My cars been stolen (1 Viewer)

Jon

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I went for lunch with an American friend of mine to come back and find my car has been stolen. What a PITA. Now my insurance premiums will go through the roof, I have lost my driving glasses, money that was inside the car, need to find a new car, get that insured at a new higher rate, and so on. It was parked in a public carpark in broad daylight.

Has anyone here had their car stolen and was it recovered?
 

Mike Krailo

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Sorry to hear that Jon. A very long time ago, I had my car stolen right from my parking spot at my apartment. I didn't even know the car was gone until I got a call in the morning informing me to check if my car was stolen. The police found the guitar behind a church and ended up charging some teens for the offence, but they were all under age so nothing really happened much except that my basketball and camera that were in the car disappeared. But I got my car back without much damage other than a broken window.
 

Jon

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I've just read that the average increase in your insurance premiums after a car theft is £628, and sods law, my premium is due for renewal in one month. Then again, I no longer have a car to renew. In any case, £600+ extra per year will mean, together with paying the excess, that this episode will cost me £3,000+ over the next few years.
 

Isaac

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That really stinks Jon, I'm sorry to hear that. Just by chance was it a Kia or Hyundai?
 

Minty

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A friend had his car stolen off his driveway about 10 days ago. A modern immobilised and locked Mercedes Estate. They didn't hear a thing.
Rather unbelievably they also somehow disabled all the local Ring Video Doorbells as well, so no local video footage :eek:

Do you not have a protected no claims discount?
 

Mike Krailo

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A friend had his car stolen off his driveway about 10 days ago. A modern immobilised and locked Mercedes Estate. They didn't hear a thing.
Rather unbelievably they also somehow disabled all the local Ring Video Doorbells as well, so no local video footage :eek:
That is very interesting. I wonder what technology was being used to disable the ring video? Some sort of jammer? Will have to investigate this. Even so, they could have simply worn masks and you wouldn't get much from the video other than how many were involved and general description. I assume this was at night time, but if during the day, that would be very impressive.

Well I just found this on the Ring Video forums:
TL;DR Signal jamming isn't a new technology, and, in the US anyway, is illegal...always has been. But then again, so is/has stealing...and if you have something someone else wants, they'll try and (quite possibly succeed) get/take it from you. MORE INFO In the end, a sophisticated thief will have many tools in his/her kit to disarm, disable and circumvent ANY security system, up to and including the tried, true and less often used, spray paint. Moreover, those who have perfected the art will have surveyed the establishment for days/weeks/months before executing... unfortunately, systems that are not active 24/7 (and employ consistent reviews of the information/data collected), will likely never present and therefore prevent break-ins such as these. Still, casing the joint remains rare, especially in residential situations. The key word in any home or small business security system is prevention...give the thieves multiple reasons to "look" elsewhere. This includes proper lighting (on/off at varying intervals). Another best practice is the use of non-descript signage indicating the property is protected (anyone who uses signage that indicates who/what is monitoring said property is beyond foolish. I have never understood why manufacturers, Ring included, do this other than being an invitation and marketing campaign). I liken it to lock manufacturers that include the name and model on the device (for all the world to see). Once again, making it easier for the thief and it's free advertising. Thanks for the assist, Master, Schlage and many others! Other options include the use of multiple camera systems, including those that are hidden and/or appear to be something else (e.g., teddy bear camera, picture frame, etc.) as well as those that have the option to record locally (e.g., SD card or NVR). Thankfully, in my neck of the woods, the majority of those who commit break-ins remain uneducated and highly motivated to get it done ASAP (i.e., stupid and impatient).
 

NauticalGent

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Had mine repossessed, does that count?

Joking aside, that really bites. Had to fathom how YOU get punished with higher premiums - isn't insurance basically risk management? They gambled and lost. How is this your fault?
 

pbaldy

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Many years ago I bought a new car and gave my old car to one of my daughters. She parked it in a University parking lot, from which it was stolen. It was found in a field and towed. It had been stripped of some vital parts (popular model with kids, a Honda Civic Si). They didn't tell me right away and it cost me $500 to get it out of the tow yard, which added insult to injury.

My insurance didn't go up since the car had been transferred to my ex-wife's policy. She, in her infinite wisdom, decided not to pay for collision/comprehensive, so it was a complete loss. 🤬
 

Cotswold

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Not just the money, there is the time wasted.
Even if you just have a small bump, you know that a week of your life is just about to disappear.
 

The_Doc_Man

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I had just traded in an old Pontiac Grand Prix to get a newer, more sedate sedan. Six months after the trade-in, I got a call from Orleans Parish Police that someone had obviously stolen my Pontiac and stripped it for parts, leaving it on the side of the road on cinder blocks. Fortunately, I had a completed Louisiana state Dept. of Motor Vehicles form that showed I had traded it in and it named the recipient. So I sent them a photocopy of my transfer of custody form. They never called me back. I had to laugh, though, because if some punk HAD stolen the car and tried to get away from the police in a high-speed chase, it would have overheated and the engine would have seized up. (Which is why I traded it in.)

Since that time, I bought only used cars that were non-descript, definitely not flashy. My current vehicle was an exception, but I bought it new 14 years ago. Nobody wants that old hunk of junk anyway. But it does what I want it to.

There was a company (may still be in business) called "Rent-A-Wreck" that provided driveable cars that met road safety standards but had a little (or more than a little) body damage as a way to deter theft. Using the old "who would want that hunk of junk anyway" method.

Sorry to hear about your car, Jon. Good luck with that. Maybe someone will find it and all you would need would be some repairs.
 

moke123

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Bummer Jon.

Small town living has it's advantages. If you looked in every car in our convenience store parking lot you'd find that more than half have the keys in the ignition, if they're not running. It's surprising there aren't more thefts.

The best car theft ring I ever encountered was in NY. They would steal a high end car and strip it to the bare frame. They would then dump the frame on the side of a highway which would then wind up in a salvage yard. They would buy back the frame for pennies which would come with a salvage title. They would then re-assemble the car with the original parts and legally sell it.
 

cheekybuddha

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I went for lunch with an American friend of mine to come back and find my car has been stolen.
Double-check with the car pounds (the police can give you a number which will check across them) - since you had 'issues' with parking tickets recently, perhaps a bailiff didn't get the message that you had yours cancelled?
 

ColinEssex

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A few years back a friend of mine had a Humber Scepter, a beautiful white one, and it was an automatic. He had it stolen from outside his house. The police found it next day in perfect condition - minus the automatic gearbox. Most odd.
Col
 

The_Doc_Man

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A few years back a friend of mine had a Humber Scepter, a beautiful white one, and it was an automatic. He had it stolen from outside his house. The police found it next day in perfect condition - minus the automatic gearbox. Most odd.
Col

Col, that actually makes sense in a way if someone was specifically looking for an automatic gearbox to replace one that had gone bad. In the USA, we have car thefts just like the one that Jon described. However, some of them are targeted for specific parts that are hard to find on the open market or after-market venues.
 

DickyP

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Col, that actually makes sense in a way if someone was specifically looking for an automatic gearbox ...
Actually in makes a lot of sense in UK - although they are getting more popular automatics have only been the majority since 2019. In the days of Humber Sceptres (last built in 1976) they were very unusual and hence very attractive/valuable because of rarity.
 

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