Car stolen

[spkennyuk]

Personally, the chances of the theives coming back and having another go is frankly remote, the keys would have been tossed.

Get the car back, order new keys and fit a kill switch somewhere where only you know.

Its not the norm but it has happened. There was a article in the manchester news last year. Similar circumstances with a sporty Audi A3 model that was stolen three times with the keys. The second and third time using the keys they had stolen and kept from the house raid they did to get the keys the first time.

The police suspected that the car was being re-stolen and used for other jobs and then abandoned each time. The thieves and or associates of the original thieves knew they could pick the car up from the owners address whenever they wanted.

 

[Wack61]

Well they aren't going to be able to start it (assuming the code is removed from the car's 'memory')
C

I meant if somebody breaks in and steals the keys again but it's unlikely , if it was parked up that length of time they weren't coming back for it , it must have been an impulse crime with no plans for what they were going to do with it

 

[Mott The Hoople]

Point 1.
"if" this cover is basically an insurance policy (and it sounds as if it is) then it falls within remit of the Financial Conduct Authority and the "seller" must have a stated complaints policy.
Effectively contact them and tell them you are not happy with their decision and you wish to log a complaint on grounds you have stated.
They have a period to investigate the complaint (it will be detailed in their terms of business the timescale..possibly 8 weeks) and then issue a "final decision".
If the final decision is not satisfactory to you, you then have the ability to pass the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
They will investigate and costs you nothing but if find in your favour the firm will have to pay out.
Biggest hassle you have is the time it will take but if they do not agree to back down when you make a complaint (and they may very well do so if you point out you intend going to the Ombudsman if necessary) you just have to wait sadly.
I think you have a strong case in that it wasn't simply keys stolen it was the vehicle and Insurance company had given up on recovery and were settling with you when can turned up.
Good luck.

I do have experience of this (from both sides) and was going to say exactly what Needamaser has already said. Sound advice - follow it and i would be very hopeful of success. You will probably have to stump up for the work whilst the case is in process, but then there will be less debate about the claim amount.
Steve.

 

[Mott The Hoople]

It quite possible that this was just a convenient transport for the stolen household goods. However, that key has a value in the criminal fraternity and could now be sold on to more specialist criminals whose target would be the car itself. They may well have the appropriate skills to rapidly find kill switches etc. Personally I would go the whole hog and make enough changes to render the old key entirely useless.

You may well have problems with a future insurance claim in which the stolen key was used. (That assumes the insurer knows there's a stolen key out there.) It's hard to see how a new insurer would know about the key if the current claim is expunged and you don't tell them. However, if your current policy continues, or is renewed, then they will clearly already know about the stolen key.

Wouldn't changing the locks and deleting the stolen key from the car's existing systems be sufficient?

Steve.

 

[CatmanV2]

Wouldn't changing the locks and deleting the stolen key from the car's existing systems be sufficient?

Steve.

I'm struggling to see why not, but.....

C

 

[Wack61]

It quite possible that this was just a convenient transport for the stolen household goods. However, that key has a value in the criminal fraternity and could now be sold on to more specialist criminals whose target would be the car itself. They may well have the appropriate skills to rapidly find kill switches etc. Personally I would go the whole hog and make enough changes to render the old key entirely useless.

You may well have problems with a future insurance claim in which the stolen key was used. (That assumes the insurer knows there's a stolen key out there.) It's hard to see how a new insurer would know about the key if the current claim is expunged and you don't tell them. However, if your current policy continues, or is renewed, then they will clearly already know about the stolen key.

Wouldn't changing the locks and deleting the stolen key from the car's existing systems be sufficient?

Steve.

If it was a 100k lamborghini I could see that argument , but a 4200

 

[rockits]

This is one issue I have where the whole locking systems ofncars and houses are often do flawed. Every time I move house I change at least one lock on each external door. I have no Idea who has copies of keys from the previous owner or even before that. Many people don't do this so the house is an easy target to be accessed easily with old keys.

I bet the same vulnerability exists in the car world as well. Harder to find a car than a static house that you know where it is but the same vulnerabilities apply. These old locking systems are very out of date, quite insecure in these instances and very vulnerable.

 

[CatmanV2]

This is one issue I have where the whole locking systems ofncars and houses are often do flawed. Every time I move house I change at least one lock on each external door.

Doesn't everyone? Boggle!

C

 

[rockits]

You'd think so wouldn't you. Boggle indeed.

 

[Needamaser]

You may well have problems with a future insurance claim in which the stolen key was used. (That assumes the insurer knows there's a stolen key out there.) It's hard to see how a new insurer would know about the key if the current claim is expunged and you don't tell them. However, if your current policy continues, or is renewed, then they will clearly already know about the stolen key.

The theft will need to be declared to any future insurer even if the present insurer closes the file with no payment.
With the advent of the Claims Underwriting Exchange (CUE) every claim with every Insurer goes onto that database and although the Insurer can update details of claims to show what was or was not paid out they cannot delete the claim from the database.
Almost every insurer as a matter of course does a "CUE " search when a new policy is taken out and they will match up the Person taking out the policy as well as any driver on the policy who may have made a claim under their own policy in the past.
In this case the OP will need to declare this claim to anyone where he is a named driver. Certainly every new claim results in an automatic CUE search.

 

[rockits]

So if you didn't claim you wouldn't need to mention it?

 

[Needamaser]

If insurance company were not made aware of a potential loss (eg phoning to notify them) then unless someone else did (police or another party) there would be nothing on the system.
Same as finding your car damaged in a car park and you decide to repair it yourself.

 

[ps1]

Just received quote to change locks. £2400 all in!!!

Over 2/3 of that is for a new alarm. Do I have to change alarm too??

Really thinking of reprogramming spare key and keeping the original locks at this point. Keycare will only cover for 1k as it is if I do eventually get them to pay out.

So if i don't change locks I just get spare key reprogrammed and new key done from that? Do i still need to delete the old key from the system?

Thanks again everyone.

P

 

[CatmanV2]

Just received quote to change locks. £2400 all in!!!

Over 2/3 of that is for a new alarm. Do I have to change alarm too??

Really thinking of reprogramming spare key and keeping the original locks at this point. Keycare will only cover for 1k as it is if I do eventually get them to pay out.

So if i don't change locks I just get spare key reprogrammed and new key done from that? Do i still need to delete the old key from the system?

Thanks again everyone.

P

The modules are all coded to work together I understand so it's all or nothing.

Not sure what you mean by 'spare key reprogrammed' It might be easier to talk you through this if you want...
Alarm and ECU immobiliser are completely separate systems.

C

 

[ps1]

Please please talk me through this!! I guess I just need to know if there is an alternative cheaper way of securing the car that doesn't involve changing all locks and alarm.....

 

[CatmanV2]

PM sent, chap!

C

 

[ps1]

Last call for help!

I'm about to give go ahead to have 2 new keys programmed which will mean stolen key will activate alarm and will not start car. This is a lot cheaper than new locks and alarm (2.5k).

My only concern is insurance. They are awaiting confirmation that the locks are sorted. Will the above solution be enough for them or will they insist on changing all the locks? No point doing something that will mean i won't be covered by insurance. Is there wording i can use to ensure they are satisfied with just the reprogramming?

Thanks again everyone.

P

 

[CatmanV2]

Last call for help!

I'm about to give go ahead to have 2 new keys programmed which will mean stolen key will activate alarm and will not start car. This is a lot cheaper than new locks and alarm (2.5k).

My only concern is insurance. They are awaiting confirmation that the locks are sorted. Will the above solution be enough for them or will they insist on changing all the locks? No point doing something that will mean i won't be covered by insurance. Is there wording i can use to ensure they are satisfied with just the reprogramming?

Thanks again everyone.

P

I think you're going to have to ask them

C

 

[cheshiremaserati]

Rather than speculating, why don't you just ask the insurer and make your enquiries in writing for the record?

 

[Navcorr]

Morning - sorry to read about the recent hassles. I have no specific knowledge of the systems so don't know if this firm's products could help:

http://www.abacuscaralarms.co.uk/re-coding-meta-alarms/maserati.html

Has anyone used them before or have any thoughts? On the face of it, to the uneducated like me, this could be a solution. Perhaps if none else it could buy some time whilst sorting out a "proper" fix. Maybe worth calling them to see what they can and can't do.