Tried to steal car - am I covered by TPFT

Keldin

I've got an old car covered by TPFT cover. It's park around the corner and I don't use it much but I've discovered today that someone has tried to steal it. They got the doors open without any damage and must have known what they were doing because the had all the wires out trying to get past the immobilser etc. There doesn't seem to be any destructive damage but everything is pulled out and it will cost a few quid to put right. The cars only worth about £600 or so so getting anyone to fix it could cost almost that.
Is theft cover of any use if they tried to steal it and just ended up damaging it or do they have to actually have to move it away?
I've looke dthrough my documents but can't find anything either way.
Anyone have any experience of this?
Thanks
K

Bossyboots

I thought it had to actually be stolen.

rikbar

What you have to think about is, will it be worth claiming for at all...

The car is worth £600 but then you will only get that minus your excess, then you will also lose your no claims bonus. How does this stack up to the costs involved in puting the car back in order or at least back on the road. Don't forget that the loss of no claims will affect your premiums for the next 3 years or so.

You may have a protected no claims, but the claim will still put your premiums up and in many cases a protected no claims cannot be transfered. As such you will be tied to your insurer in order to keep it, and thus you may lose money through having to pay higher premiums than if you didn't claim at all.

Getting to your original question, the majority of policies I have had cover this damage under TPFT, should say if it covers damage in an attempted theft, if it is not clear maybe look at their website or give them a call. You could say you are looking for insurance and want to clarify what cover you will get, saves giving details. Looking at the Norwich Union site, their cover does cover this.

Hope it helps

Rikbar

gazhawkins

Just last month I had exactly the same thing happen to me.

Local scum first tried to break the locks on my '99 Corolla, causing about 400 quids worth of damamge. When that didn't succeed, they bust the drivers door window causing yet more damage. Total bill = 600 quid.

My insurance covered it. I have a fully comp. policy - though it wouldn't have made any difference had I been TPFT.

The excess was 150. I have protected no-claims - but as rikbar states, it's debatable whether it's worth claiming the 450. While I won't lose my no-claims bonus, my premium will no doubt go up. Come renewal, I will have to declare the 450 quid claim to prospective insurers, albeit I am allowed to keep the NCB discount. Other insurers will increase their prices accordingly.

Keldin: what you must bear in mind is that if the amount you claim for theft damage exceeds the TRADE value of your vehicle, then your insurer will write it off. If your vehicle is reliable/dependable etc. - this may not suit you at all.

It's possible you would be able to buy it back from the insurers as a "write off", but these days insurers prefer not to do this - as write offs have to be registered.