Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Car crime - very clever (if nasty scum sucking pond life) robbers
Be very careful car owners of the ladder (especially Seymour Road)...
Sometime last night, our car was broken into - I say broken, but somehow they managed to get in a)without causing any damage and b)without triggering the alarm.
It auto locks and the alarm goes off if the kids move while I'm in a petrol station paying, so god knows how they did it.
But they got our sat nav and the kids DVD players, that we know of so far (our car also has tinted windows, so unsure how they even knew it was worth breaking into).
Really very angry about this, as it couldn't have come at a worse time. But just wanted you all to know and be vigilent, and don't (like me, stupid I know) leave anything in your cars. Although our stuff was out of site.
Tags for Forum Posts: vehicle crime
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by cara howard on
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Update: Having spoken to my insurance company, I can't claim because there is no damage to the car. I could only claim for the contents off the bacl of a claim for damage, and because I have no proof a break in happened, I have to stump up myself. Grrrrrrr
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Permalink Reply by Paulie on
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Cara
The AA certainly know how to get into locked cars when the owner has left the keys inside. I presume your insurance company therefore is aware of such methods. Have a look at your policy wording - what does it actually say? Does it stipulate that no claims will be accepted in the absence of proof from the policy holder that there was damage caused to the car - or does it merely stipulate that no losses are covered where the car was left unlocked? If the former, then you MAY be in difficulty. If (as I suspect) it is the latter, you should write to them immediately and state clearly that the car was not left unlocked and that if necessary you will give evidence to that effect yourself.
Did you report this to the police? If so you should notify your insurance number and give the CRIS (crime report) number.
Please do not be content to accept what a customer services assistant tells you on the 'phone if it conflicts with what is in your policy. It is the latter which binds the insurance company, regardless of what they may say.
Check the policy and - if you can - post what it says. I would like to know how you get on with this.
Regards
Paulie
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Their reasoning was that covering possessions is an 'additional benefit' that would be paid out as part of a claim for damage caused by a break in. I asked them how then, if thieves are so sophisticated that they can break in without breaking anything, can anyone ever be covered? I was told that in time if the insurane company realise this is true, they will adapt their cover/policy wording accordingly.
I will check the policy when I have it in front of me, and collate all the info I have found and been given, about this vary nature of theft (there are loads of forum pages about it) and send it all to them with a very strongly worded letter.
It's odd that many cover you if you leave your keys in the car, or if your keys are stolen and your car is taken, but in this instance I did nothing wrong, no keys in it, car locked, alarm on and yet it seems if I'd been more negligent, I'd have been able to claim for all sorts. It's insane.
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Permalink Reply by Robin Parker on
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There's a spate of smash & grabbing going on behind Turnpike Lane too.
A couple of months ago, my car window was broken into and a sat nav stolen from the glovebox (I know, why was it left there...)
Since then I've seen at least the aftermath of four similar break-ins, with the glass being left on the pavement for some weeks afterwards.
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At least if the window was broken I could have claimed. As it is I have to pay for everything because I can't 'prove' it was broken into. It's insane.
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Permalink Reply by Takaokagiejin on
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Sorry to hear that Cara. There is a story in Metro today about thieves using some gizmo to block car locks and steal stuff. I can't find it on the web but may be worth looking into and showing your mean insurance company.
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Permalink Reply by ElleCarumba on
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What make is the car?
It is possible to break the code for electronic locking so you can open the car without damage- Volkswagens used to be well known for this. Used to make my dad think he was going mad as he was sure he locked the car and then it would be unlocked
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KeeLoq#Vulnerability
Hindsight is 20/20 but best not to leave anything of any value in a car even for a short period. Thieves also look for tell tale marks on the dashboard/windscreen where satnavs tend to be stuck.
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It's a Honda. Was still locked this morning though. So they have got in, stolen stuff and made sure it's locked back up, all without anyone knowing. I'm stumped.
I know we shouldn't leave stuff in it, but you think tinted windows, an alarm and the stuff being hidden is enough, just amazed at the genius of being able to do it so immaculately.
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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Sorry to hear this, Cara. I read recently of an increase in muggings around London linked to the economic conditions. I wonder if we'll see an uptick in petty crime generally as the effects of the economy bite.
Worth checking if your home insurance would cover the DVDs. Many contents policies cover valuables outside the home.
You might also take a look at this page on the Financial Ombudsman website. It seems to be saying they'll go in to bat on behalf of people who've left their keys in the car and suffered theft as a result.
I'm not sure that the lack of proof of theft is reason enough to refuse paying you either, is it? Short of recovering it, how does one prove a car's been stolen for instance?
It seems at least worth seeing if there's cause to challenge that initial refusal from your insurer.
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Permalink Reply by LOUISA LIVERMORE on
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Also, I witnessed a cycle-by phone mugging on Woodlands Park Road the other night, so best to keep your phones out of sight when out, especially at night. Think these guys are watching people get off buses on West Green Road and then waiting til they turn down a side street.
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Permalink Reply by pamish on
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That degrades pond life.
I've had thefts from a sealed car too. They can obviously pass through walls. Aliens?
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Hi Billy,
I have protected no claims and haven't made a claim in 15 years, so it would have been worth claiming to save myself the hundreds of pounds in replacing things right at Christmas time. And it has an auto lock which also activates the alarm if you do forget to lock it, as this constantly kicks in anytime I leave my dog in the car at a petrol station and try to leave it unlocked to avoid alarm nuisance, after 30 seconds it locks and sets the alarm anyway. So even if we had left it unlocked, it would have been locked. It was locked when we went out this morning!
It seems it's entirely possible to get into a locked, alarmed car without damage these days, yet the insurance won't pay out. Happy to pay for people who have been negligent however. Very frustrating at this time of year.
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