Car Stolen - Insurance difficulties 6 weeks later

[Lilythepink]

My house was burgled and the car and house keys were taken. My car insurance company have not provided a courtesy car, and I have had to take time off work, as I have no other way of getting to work, and I also use my car for my job.

Can I claim the cost of car hire????

 

I am very angry that because my car was stolen, I am the one to be inconvenienced...... not the criminal.:mad:

[unclebulgaria67]

The 28 day period is a waiting period to see if the car is found.

 

In regard to the hire car, it depends on whether you have cover under your policy. Ask your Insurers.

[Mossycat]

28 days is the benchmark for finding/recovering a stolen car. That is why you have to wait that period.

 

When it gets to about day 20, if your car has not been found then ask your insurers what documents they want, typically this will be the V5 and MOT certificate and send them in. Most insurers will wait 28 days before asking for these, that prolongs the claim, so pre-empt that and get them in so they can make you an offer on day 28

 

Mossy

[Lilythepink]

My car was stolen on 3/2/10. Reported this to insurance, and I thought I would have got a courtesy car, it did not set this out in my policy documents, or I would not have insured with them. Had to wait 28 days, I phoned the Claims Managment Company nearly every day, but they said they couldnt get in contact with the police, they asked me to contact PSNI. After phoning 4 times, a kind police man told me that I should not have to make any phone calls, as that is what I pay insurance for. (The insurance company has to pay for a report from the police). It is now six weeks since car was stolen, and I need it for my work. I phoned my broker last week and they contacted CM, and suprise I got a phone call, - they usually never returned any of my calls. The handler said he had now managed to contact police and gave me an offer a £1000 below what I expected. Refused it, but they said they would send out cheque anyway, another 7- 10 days to wait for it. Meanwhile they have asked me to look for adverts on Autotrader for the same car as mine, and send them in to them, which I have done. Rang today, they have only seemingly just received my documents, which were posted last week. I am really stressed out over this, and it has affected my working, social and home life very badly. I am at the end of my tether, and my employer and family are too. Any one know what I can do, to get my money? ANy help is much appreciated, before I strangle someone????:mad:

[Lilythepink]

bump

[buzby]

Not really - insurance is a protection for your investment only, not a lifestyle safety net. A 'courtesy car' has really nothing to do with your insurer, but the vehicle repairer. They are obliged to keep a small numner of very small cars available, which are loaned out to claimants WHILST THEIR CAR IS BEWING REPAIRED. Your car isn't being repaired, so no garage has been contracted to effect a repair, so that is the reason you have no replacement vehicle.

 

By all means hassle them to process your claim as you see fit, but you would have required to ask (and pay) for an all risks replacement vehicle which would be additional to your standard policy.

 

After that, it is up to the Insurance Ombudsman if they do not resolve your issue, but from what you say, they appear to be doing what they are supposed to, albeit a bit slowly.

[Lilythepink]

I have been burgled twice in the last six months, and my cars have been stolen by the thieves getting the keys. The insurance company was very difficult to deal with, and I have in fact a complaint in to the FSA about them.

three weeks ago, thieves broke in the back window, after climbing over a 6 foot fence, lifted laptop, Wi and then my car keys and straight out the fron door, whilst taking spare keys of my sisters car, which thankfully was not at the house.

Now I had a phone from a claims investigator who is coming out to see me, do they think I am making a fraudulent claim. I feel like a criminal, and not the victim.

 

thanks for any information:-(

[Lilythepink]

bump

[buzby]

Not a criminal. They'll be looking for contributory negligence on your part. For example, if you had a break in and the car keys stolen from the froont door area, it would be expected that your would not be as silly to leave them there again. If you did, then they may hold you part liable. After a similar break-in with the keys taken from the hallway, I installed a combination key-safe that ALL keys are stored, and would require tools to gain entry - just to the keys! Fortunately nobody's been back.

[Lilythepink]

Hang on a minute, my logic is and police advice was to leave the car keys on hall table, as I do not want them to come upstairs to my bedroom

The insurance company did not advise me to do anything to secure car or keys on the last occasion, so I do not seem how I can be to blame......

[buzby]

If the police actually advised you to leave them on the hall table, point the finger at them.

 

Most of cart thefts from homes are with the owners keys by using a fishing rod through the letter box to hook the keys, so anyone who suggests this is seriously in need of having their job terminated.

 

It does not follow that your keys would be in your bedroom - they might be, but equally they could be in the Kitchen, a drawer (sensible), a key safe or lost under the sofa. Saying you left the keys out to prevent a confrontation in the bedroom would automatically raise suspicion!

[Lilythepink]

well of course the police are not going to admit this. I actually cannot be sure where the car keys where, but I definitely did not leave them within view, as the thieves came in the back way, to grab my handbag and laptop, so the car was a bonus on their way out, they also grabbed another set of spare keys for my husband's car, which was not at the front door that night.

what would you advise me to say or do, as the police will definitely not say that I should leave my keys at the bottom of the stairs. I am on the verge on a nervous breakdown, as I do not know what to do? My car was only worth 6000.

[buzby]

Different policies will apply, your house policy will not pay for the car! Providing there is no negligence on your part, you'll be OK.

[Lilythepink]

My house insurance will not pay for it, and my insurance company will have to pay, as does it mean that if I leave my tv, stereo, laptop is downstairs, I am negilgent.........I dont' think so......

[Lilythepink]

sorry maybe got you wrong threre. I am so upset, and what am I meant to do?????

I did not leave my keys where any one could see them, and my car was not worh much money

[mightymouse_69]

With security in cars becoming more advanced, it has become necessary for car thieves to obtain the car keys.

 

In my area, these are called millennium burglaries, it is fairly common to hear about such burglaries in the local courts.

 

It appears that they are often non violent, however in cases where violence has been used against the home owner (ranging from threats, beating, wounding etc) a common factor is that the keys were withheld from the thieves.

 

Advice can be conflicting - some people will say that one should hide keys... others say that doing this increases the risk that the crook will resort to violence to obtain the keys.

[Bernie_the_Bolt]

I'm not too sure that I agree with Buzby about them looking for "contributory negligence". They may come under the guise of giving advice but what they will be looking for is non-disclosure of material facts at the time of policy proposal or a breach of a policy term after taking out the policy.

[buzby]

My house insurance will not pay for it, and my insurance company will have to pay, as does it mean that if I leave my tv, stereo, laptop is downstairs, I am negilgent.........I dont' think so......

 

You appear to be losing a grip on what is being discussed. Neither have you said WHICH insurer is sending the assessor. Secondly, the fact your household items are downstairs has no relevance to where you leave your car keys. Except where there has been a similar theft attempt. THAT is negligence. Additionally, there is a higher amount of claims for stolen cars in NI so an assessors visit is routine.

 

If the keys were not in view, then they cannot apportion blame. If the car is not worth much money, it will be worth even less when they settle, especially when they take off any excess, and roll up any part payment scheme.

[Lilythepink]

I think perhaps, anybody would "lose their grip", having your car stolen twice.......

 

thanks mightymouse, for putting things in perspective.

[ptol]

I can remember my sanity after having two motorbikes nicked in quick succession. The second one after only owning it 6 days. I heard the theives start up the engine on the ZZR1100 outside the house, phoned the police immediately, and the rather too honest officer said "and how on earth do you expect us to stop that?"

 

Ohh and then trying to get third party insurance after that for bike number 3...

[Lilythepink]

I am due for car insurance renewal on 10/1, have been informed by my insurance company that my premium will be over 4 times what it was.

None of my claims where my fault, as the accident was a third party, who would not admit fault, so the insurance company advised me to just go halfway, and go knock for knock. I paid half the excess out.

I can now not afford to insure my car, after driving with a clean licence for nearly 40 years, I am suffering for the burglars stealing my car......

Any ideas on how to get my premium down.....

I am so angry:evil:

[papasmurf1cx]

Have you gone on the price comparison sites? Place all the similar details in (you obviously need to tell them about all your claims) and see what comes out. I do it every year just to make sure I am getting the best deal. It helps if your mileage is low so try and be accurate on that.

[Lilythepink]

I did that two years ago, but I kept getting phone calls, for months afterwards and the RBS search my credit report every year for some strange reason for car insurance quotes. thanks anyway.....