Author Topic: The car is gone!  (Read 5642 times)

DWF

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The car is gone!
« on: October 26, 2017, 04:24:11 PM »
On 17th July with only just over 4,000 miles and 14 months old, some little toerag broke into my house and stole my car keys along with the jacket they were in and a mobile phone. I thought I heard the front door close at around 3 am and looked out of the window to see my car gone.
Last week a young person was given 8 month prison suspended for 2 years, ordered to do 135 hours unpaid work and had a curfew imposed from 8pm to 6 am for the next 3 months, apparently it really isn't a hanging offence!
This Monday I got £4200 from the GAP insurance, which was a £79 internet purchase as opposed to the £500 dealers offer.
The things I have learnt are
The insurance company will do nothing for 2 weeks just in case it comes back
The insurance company consider it an "At Fault" claim so I have lost 4 years NCB
The police could not catch someone under the age of 55 driving a Jazz in the early hours for over 5 weeks
I have decided to take a payment 'holiday' from new car ownership for now, but may come back if the 3 cylinder engine proves a success..

mikebore

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Re: The car is gone!
« Reply #1 on: October 26, 2017, 04:28:48 PM »
The insurance company consider it an "At Fault" claim so I have lost 4 years NCB

That seems very harsh.....what did the insurance company think you had done wrong?

You seem to be taking it all very well!

trebor1652

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Re: The car is gone!
« Reply #2 on: October 26, 2017, 04:35:14 PM »
What??????
What else are you expected to do with the car keys? Lock them in a safe over night!!!!!!!
Any excuse not to pay out.
If I was you I'd be thinking seriously about changing my insurance provider.
S**m bags.

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andruec

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Re: The car is gone!
« Reply #3 on: October 26, 2017, 04:53:11 PM »
Damn that's bad. I'm amazed they went to all that trouble just for a Jazz. I thought burglary to get car was only used for high-end or performance marques.

I have decided to take a payment 'holiday' from new car ownership for now, but may come back if the 3 cylinder engine proves a success..
Then you probably won't be buying new again. The three cylinder+turbo concept is flawed and seems to be falling out of favour.

Jocko

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Re: The car is gone!
« Reply #4 on: October 26, 2017, 06:11:16 PM »
The insurance company consider it an "At Fault" claim so I have lost 4 years NCB.
Did they actually say that, because normally you lose your NO CLAIMS Bonus because you had to make a claim? Fault doesn't normally come in to it.

culzean

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Re: The car is gone!
« Reply #5 on: October 26, 2017, 06:32:22 PM »
Damn that's bad. I'm amazed they went to all that trouble just for a Jazz. I thought burglary to get car was only used for high-end or performance marques.

I have decided to take a payment 'holiday' from new car ownership for now, but may come back if the 3 cylinder engine proves a success..
Then you probably won't be buying new again. The three cylinder+turbo concept is flawed and seems to be falling out of favour.

Bloody insurance companies give you an umbrella when the sun is shining,  but if it rains they soon take it back.

Small Turbo engines = bad idea Fuel saving not good enough under real life driving and NOx emissions too high.
My brothers new Skoda 1.4 direct injection Turbo (GDI) seems OK though,  claims he gets good mpg and performance is good (0-60 in 7.9sec ) - text below may explain why,  there is no throttle, which means pumping losses don't exist as it behaves like a petrol / diesel engine.

The major advantages of a GDI engine are increased fuel efficiency and high power output. Emissions levels can also be more accurately controlled with the GDI system. The cited gains are achieved by the precise control over the amount of fuel and injection timings that are varied according to engine load. In addition some engines operate on full air intake. This means there is no air throttle plate, which greatly improves efficiency, and reduces piston 'pumping losses'. It also eliminates air throttling losses in some GDI engines, when compared with conventional fuel-injected or carbureted engines. Engine speed is controlled by the engine control unit/engine management system (EMS), which regulates fuel injection function and ignition timing, instead of having a throttle plate that restricts the incoming air supply. Adding this function to the EMS requires considerable enhancement of its processing and memory, as direct injection plus the engine speed management must have very precise algorithms for good performance and drivability.
Some people will only consider you an expert if they agree with your point of view or advice,  when you give them advice they don't like they consider you an idiot

Geoffers

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Re: The car is gone!
« Reply #6 on: October 26, 2017, 07:01:46 PM »
The insurance company consider it an "At Fault" claim so I have lost 4 years NCB.
Did they actually say that, because normally you lose your NO CLAIMS Bonus because you had to make a claim? Fault doesn't normally come in to it.

A good reason for protecting your NCB!
Geoff, York, UK.             Now driving an HR-V after 4 Jazzes!

DWF

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Re: The car is gone!
« Reply #7 on: October 26, 2017, 10:28:16 PM »
Thanks for the input, guys. i would have replied sooner but windows 10 decided that I need a large update right away!
The insurance company with the nodding dog were almost next to useless, they would not offer a courtesy car as they are only for while your car is either assessed for write off or while in the repair shop. I may have tried to argued the case but for a 1.0 Corsa I'm not sure it was worth it.
The police who came around said that it was a dilemma whether to leave car keys next to the front door so they get in an out quick or to hide them and risk a confrontation. The only way to drive away in a car is to have the keys nowadays so they will take whatever they can get.
After two weeks I got sent (by the slowest postal method) a claim form which asked me to send off
A Statement
The crime number
The second set of keys
The V5, signed over to them
Any photos of the car, even better if I was included
Purchase invoice
Finance agreement, and any statements showing the current outstanding figure
Note
If you have GAP insurance then they will want the same documents, so you either have to copy them or give authority to them to act on your behalf to work with your insurance company

I was shocked that the final figure the insurance came up with for my 14 month old ES was £11530.00 and just as surprised when the GAP insurance company, who said NOT to agree to any figure (especially the first number they come up with) said the amount was within £50 of what they would have accepted.
On the positive side the GAP paid out £250 more than I was expecting as they included my compulsory excess.

trebor1652

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Re: The car is gone!
« Reply #8 on: October 26, 2017, 10:36:33 PM »
This has made me think I should be garaging the car again, instead of leaving it on the drive.
If only the standard garage was made one brick wider it would make things so much easier.

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andruec

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Re: The car is gone!
« Reply #9 on: October 27, 2017, 08:49:06 AM »
This has made me think I should be garaging the car again, instead of leaving it on the drive.
If only the standard garage was made one brick wider it would make things so much easier.

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Yeah mine only fits in by folding the wing mirrors. There are two supporting brick pillars in the middle that cause the difficulty. Still - mine always goes into the garage every night.

culzean

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Re: The car is gone!
« Reply #10 on: October 27, 2017, 08:54:55 AM »
This has made me think I should be garaging the car again, instead of leaving it on the drive.
If only the standard garage was made one brick wider it would make things so much easier.

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Our garage is full of motorbikes and paint,  our cars stay on the drive but keys always upstairs in the bedrooms at night, a petty thief is not gonna risk a confrontation with someone in the house and if it isn't a petty thief then your car may be the least of your worries.   I have just fitted some Swann 1920P HD (5MP) CCTV and one camera is looking at driveway,  with good infra-red visibility at night.  CCTV is nowhere near as expensive or hard to DIY as most people think.

If you have outside floodlight(s)  fitted an interesting fact I have found by looking at security sites etc is that if you fit a camera next to the floodlight that it makes most of the light, also intruders normally look up at floodlights when they come on and the camera has a good chance of getting good face shots.  The glare from floodlight also hides the camera.
« Last Edit: October 27, 2017, 09:22:00 AM by culzean »
Some people will only consider you an expert if they agree with your point of view or advice,  when you give them advice they don't like they consider you an idiot

Jocko

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Re: The car is gone!
« Reply #11 on: October 27, 2017, 09:05:01 AM »
My car keys are always in my trouser pocket. At night my trousers are over the chair in the bed room. No thief is going to risk fighting me for a 2006 Honda Jazz!
When I had two cars, the insurance was cheaper for the Jazz, and the reason the insurance company gave was "if a thief broke into the house there is a 50% chance they will take the other car". They wanted to put it up when I sold the Volvo. When I said I would seek a quote elsewhere they changed their mind!

culzean

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Re: The car is gone!
« Reply #12 on: October 27, 2017, 09:25:28 AM »
My car keys are always in my trouser pocket. At night my trousers are over the chair in the bed room. No thief is going to risk fighting me for a 2006 Honda Jazz!

I remember watching a comedian once and he said if ever anyone breaks into his house he will start effing and blinding in his best Scottish accent as Scots are known for their aggression and 'don't give a flying f*ck if I kill you mate' attitude.
Some people will only consider you an expert if they agree with your point of view or advice,  when you give them advice they don't like they consider you an idiot

Jocko

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Re: The car is gone!
« Reply #13 on: October 27, 2017, 09:49:42 AM »
Doesn't work as well in Scotland, I'm afraid. We all sound like hard men here!

JohnAlways

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Re: The car is gone!
« Reply #14 on: October 27, 2017, 10:12:44 AM »
Sorry to hear of your troubles DWF. I know losing the car was just the start of your problems, alternative getting about, paperwork and the stupid onerous task dealing with Insurance (I've just moved away from the Doggy bag company) as I found their renewals were out of touch with accident free motoring.

I hope you can move on, you must also have to repair doors / locks etc on your house and live with the thought someone else without your permission has been in and violated your belongings.

Keeping the keys hidden or in a safe leaves you or your loved ones open to threats and violence with possibly worse consequences so keeping them secure (downstairs away from you person) in my opinion is the better way to go.

I hope you can put this behind you soon, it's not something anyone should have to endure. Regards John

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