Stolen Keys - what to do?

boyse7en

House was burgled on Sunday night, one of the things pinched was my jacket, with the car keys in the pocket.

Have a spare key, but obviously worried about them coming back and pinching car.

Not sure what to do - with Excess and loss of NCD, it will cost me about £400 to claim on the insurance, and I'm worried that the cost of replacing door locks, boot lock, immobiliser, ECU and ignition will be more than the car is worth (1999 Alfa Romeo 166) and that the car will be written off.

But if I don't claim, and the car is stolen, then the insurance company won't pay out.

Any suggestions?

missile

I guess this would not be covered under your house insurance, but may be worth a phone call? You could sell the car? Make sure you don't park it outside your house for a while.

Some ECUs can be reprogrammed to a different key code.

boyse7en

missile wrote: »

I guess this would not be covered under your house insurance, but may be worth a phone call? You could sell the car? Make sure you don't park it outside your house for a while.

Some ECUs can be reprogrammed to a different key code.

No, keys are not covered on house insurance, they say we have to go via the car's insurance. We are being screwed from all directions: House ins excess = £100 + loss of NCB, Car ins excess = £250 + loss of NCB, motorbike (they took those keys too!) ins excess = £175 + loss of NCB, so the little scrotes who nicked two bikes, some kids toys and a coat are going to cost us at least £700. :mad:

FlameCloud

So how is that the insurance companies 'screwing you from all directions'? You had agred to pay that amount in each contract, so stop moaning about it.

Night-owl_6

boyse7en wrote: »

House was burgled on Sunday night, one of the things pinched was my jacket, with the car keys in the pocket.

Have a spare key, but obviously worried about them coming back and pinching car.

Not sure what to do - with Excess and loss of NCD, it will cost me about £400 to claim on the insurance, and I'm worried that the cost of replacing door locks, boot lock, immobiliser, ECU and ignition will be more than the car is worth (1999 Alfa Romeo 166) and that the car will be written off.

But if I don't claim, and the car is stolen, then the insurance company won't pay out.

Any suggestions?

I would advise you to contact a local garage and ask them for a quoto for LABOUR ONLY and go and see how much a second hand door locks and starter are, the ECU will most likely be re-programable for a Alfa Romeo 1999.
Other than that, you need to cut your loses and sell the car, thats what I would do is sell it so I didnt lose my NCB.

Keep the car parked well away from your house until you have sorted it however

C_Ronaldo

Could you not park it in a garage until th new locks are sorted

missile

boyse7en wrote: »

No, keys are not covered on house insurance, they say we have to go via the car's insurance. We are being screwed from all directions: House ins excess = £100 + loss of NCB, Car ins excess = £250 + loss of NCB, motorbike (they took those keys too!) ins excess = £175 + loss of NCB, so the little scrotes who nicked two bikes, some kids toys and a coat are going to cost us at least £700. :mad:

I don't know about Alpha's but I do know Aprilia M/C ignition management system can be reprogrammed to accept another key. It can be done by the owner and all it costs is a set of new keys.

I don't want to alarm you, but once a house is robbed the scrotes very often come back a few weeks later once the owner has replaced the stolen items with new.

I suggest you contact the crime prevention officer at your local police station and request a FREE home visit.

bigbloke45

What about buying a wheel clamp until you arrive at a permanent solution?

If you put it on when the car isn't being used this ought to stop the scrotes.

Just remember to remove it before YOU drive off!!

Always take all your keys upstairs with you and never, never, leave them in the hallway, my niece and her husband had two new BMW's stolen by thieves who literally "fished" the keys through the letterbox!

Good luck!

silvercar

Use a steering wheel clamp, much less hassle than changing the locks.

TighterThanTwoCoatsOfPain

missile wrote: »

I don't want to alarm you, but once a house is robbed the scrotes very often come back a few weeks later once the owner has replaced the stolen items with new.

to be fair, that is all you are doing to someone who has been burgled...

I unfortunately know several people, either friends, family wok people and have NEVER known this happen.

Unless they have a key and know they can defo get in surely the assumption would be that security has been stepped up!

missile

When I spoke to the crime prevention officer, he quoted some frightening statistics showing that people who are burgled are much more likely to be burgled again.

Boyse7en did ask for suggestions.