of car, motorbike and padlock keys - if they get in the garage I'm stuffed, but at least they can't take my bikes.
I'm currently filling my pants on a similar front - a friend not far away got burgled yesterday and my view is that these things are usually part of a crime wave when some undesirable targets a certain area. My problem is that there's not much but sheep round here and if anyone wants to get in then there's not much will stop them. Consequently I'm at work with a bloody great box of car, motorbike and padlock keys - if they get in the garage I'm stuffed, but at least they can't take my bikes.
Personally if there are similar thefts I wouldn't do as you say in your original post and "sleep" with your keys. If they know you have the car, they may well be prepared to break in and come looking for your keys.
I used to have my car keys near me but with the thought that they could come looking around the house, i leave them downstairs. A car can be replaced but what they might do when they come looking for the keys isn't worth thinking about; especially if you have kids.
Glad you are getting it back though!
I used to have my car keys near me but with the thought that they could come looking around the house, i leave them downstairs. A car can be replaced but what they might do when they come looking for the keys isn't worth thinking about; especially if you have kids.
Glad you are getting it back though!
Rythmic slapping said:
Personally if there are similar thefts I wouldn't do as you say in your original post and "sleep" with your keys. If they know you have the car, they may well be prepared to break in and come looking for your keys.
I used to have my car keys near me but with the thought that they could come looking around the house, i leave them downstairs. A car can be replaced but what they might do when they come looking for the keys isn't worth thinking about; especially if you have kids.
Glad you are getting it back though!
This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^I used to have my car keys near me but with the thought that they could come looking around the house, i leave them downstairs. A car can be replaced but what they might do when they come looking for the keys isn't worth thinking about; especially if you have kids.
Glad you are getting it back though!
These are violent b
ds, once in the house anything could happen. Leave the keys where they can be found, protect the house, panic alarm, gates, ram raid posts etc. If this doesn't fit in with your lifestyle sell the car.Not having any false keyboard warrior bravado here, but I will sleep with the keys and happily live with the fact that I may wake to up to some 'altercations'. No problem there. (lived with worse in South Africa, and though it was a long time ago I served in a rather elite core and learned a thing or two that may surprise a would be thief).
In reality, these guys are pretty good at what they do, and it would take someone really dumb to risk escalating theft to assault or worse - and for all of their faults, they are not generally dumb. Now a drug addict breaking in looking for anything of value - that is something that unnerves me a lot more, they probably have not thought it through.
Also adding CCTV and a security light over the car where it is parked on my drive, hopefully that will also discourage them a bit. Am also using the old spare key to hang in usual place rigged up to a surprise. Premeditated? hell yes!
I really hope that no one else gets their car nicked, this, by all accounts is a scheme where the cars are stolen to take to eastern block or African countries where they still fetch a good price.
Get a decoy key and rig it up....after all, people are talking about setting a ground floor alarm, what is that going to do? Make some noise? A thief that would consider climbing stairs to get the keys from the sleeping owner would logically think nothing of waiting an extra minute while an alarm is blaring for the own to come downstairs......After all, how many false house alarms are paid any attention?
In reality, these guys are pretty good at what they do, and it would take someone really dumb to risk escalating theft to assault or worse - and for all of their faults, they are not generally dumb. Now a drug addict breaking in looking for anything of value - that is something that unnerves me a lot more, they probably have not thought it through.
Also adding CCTV and a security light over the car where it is parked on my drive, hopefully that will also discourage them a bit. Am also using the old spare key to hang in usual place rigged up to a surprise. Premeditated? hell yes!
I really hope that no one else gets their car nicked, this, by all accounts is a scheme where the cars are stolen to take to eastern block or African countries where they still fetch a good price.
Get a decoy key and rig it up....after all, people are talking about setting a ground floor alarm, what is that going to do? Make some noise? A thief that would consider climbing stairs to get the keys from the sleeping owner would logically think nothing of waiting an extra minute while an alarm is blaring for the own to come downstairs......After all, how many false house alarms are paid any attention?
Not sure what happened last night but I was woken at midnight by a noise outside. Went for the obligatory piss and en route across the landing noticed my car lights were on (front and back) but no engine noise.
Went back to the bedroom to get my keys, by which point the lights had gone off. I remote locked the car to show who or what was out there that I was awake and aware. No further sounds heard since.
Possible theft attempt? No sign of damage or intrusion on checking the car over this morning. Weird! Do the lights come on if the car is disturbed when locked?
Went back to the bedroom to get my keys, by which point the lights had gone off. I remote locked the car to show who or what was out there that I was awake and aware. No further sounds heard since.
Possible theft attempt? No sign of damage or intrusion on checking the car over this morning. Weird! Do the lights come on if the car is disturbed when locked?
Edited by ecain63 on Wednesday 25th September 07:48
GarethGTR said:
Not having any false keyboard warrior bravado here, but I will sleep with the keys and happily live with the fact that I may wake to up to some 'altercations'.
Totally agree. I'm sorry but if someone has the balls to break into my house I will protect it with any means possible. Yes I may endanger my life (or theirs) but my first reaction, rightly would be to approach the intruder rather than sit upstairs listening to them. Thieves generally want easy pickings ... they don't want to risk confrontation because they know their crimes if caught are more serious. And yes, before anyone asks I have chased someone who tried breaking into my house to steal our cars around 7 years ago. I was naked, he was scared s
tless.
Was part of an organised group stealing cars (ours was a Merc A Class and M3) and my first reaction was to try and catch him. Now I have a rather large dog which if he doesn't act as a deterrent, then anyone who does gain entry would have a hard time leaving again.
ecain63 said:
Not sure what happened last night but I was woken at midnight by a noise outside. Went for the obligatory piss and en route across the landing noticed my car lights were on (front and back) but no engine noise.
Went back to the bedroom to get my keys, by which point the lights had gone off. I remote locked the car to show who or what was out there that I was awake and aware. No further sounds heard since.
Possible theft attempt? No sign of damage or intrusion on checking the car over this morning. Weird! Do the lights come on if the car is disturbed when locked?
Has the car been left anywhere to have some works carried out etc ?Went back to the bedroom to get my keys, by which point the lights had gone off. I remote locked the car to show who or what was out there that I was awake and aware. No further sounds heard since.
Possible theft attempt? No sign of damage or intrusion on checking the car over this morning. Weird! Do the lights come on if the car is disturbed when locked?
Edited by ecain63 on Wednesday 25th September 07:48
A lot of cars go missing after garage visits, my cosworth did many moons ago.
chiefski26 said:
ecain63 said:
Not sure what happened last night but I was woken at midnight by a noise outside. Went for the obligatory piss and en route across the landing noticed my car lights were on (front and back) but no engine noise.
Went back to the bedroom to get my keys, by which point the lights had gone off. I remote locked the car to show who or what was out there that I was awake and aware. No further sounds heard since.
Possible theft attempt? No sign of damage or intrusion on checking the car over this morning. Weird! Do the lights come on if the car is disturbed when locked?
Has the car been left anywhere to have some works carried out etc ?Went back to the bedroom to get my keys, by which point the lights had gone off. I remote locked the car to show who or what was out there that I was awake and aware. No further sounds heard since.
Possible theft attempt? No sign of damage or intrusion on checking the car over this morning. Weird! Do the lights come on if the car is disturbed when locked?
Edited by ecain63 on Wednesday 25th September 07:48
A lot of cars go missing after garage visits, my cosworth did many moons ago.
Really odd that the lights were on when i woke up to that noise. Car is blocked in by 2 others tonight.
GarethGTR said:
Fair play to the police. There was a forensic van here, a police car, a plain clothes police car, a plain pursuit GSXR1000 and two high speed police pursuit cars here this morning!
I'm curious, did they offer any insight as to why they thought that proportionate response to a vehicle theft several hours earlier? Just seems a bit OTT given the (extremely low?) probability of it being on the move and in the immediate vicinity?I can only assume to make sure that I or the thieves had not stuffed it away somewhere close......the tracker transmits a radius of about 5 miles.
I have full comprehensive insurance with Admiral and protected no claims, and they are being absolute ARSES!
I HAD to be part of a telephone interview that lasted over an hour, including a conference call to the DVLA to assert the state of my license and the state of every named driver. In other words every effort to weadle out of the claim (new locks).
They have told me some astonishing things:
1. My protected no claims will be wiped out
2. NOTHING in the interior is covered. If the stole the seats - my loss - if the vandalised the inside - my loss. WHAT THE HELL ?????
3. They canceled my policy
Now, I reminded them that they REFUSED to pay Tracker to turn the tracker on after it was stolen, so I paid the £600 and in so doing saved them a HUGE payout - they don't care!
I am going to advertise this everywhere and write to the FSA because I thought comprehensive insurance was "comprehensive" but it is obviously not.
Further more, I am now led to believe that the real purpose of the one hour interview is for their super software to do a lie detector test on my voice. While I think this is GREAT in principal, surely they need to seek my permission (which I would have given) as do the police?
I honestly don't know who is worse, the scum that steal behind your back or the scum that steal in plain view (insurance company).
I have full comprehensive insurance with Admiral and protected no claims, and they are being absolute ARSES!
I HAD to be part of a telephone interview that lasted over an hour, including a conference call to the DVLA to assert the state of my license and the state of every named driver. In other words every effort to weadle out of the claim (new locks).
They have told me some astonishing things:
1. My protected no claims will be wiped out
2. NOTHING in the interior is covered. If the stole the seats - my loss - if the vandalised the inside - my loss. WHAT THE HELL ?????
3. They canceled my policy
Now, I reminded them that they REFUSED to pay Tracker to turn the tracker on after it was stolen, so I paid the £600 and in so doing saved them a HUGE payout - they don't care!
I am going to advertise this everywhere and write to the FSA because I thought comprehensive insurance was "comprehensive" but it is obviously not.
Further more, I am now led to believe that the real purpose of the one hour interview is for their super software to do a lie detector test on my voice. While I think this is GREAT in principal, surely they need to seek my permission (which I would have given) as do the police?
I honestly don't know who is worse, the scum that steal behind your back or the scum that steal in plain view (insurance company).
LooneyTunes said:
I'm curious, did they offer any insight as to why they thought that proportionate response to a vehicle theft several hours earlier? Just seems a bit OTT given the (extremely low?) probability of it being on the move and in the immediate vicinity?
This is not ordinary "taking and driving away"Serious crime squad are now involved due to the violence and extensive international criminal network.
A couple of years ago we had an RS4 stolen, an armed response unit was deployed. The car was chased stopped (3 unmarked 2 marked and 12 officers some armed) within a few miles
They recovered the car (damaged) some of the gang were apprended on the night, the investigation certainly went on for months (maybe still is) whilst the wider network were investigated.
I was aware of offences involving drugs, blackmail, firearms, violence, intimidation as well as car theft and house breaking this I'm guessing were the "cannon fodder"
GarethGTR said:
I can only assume to make sure that I or the thieves had not stuffed it away somewhere close......the tracker transmits a radius of about 5 miles.
I have full comprehensive insurance with Admiral and protected no claims, and they are being absolute ARSES!
I HAD to be part of a telephone interview that lasted over an hour, including a conference call to the DVLA to assert the state of my license and the state of every named driver. In other words every effort to weadle out of the claim (new locks).
They have told me some astonishing things:
1. My protected no claims will be wiped out
2. NOTHING in the interior is covered. If the stole the seats - my loss - if the vandalised the inside - my loss. WHAT THE HELL ?????
3. They canceled my policy
Now, I reminded them that they REFUSED to pay Tracker to turn the tracker on after it was stolen, so I paid the £600 and in so doing saved them a HUGE payout - they don't care!
I am going to advertise this everywhere and write to the FSA because I thought comprehensive insurance was "comprehensive" but it is obviously not.
Further more, I am now led to believe that the real purpose of the one hour interview is for their super software to do a lie detector test on my voice. While I think this is GREAT in principal, surely they need to seek my permission (which I would have given) as do the police?
I honestly don't know who is worse, the scum that steal behind your back or the scum that steal in plain view (insurance company).
Thats crazy mate - the last thing you need!I have full comprehensive insurance with Admiral and protected no claims, and they are being absolute ARSES!
I HAD to be part of a telephone interview that lasted over an hour, including a conference call to the DVLA to assert the state of my license and the state of every named driver. In other words every effort to weadle out of the claim (new locks).
They have told me some astonishing things:
1. My protected no claims will be wiped out
2. NOTHING in the interior is covered. If the stole the seats - my loss - if the vandalised the inside - my loss. WHAT THE HELL ?????
3. They canceled my policy
Now, I reminded them that they REFUSED to pay Tracker to turn the tracker on after it was stolen, so I paid the £600 and in so doing saved them a HUGE payout - they don't care!
I am going to advertise this everywhere and write to the FSA because I thought comprehensive insurance was "comprehensive" but it is obviously not.
Further more, I am now led to believe that the real purpose of the one hour interview is for their super software to do a lie detector test on my voice. While I think this is GREAT in principal, surely they need to seek my permission (which I would have given) as do the police?
I honestly don't know who is worse, the scum that steal behind your back or the scum that steal in plain view (insurance company).
I'm off to read my small print...
I had my house broken in to 2 weeks after picking up my Mini Cooper JCW in 2012. Luckily for me and my family the dog startled them and they made off. We had most of the kent police nightshift at my house(several marked and unmarked and police Helicopter was heard due to the fact i lived in a remote location and they made off on foot. The scum bags got caught and one was hospilised with a large dog bite to his leg. after a investigation it was found to be an inside job. and mine was on a list with several JCW and M class cars.Now i have a bigger dog and always set my house alarm at night even thou it is a pain the Ass with the night feeds.
DocArbathnot said:
LooneyTunes said:
I'm curious, did they offer any insight as to why they thought that proportionate response to a vehicle theft several hours earlier? Just seems a bit OTT given the (extremely low?) probability of it being on the move and in the immediate vicinity?
This is not ordinary "taking and driving away"Serious crime squad are now involved due to the violence and extensive international criminal network.
A couple of years ago we had an RS4 stolen, an armed response unit was deployed. The car was chased stopped (3 unmarked 2 marked and 12 officers some armed) within a few miles
They recovered the car (damaged) some of the gang were apprended on the night, the investigation certainly went on for months (maybe still is) whilst the wider network were investigated.
I was aware of offences involving drugs, blackmail, firearms, violence, intimidation as well as car theft and house breaking this I'm guessing were the "cannon fodder"
Sounds like Admiral aren't fun to deal with. Hope you get it sorted, OP.
Gassing Station | Mercedes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff