Car theft insurance. Please help

Keep_pedalling

I hade an expensive bike stolen from my shed, after we went out on our other bikes and forgot to look both the shed door and the side gate. I was really expecting the insurance company to refuse to pay out, but was quite surprised that after the interview, where I had to admit what we had done, they sorted me out with a nice new one.

People do forget to lock doors from time to time so I think you will be OK, but in future keep your keys in the same place your dog sleeps.

Worried-mum1208

The keys under the stairs would have have been visable to anyone when in my hallway even in the dark as my internal door leading to the kitchen is always open for the dog, a lot of light comes in through the kitchen windows.

Shaka_Zulu

Worried-mum1208 wrote: »

As stated I didn’t realise the front door was unlocked. I wouldn’t intentionally leave my door unlocked knowing I have two young children in the house.

Our front door is never locked. Having said that keys are not in sight of the door anyway.

DoaM

Keep_pedalling wrote: »

but in future keep your keys in the same place your dog sleeps.

... such as underneath the dog's mattress.

Silvertabby

Are you sure the door was unlocked? Could it have been locked and the burglars hooked the key through the letterbox? That's quite a common way to get hold of keys that are left in the door or on a hook/table near the door.

zagflies beat me to it.

We had a spate of these types of thefts on our estate a few years ago.

Uxb

My HOUSE insurance policy is quite clear
If you suffer a loss and you do not have the security protections show below
1. fitted to the home
2. Put into full and effective operation
when you and your family have gone to bed or whenever the house in left unattended then we will not pay any claim for any loss from theft, attempted theft, damage or vandalism.

They then list the requirements
Among them are all external door locks comply with BS 3621 and that all doors are fully secured.

Worried-mum1208

It’s car insurance I’m claiming on not house insurance do I know there are differences in the small print.

Warwick_Hunt

Worried-mum1208 wrote: »

It’s car insurance I’m claiming on not house insurance do I know there are differences in the small print.

In that case you're probably ok as long as you don't deviate from what you've told the police.

They will only be interested in the fact the keys were taken from the house and not left in the vehicle.

facade

As already advised, you don't know that the door wasn't locked.

Your husband reckons he locked the door, he always locks the door, and I bet he checks that it is locked like I do by bouncing on the handle too (It's a man thing...)

So don't be so ready to admit that it wasn't.

It is possible to hook the keys off a table through the letterbox, and also possible to open a standard Eurolock in a couple of seconds without the key- a young child could do it. (I opened mine first attempt after watching how on youtube, and went straight out and bought a more secure lock cylinder)

Keeping the keys in the dog's basket is a good idea- if the house was on fire you'd go straight to let the dog out and get the keys too, which is why you leave the keys where you can grab them easily by the door in the first place

iammumtoone

Just tell the truth and answer questions as asked.

The truth is your car was stolen due to the keys being stolen from your house, those are the facts.

No need to offer anymore information give them the crime number when asked for it, they may not even ask how the burglar got into the house as it is not your house insurance being claimed off.

To put your mind at rest I had a car stolen, the car was recovered crashed at the end of the next street with the keys in it :eek: The insurance company paid out. I had to have a phone interview where I was asked lots of questions. I was honest I had no idea how it happened. I was sure I locked the car as I always did, maybe the keys dropped from my pocket and were found on the pavement maybe I did actually leave the keys in the car (although I doubt it as otherwise how would I lock the car door) we will never know but the insurance company accepted that I normally locked my car and had no reason after I came in to notice the keys were missing (they lived in my coat pocket until the next morning) they paid out, so it can and does happen.