Help with insurace-stolen car

marietp30

Hi could anyone help please!!! My car was stolen 3 weeks ago and so far unrecovered. My OH was the last person to drive it so he has had a hour long interview with the insurance co last week. they requested all the docs for the car and the key (we have only ever had 1) My OH was told they were waiting for police report and to ring in a week. He has called them today to be told the key has been sent for forensic testing?????

I am going to call them myself 2mo but need to advice.

Is this normal procedure?

Can I find out where my keys have been sent and what for??

is there anything else i should be asking??
thanks!

dacouch

What make and model car is it and how old

marietp30

kia sedona 02

dacouch

The interview is pretty standard and probably was a "Cognitive Interview" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_interview which are often used by insurers as a way to establish what happened and also as a lie detector test.

Waiting for the police report is also relatively standard, unfortunately some forces can take a long time to forward their reports.

The reason I asked about the model is some modern cars have the facility to "tell" when they were last used in the car etc if they are plugged into the correct computer equipment. I would be surprised if a Kia of that age has the facility to do this though.

Insurers have a habit if being suspicious of theft claims as this is where they receive a significant amount of fraudulent claims so they tend to spend time investigating them, if they find anything that does not add up they may well investigate further.

What were the circumstances of the claim eg stolen from a town centre etc ?

How much longer does the car have on the MOT ?

marietp30

the car was stolen from a village pub carpark no cctv covers the carpark which is not great. The MOT ran out this wk. Do you think thats why there investgating further?? Id only taxed it 8 weeks ago tho and sent proof. How long can these things take?? I am I right to phone and enquire where my keys have been sent?? thanks!

dacouch

Theft from a pub car park can raise suspicions as it is often used in fraudulent theft claims as it gives a good alibi etc etc, however it is also common for older cars (The security is not as good) to actually be stolen from pub car parks by scrotes wanting transport home.

The short MOT would definately raise suspicions as some people have their cars stolen because it would be to expensive to go through an MOT.

The above do not mean your claim won't be paid out, they could mean the Insurers spend extra time investigating so they can satisfy themselves the claim is valid. If your telling the truth (I'm not doubting you) the claim should get paid.

By all means give the Insurers a ring, be polite and mention any inconvenience it is causing you, also ask the claims handler for advice on how long they think things will take (You will get much further if you a calm and polite). They may be able to answer some of your questions but with regard to how long it will take they will probably tell you that someone else is handling it and it is until that person have agreed the claim.

Which Insurer is it?

P.S The way I explain the situation to customers is to imagine that it was their money being paid out, that they would want to make sure that it was genuine before they part with their money

marietp30

I do understand all the questions have to be asked etc, just feel the procedure should be explained along the way! Will call 2mo and find out. The insurer is shelias wheels btw. Any ideas where my keys have been sent or is that just to stall time??

dacouch

I can't be certain but I would be surprised if a Kia key was sophisticated enough to be able to be deciphered by a computer as say a modern Audi key could. They are either blagging you about that or possibly they might be checking to see if it is a duplicate or is the actual key for your actual car.

marietp30

Ah I see, well defo the key its the only 1!! Not a duplicate so thats fine. I'll let you know Im gonna ring first thing 2mo, thanks so much for all your help! 4 kids at home 1 been in hospital and no car = NIGHTMARE !!

raskazz

dacouch wrote: »

I can't be certain but I would be surprised if a Kia key was sophisticated enough to be able to be deciphered by a computer as say a modern Audi key could. They are either blagging you about that or possibly they might be checking to see if it is a duplicate or is the actual key for your actual car.

It could simply be being checked for appropriate signs of wear. For example if the OP bought the car 5 years ago and only had one key in all that time, it would have been used probably over 2 or 3 thousand times. No wear = probably not the primary key for the car, which begs the question where the primary key is.

marietp30

I have just spoken to the man dealing with my claim, he explained that my key was being checked that it is the key for my car and this can take 2 weeks. I do understand that all the facts have to be checked just feel the whole procedure should be fully explained so were not sat here in the dark!!