car stolen with spare key

bbq · 01-12-2008 9:49pm #1

I came on here last April to get advice on moving up from a base Golf 1.4. E92 went to a lot of trouble to give me advice and on the basis of that I bought a 1.6 FSI from a dealer which had been imported from the UK. 21,000 miles, 05, immaculate. I did a HPI check on it and there were no problems. Loved it.

Last Monday, a member of the 'travelling community' called to my house to 'sweep up leaves'. In between asking me for bags and brushes which to my great shame, got me out to the back of the house to look for a brush, he obviously made his way into my hall where he lifted the spare key from the bowl on the hall table. I knew nothing about it until Wednesday when I was evidently followed to a nearby shopping centre where my car was taken. They couldn't get it on the two previous nights as the car was blocked in by another car. Our dog went ballistic on Tuesday night, barking and growling, but quietened down then so we didn't take much notice. Suffice to say, we've learned a lot in the last few days.

It was black, reg. 05 D 85833 with a big bash on the back door on the driver's side where a woman reversed into it about three weeks ago. It was due to go to Ace Autobody last week to be repaired.

When it was taken, I didn't realise that the spare key had been taken until I got home to look for it. The cops who came to the scene told me it couldn't have been taken without a key and quite evidently suspected me of pulling a scam. I talked to somebody I know who's a guard and she said that if I couldn't produce the spare key, they'd automatically assume that there was something dodgy about the theft. I couldn't believe it.

I've calmed down a bit now but I was completely freaked and spooked by the idea that the guy had effectively burgled us and that I'd been followed. A guy rang me from the insurance company the next day so I gave him the details of what happened. Then on Saturday, a retired detective who now works for the insurance company came to my house to take a statement. My garda friend arranged for me to go to my local garda station to make a statement. My car was stolen in an area under a different station. She said there were burglaries all over our area with car keys being taken but the local cops seemed to have no idea of what was going on. She told me they weren't even looking for the car - that the emphasis was on suspecting me of staging an insurance scam.

Apparently the ex detective was happy that my story was genuine but I'm sick that there was any doubt. It means that while the emphasis was on suspecting me, nobody had any interest in looking for my car. I've been reading here and on the VAG board today and realise that it's either in a container on its way to another country or possibly sitting in a car park somewhere until they're ready to move. But nobody's looking for it.

Still don't know what the insurance company are going to decide. What is it about this effing country that innocent, hardworking people get tarred with the skanger brush? And the skangers are laughing their asses off at us?

peasant · 01-12-2008 10:03pm

post de-coupled from old stolen car thread, new thread and heading created

ninty9er · 01-12-2008 10:10pm

Two words:

Garda Ombudsman!!

bbq · 01-12-2008 10:13pm

You're right. I'll wait to see what happens first with the insurance company. Then I'll take it further.

Barr · 01-12-2008 10:15pm

Christ thats a tough situation to be in - im guessing the insurance company will have to pay given the fact they cant disprove your story

return guide · 01-12-2008 10:17pm

Sorry to hear about your car, my wifes car was taken last week. It was found about half a mile away by the Gardai , who were brilliant.

The car was burnt out, why and how they took it is still a mystery to me but the the Gardai say that it was a very wet night and they may have been looking for a ride home.

Anyway, the claims department are ringing tomorrow for a "tele-meeting" so God knows how that will go.

I hope you do not mind me jumping on your thread, but it seems the recession is bringing back some really crappy memories of the bad 80's.

Rowley Birkin QC · 01-12-2008 10:19pm

Terrible story man, best of luck with it anyway.

bbq · 01-12-2008 10:20pm

return guide wrote: »

Sorry to hear about your car, my wifes car was taken last week. It was found about half a mile away by the Gardai , who were brilliant.

The car was burnt out, why and how they took it is still a mystery to me but the the Gardai say that it was a very wet night and they may have been looking for a ride home.

Anyway, the claims department are ringing tomorrow for a "tele-meeting" so God knows how that will go.

I hope you do not mind me jumping on your thread, but it seems the recession is bringing back some really crappy memories of the bad 80's.

It's funny you say that. That's exactly what our insurance broker said. Celtic Tiger disappears and they all crawl out of the woodwork.

Vanbis · 01-12-2008 10:31pm

I know of a neighbours car robbed a few weeks go and it was found a few miles away but they didnt even know it was taken until the police called. Then i heard my next door neighbour alarm went off and he saw a couple of lads at his BMW but they were gone in a few minutes.

What area did this happen in? I'm sure it will all work out for you, just probably going to take that bit longer.

bbq · 01-12-2008 11:15pm

You'll appreciate why I won't give details of my area at this stage given what my Garda friend had to say and pending my insurance company's decision. But I'll be happy to give all the details if I have to take it further.

qz · 01-12-2008 11:30pm

Sorry to hear it bbq, I'll keep an eye out. Hope you get it sorted.

Buffman · 02-12-2008 12:43am

ninty9er wrote: »

Two words:

Garda Ombudsman!!

What can they do about stolen cars....

bbq wrote: »

You're right. I'll wait to see what happens first with the insurance company. Then I'll take it further.

Sorry to read about the car, I don't see any reason why your insurance would not cover this though.
Most likely it's lying up in some carpark until the scum are sure there isn't a tracker fitted.
Morale of they story: Don't give strangers access to your house, and never leave car keys in plain view.

L1011 · 02-12-2008 12:55am

Buffman wrote: »

What can they do about stolen cars....

I would suspect its more about the Guards basically refusing to do their job...

Darragh29 · 02-12-2008 2:24am

The logic of what is going on here OP is that with credit tightening and cars not selling, the insurance companies are now looking with a huge degree of caution on any car that is stolen or burnt out. They are suspecting, not without grounds in my opinion, that some people under financial pressure are deciding to torch their car or have it "stolen", in order to basically liquidate their asset to alleviate financial pressures and bypass the obvious hassle of selling the car with the market the way it currently is.

I'd be the same though, if I was accused in the wrong, I'd go off the deep end, and as sugggested, I think it is right that you go to the Garda Ombudsman with this and make a formal complaint, because recession or no recession, I don't agree that an insurance company should be able to effectively accuse you of a crime by default. Unfortunately, there is an unsavory alliance between the Gardai and insurance companies in this state...

In your favour though, I used to do insurance assessing and there was a rule whereby if your vehicle was not found, your no claims bonus was unaffected...

January · 02-12-2008 2:48am

I'm so afraid of this happening it's unbelieveable... I bought a new car last week (well 07 car) and the dealer told me he'd ring me when he got the spare key in. I'm afraid that my car will be stolen and the only thing that could be used is the spare key!!

Voodoomelon · 02-12-2008 3:05am

Where's the key coming from?

January · 02-12-2008 3:17am

They say it's coming from the previous owner...

SLIM19198 · 02-12-2008 3:18am

adrieanne__x wrote: »

They say it's coming from the previous owner...

How do you know if they ever had an EXTRA key cut????

You can never be sure!!!

January · 02-12-2008 3:30am

SLIM19198 wrote: »

How do you know if they ever had an EXTRA key cut????

You can never be sure!!!

How would I find out???

Darragh29 · 02-12-2008 3:35am

adrieanne__x wrote: »

I'm so afraid of this happening it's unbelieveable... I bought a new car last week (well 07 car) and the dealer told me he'd ring me when he got the spare key in. I'm afraid that my car will be stolen and the only thing that could be used is the spare key!!

Very unlikely. What happened to the OP is different, he/she let the guard down and opportunity knocked...

mumhaabu · 02-12-2008 4:16am

A relation of a friend of mine had his car stolen with his own key and it was taken using a fishing rod with hook attached through the letterbox as the keys were left in the hall up on the key rack.

Moral of the story keep your keys safe!
Burglaries for keys are becoming more and more common, I'd also fit a tracker if the car is valuable.

leon8v · 02-12-2008 10:24am

Sorry to hear it OP, Would suspect that it may have been stolen for parts to repair a crashed car as I wouldnt have thought there would be a huge demand for an 05 Golf 1.6 (no offence!). Fingers crossed all goes well for you.

Victor_M · 02-12-2008 10:24am

Sorry to hear that OP, hope it all works out for you.

I had my car stolen with a spare key 4 years ago, I never received a spare key with the car, but the garage supplied a new one for me. The car was recovered and I had the garage run a diagnosis to see if any keys not in my possission were used and low and behold the original spare key was used, it must have been taken by someone in the garage as the previous owner assured me that he had supplied a full set of keys back to the garage.

Moral of the story, if you are buying a car from a garage, get them to wipe every key from the immobiliser and recode only the keys physically in your possession, it won't help the op's situation as the key was nicked but it might help someone else.

Henry Ford III · 02-12-2008 11:06am

Sounds like a distressing case OP. Obviously I hope it works out ok for you, but in the circumstances I can see why the insurers are suspicious.

I'd echo the sentiment never ever buy a car withut all the keys.

bbq · 02-12-2008 11:19am

leon8v wrote: »

Sorry to hear it OP, Would suspect that it may have been stolen for parts to repair a crashed car as I wouldnt have thought there would be a huge demand for an 05 Golf 1.6 (no offence!). Fingers crossed all goes well for you.

I thought exactly the same. Why go to the trouble of taking an 05 Golf with the back door bashed in? I'm well aware that it's not a 'top of the range' car (though it was to me). It had a nice set of 16" alloys on it (it had the base wheels when I bought it) so we wondered if they took it for them.

In my dealings so far with the insurance company, they haven't sounded like they doubt me (though they probably do). It's the cops who made it quite clear that they did. And my Garda friend confirmed that that's always the case. If I hadn't spoken to her, I wouldn't have realised that. I suppose it's different if your house is broken into and the keys taken. Which mine effectively was but as others have said, I let my guard down and therefore made it easier for them. In my case, the fact that the car was taken from somewhere else rather than my house seems to have led to suspicion of me.

There seems to be two lines of thought on leaving your keys on the hall table or at least within reach of the front door. Some people say they leave them there because they don't want to be held at syringe or knife point if they get into your house and can't find the keys. Others take them upstairs with them because they don't believe the scum will go that far. I'm not so sure. Some people on the VAG board were talking about the scum ringing at the doorbell and asking for the keys. Others being accosted on the street with a knife and told that they might as well hand over the keys because they were going to get the car anyway.

Lovely world we live in eh? And worst of all, you can't be sure that you're going to get any help from the relevant authorities when you become a victim of this stuff.

Darragh29 · 02-12-2008 11:22am

I'd make a complaint to the Garda Ombudsman anyway OP. I know the circumstances on the face of it might warrant suspicion but at the same time, if we start accepting this as the norm, then it's game over for all of us.

bbq · 02-12-2008 11:30am

Darragh29 wrote: »

I'd make a complaint to the Garda Ombudsman anyway OP. I know the circumstances on the face of it might warrant suspicion but at the same time, if we start accepting this as the norm, then it's game over for all of us.

You've said it. That's it in a nutshell.

I'll see what happens with the insurance company this week and then I will contact the Garda Ombudsman. Will keep you posted and many thanks for all of your comments and advice.

Anan1 · 02-12-2008 11:42am

Darragh29 wrote: »

I'd make a complaint to the Garda Ombudsman anyway OP. I know the circumstances on the face of it might warrant suspicion but at the same time, if we start accepting this as the norm, then it's game over for all of us.

I dunno that that's not a bit of an oveereaction. Much as we all sympathise with the OP, we can also see how the Gardai have to keep a close eye on potential cases of insurance fraud. I think the best way forward here is for the OP to accept that it's nothing personal, and that the Gardai are just doing the job we pay them for. At the end of the day, the OP will get their payout.

Darragh29 · 02-12-2008 11:44am

bbq wrote: »

You've said it. That's it in a nutshell.

I'll see what happens with the insurance company this week and then I will contact the Garda Ombudsman. Will keep you posted and many thanks for all of your comments and advice.

I wouldn't be so forgiving on the insurance company either. Check this out...

https://www.tribune.ie/archive/article/2007/apr/01/revealed-how-gardai-and-solicitors-helped-irelands/

Anan1 · 02-12-2008 11:50am

What have the ins. co. done wrong?

Darragh29 · 02-12-2008 11:51am

Anan1 wrote: »

I dunno that that's not a bit of an oveereaction. Much as we all sympathise with the OP, we can also see how the Gardai have to keep a close eye on potential cases of insurance fraud. I think the best way forward here is for the OP to accept that it's nothing personal, and that the Gardai are just doing the job we pay them for. At the end of the day, the OP will get their payout.

Yeah, but what of his right to make a complaint with regard to the theft of his car and have that complaint acted upon??? I think escalating issues like this to a higher authority is a good way of keeping the system honest.

car stolen with spare key

Comments