Car Broken Into-Advice

Rowley Birkin QC

My car got broken into today, passenger window broken, door frame pulled back, phone taken( I know its my own fault for leaving it in the car, no need to point that out to me).

Its been reported to the guards, phone and SIM has been cancelled and the insurance company has been informed. I have fully comp cover so they should be taking care of it.

Can I go ahead and get the car fixed ,needs a new door and spraying, or do I have to wait for the assessor to come out and look at it in its damaged state first??
Im with Quinn Direct by the way, anyone had any experiences like this with them?

gary the great

Did they try rob the car or were they just after the phone. Strange for them to pull the door back just for a phone, they would usually just do a smash and grab.

Sometimes the cost of fixing the ignition and steering rack can cost more than getting the door fixed.

What car was it?

Rowley Birkin QC

98 Opel vectra. No attempt made to start the car or break into glove box, thought that was a bit strange myself. Its a Sony Ericcson K800i phone so twould be worth a few bob to the little toe-rag that took it.

Saruman

I would make it clear the phone was in the glove compartment and not visible. That way it seems they tried to steal the car but when they found an expensive phone they just cut their losses and legged it.

Did you actually call Quinn direct? If not then do so. they will usually like any insurance company direct you to one of their own garages. Just take it there, they will fix it and bill Quinn.

If the phone was insured seperatly then there is no need to even mention it to Quinn!

Rowley Birkin QC

Yeah rang quinn direct while i was waiting for plod to arrive.Their assessor is due out "some time tomorrow". Thing is the phone was under the handbrake, completely forgot to put it in my pocket when i got out of the car.

Could the fact that it was visible affect things?

EDIT: the phone is insured separately with 02 but reading their policy document they say that they do not cover phones "stolen from an unattended vehicle, unless they are in a glove compartment or locked boot".

Lorax

Tell O2 it was in the glovebox, not much different between an unlocked glovebox and under the handbrake anyway but, to be honest mate the only reason your car got broken into was because they saw the phone.

Dunno why they bent the doorframe if they were gonna break the passenger window anyway, probably werent getting anywhere with bending the door so got impatient..

Wossack

Lorax wrote:

Tell O2 it was in the glovebox, not much different between an unlocked glovebox and under the handbrake anyway but, to be honest mate the only reason your car got broken into was because they saw the phone.

Dunno why they bent the doorframe if they were gonna break the passenger window anyway, probably werent getting anywhere with bending the door so got impatient..

would the bending of the door frame not break the window? coulda been hauling on the frame (its quieter?) and the window broke, setting off alarm(?), grabbed phone and legged it

Saruman

Regardless.. like i said... tell the insurance companies the phone was in the glove compartment.

KTRIC

bigkev49 wrote:

Yeah rang quinn direct while i was waiting for plod to arrive.Their assessor is due out "some time tomorrow". Thing is the phone was under the handbrake, completely forgot to put it in my pocket when i got out of the car.

Could the fact that it was visible affect things?

EDIT: the phone is insured separately with 02 but reading their policy document they say that they do not cover phones "stolen from an unattended vehicle, unless they are in a glove compartment or locked boot".

The phone was in the glovebox

Just remember that and you'll be fine.

kluivert

KTRIC wrote:

The phone was in the glovebox

Just remember that and you'll be fine.

Such a load of bull. Going to the insurance over that.

Wrong quote sorry.

I had my car broken into the three weeks ago now exact same thing, the door was bent back, when they found out that the door was coming unlocked they broke the rear quater glass window and winded down the rear window and helped themselves to my 450e stereo.

The top right hand corner of the door was bent back a good 6-10 inchs, took it to my local panel beater who fixed the whole lot for 230e. Resprayed the works you wouldnt know anything happened.

A second hand door is 150e in a scrap yard.
Panel beater to hand a door and respray it to match the car 250e

Total is 400e, alot more expensive than getting it put back in place.

If theres a panle beater who says you need a new door, then you know that they are not fit for it.

Rowley Birkin QC

Nope the door is f***ed alrite. its heavily stressed at the point where the window frame part meets the main body of the door and again at the bottom left,not cosmetic damage. My first thought was to get a door from a mate whose dad is a main opel dealer and fix it myself but whats the point in having fully comp insurance then,specially while im in dublin and tools and workshop are at home in cork. This time I just want to get it sorted ASAP, have to drive home to cork on friday so in this weather i want a nice solid door with no draughts!!

Think their MO was to pull back the frame and the window snapped as a consequence of that. thats what it looked like anyway

Filled in 02 claim form and you guys were right the phone was in the glovebox

Quinn-direct rang this morning and said it will be tomorrow morning before the assessor comes to look at the car, im not a happy bunny.

Just thinking that the interior of the car is going to be damp, I have it sealed as best i can but moisture will still get in there. Any ideas? dehumidifier perhaps?

RosieJoe

An aside to your problems, I thought the 98 Vectra had deadlocking on it! I had a 98 Astra and if you dead locked using the key fob it meant that even if you pulled up the lock from the inside the door still would not open.

Looks like they broke the window, couldn't open the door and just pulled the frame back as much as they could to wriggle in to nick the phone!

Rowley Birkin QC

Yeah she has the deadlocks alrite. think they activate on the second locking click of the keyfob.

Its a light gold metallic colour, think champagne may be the term, that door is gonna look pretty outta place with its shiny new paint compared to the 9 year old paint everywhere else on that side. really wish i could get my hands on the little scumbag who did it, introduce him to the business end of my .22!! Unloaded of course!!

Borzoi

bigkev49 wrote:

I have fully comp cover so they should be taking care of it.
?

Just be careful on this - though you have fully comp, you may have an excess that the policy doesn't cover. ie An excess of €200 means that the insurance company will not pay the first €200 of any claim. Couple this with:
1) Any effect on your no claims bonus.
2) Unwillingness form other insurance companies to take on new business 'if you've claimed in the last 5 years'

So claiming on your policy could cost you more in the long term. Do the sums yourself

RosieJoe

Why not check some of the breakers yards to see if they have the same colour door that you could use?

May mean that you do not need to go through the insurance and affect your no claims. Only required if you do not have the no claims protection on your insurance

Rowley Birkin QC

Borzoi wrote:

1) Any effect on your no claims bonus.

I can claim once per insurance term without it affecting my NCB

Borzoi wrote:

2) Unwillingness form other insurance companies to take on new business 'if you've claimed in the last 5 years'

Hadn't looked into that to be honest, is it not just the accumulated years of NCB they are really interested in?

Rowley Birkin QC

RosieJoe wrote:

Why not check some of the breakers yards to see if they have the same colour door that you could use?

May mean that you do not need to go through the insurance and affect your no claims. Only required if you do not have the no claims protection on your insurance

Any suggestions for yards in Dublin? Breaker in Watergrasshill in Cork is usually my first resource for anything like this but he is a bit out of range for this particular job!

RosieJoe

Found a few old posts that may be of help to you:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/archive/index.php/t-303578.html

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=178843

Hope this helps

Rowley Birkin QC

RosieJoe wrote:

Found a few old posts that may be of help to you:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/archive/index.php/t-303578.html

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=178843

Hope this helps

Cheers rosiejoe, found a breakers in Coolock called Summerhill Spares 018673232
from that post. If things go bad with the assessor tomorrow I have parts lined up with this guy €110, very easy to deal with and didnt mind that I was only ringing for comparitive prices, same parts from Opel cost €530.

Cheers for the research

Rowley Birkin QC

ARRGH!! car still isnt assessed and will more than likely be classed as an economical write off due to repair costs in dublin. avoid quinn direct and having your car damaged in dublin like the plague!! Also 02 will not give me either a courtesy phone or a replacement phone until tuesday despite the fact I give them about €100 a month AND pay their highest insurance fee.

Rant over

Guy:Incognito

RosieJoe wrote:

Looks like they broke the window, couldn't open the door and just pulled the frame back as much as they could to wriggle in to nick the phone!

Why would they pull back the doorframe to create a 10 inch gap tro try squeeze an arm through if they had already broken a window that you could fit your wholebody through?

DonJose

I can claim once per insurance term without it affecting my NCB

Personally I'd go to a scrap yard and find a replacement door. The last thing you want to do is claim from your insurance, then have an accident later on, touch wood. If this did happen you'd have to claim again.

Rowley Birkin QC

DonJose wrote:

Personally I'd go to a scrap yard and find a replacement door. The last thing you want to do is claim from your insurance, then have an accident later on, touch wood. If this did happen you'd have to claim again.

think this is the way I'm gonna go because my gut feeling is that quinn direct will see the car as an economical write-off. Problem is I'm in Dublin and my tools and workshop are at home in cork. Wondering as well if quinn direct will still cover me to drive home in an unrepaired car that they have deemed to be a category C write off?

I reckon i could fix the car at home for €300 max. Spoke to a garage today and they quoted €1600 inc VAT.

Off topic I've decided that if i win the lotto I'm gonna fix it, park the car in the exact same spot with an identical phone in the same place it was and sit at the other end of the street with a high powered rifle,then play the waiting game!(if i get sick of that ill just play hungry hungry hippos!!)

Rowley Birkin QC

Hooray fixed the car meself for €200! found a door at a breakers exact same colour with no scrathes, dings or dents and glass intact!! Seen as I didnt have the expense of getting the door resprayed and blended into the rest of the car I gave the car to a mechanic mate and took the keys of the oul lads shiny new A4 for the weekend.

Result. Cheers for the advice gents. and ladygents if applicable!

overdriver

Tell O2 to kill the handset. they can do that now, and render it useless to whatever dirtbag has it.