Car just been keyed - on CCTV. What to do next?
Discussion
Hi all,
Well, it had to happen one day I suppose. The Mrs has just come back from shopping to find a great big key scratch down the side.
I called the shopping centre and they have it on CCTV. There is only one person goes past the car (a hooded male) in the entire time it was parked up. He walks very close to the drivers side (where the damage is) and has a carrier bag in his hand.
The security guy was incredibly helpful and might be able to find his face by looking on other cameras, but they would only do this if instructed by the police or insurance company as in his opinion, the view from the CCTV makes it [i]looks[i] like an accident of brushing past the car - I suppose thats how the get away with it.
The camera footage is on the passenger side mainly, whereas the scratch is on the drivers side, so you cannot absolutely confirm from the video that this scumbag did it. Nor can I say with absolute certainty that the scratch wasn't there this morning (but we are 99% sure as its bloody obvious).
So they are the facts. Question to my fellow PHers is... what to do next? Report to police knowing the chances of apprehension are slim, report to insurance, or just get it repaired myself?
I think the chance of conviction based on that footage is minimal, and therefore don't expect the police to do any investigative activity whatsoever. However, I'd love it for him just to have that knock on the door and questioning though, as he might think twice in future, so maybe the insurance company would be more intersted as they have a financial stake in it. Thats the goal really - for the guy to know that someone is onto him. But if I'm just wasting my time, I'll just send it to the bodyshop and have done with it.
Thoughts? Just looking for any similar experience really and what the best outcome would be.
Ta!
Paul.
Well, it had to happen one day I suppose. The Mrs has just come back from shopping to find a great big key scratch down the side.
I called the shopping centre and they have it on CCTV. There is only one person goes past the car (a hooded male) in the entire time it was parked up. He walks very close to the drivers side (where the damage is) and has a carrier bag in his hand.
The security guy was incredibly helpful and might be able to find his face by looking on other cameras, but they would only do this if instructed by the police or insurance company as in his opinion, the view from the CCTV makes it [i]looks[i] like an accident of brushing past the car - I suppose thats how the get away with it.
The camera footage is on the passenger side mainly, whereas the scratch is on the drivers side, so you cannot absolutely confirm from the video that this scumbag did it. Nor can I say with absolute certainty that the scratch wasn't there this morning (but we are 99% sure as its bloody obvious).
So they are the facts. Question to my fellow PHers is... what to do next? Report to police knowing the chances of apprehension are slim, report to insurance, or just get it repaired myself?
I think the chance of conviction based on that footage is minimal, and therefore don't expect the police to do any investigative activity whatsoever. However, I'd love it for him just to have that knock on the door and questioning though, as he might think twice in future, so maybe the insurance company would be more intersted as they have a financial stake in it. Thats the goal really - for the guy to know that someone is onto him. But if I'm just wasting my time, I'll just send it to the bodyshop and have done with it.
Thoughts? Just looking for any similar experience really and what the best outcome would be.
Ta!
Paul.
Edited by Paul O on Wednesday 11th March 13:01
I had a satnav nicked from a car park and it was reported as it was the policy of the car park to report stuff. I didn’t think anything would come of it, but two years later I got a letter from Thames Valley police saying someone had admitted to mine and about 100 other thefts which it transpired fuelled a drug habit. I always wondered how he could remember!
I don't think there's any harm in reporting it to the police. If nothing else, it means it gets recorded, which makes their figures look less impressive. Also, many insurance companies will require a crime reference number for vandal damage claims, assuming you decide not to front up the repair cost yourself.
You have my sympathy OP. I have had this done to two separate cars, and relatively humble ones at that. It is like being kicked in the nuts. So completely and utterly pointless. If they smash a window and nick something, you can understand why they did it. Keying just shows some sort of psychological malfunction or defect in my view. Baffling behaviour.
You have my sympathy OP. I have had this done to two separate cars, and relatively humble ones at that. It is like being kicked in the nuts. So completely and utterly pointless. If they smash a window and nick something, you can understand why they did it. Keying just shows some sort of psychological malfunction or defect in my view. Baffling behaviour.
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