Impounded vehicle insurance-what to do when your vehicle is stolen or damaged?

Impounded vehicle insurance theft does happen, it is not the only person your vehicle might not be where you left it. And if your vehicle has been stolen, your standard car insurance is there to help you release it and get back on the road. Here is what should you do if your vehicle stolen

Ensure that your vehicle really has been stolen

When you go to get your impounded vehicle insurance and find it is not where you parked it, your first intuition is likely to be that someone has taken it, but have they really?

Don’t worry- at least not straight away as according to the police, it is surprisingly familiar for vehicles to go missing for reasons other than theft. Possibilities include:

• It was towed while not parked legally- for example, if roadworks were going on the road and you did not see the notices about the suspension of on-street parking.
• You parked it in a different place and don’t know where it is. It honestly does occur, particularly if your standard parking space was not available or you have parked in a multi-story vehicle park.
• Someone else with keys borrowed the impounded vehicle insurance without letting you know.

Who should you reach if your vehicle has been steal?

If it turns out your vehicle has been stolen, you must act quickly. Here is what you need to do:

Call the police: 

Call 101 and they will get you through to your local police pound. They will provide you with a crime reference which you will require to begin an insurance claim. They will need to know the model, color, and registration number of your vehicle.

Call your insurance provider

After calling the police, contact your insurance provider to get the ball rolling on your impounded vehicle insurance claim. Ensure you have your policy number and crime reference number to hand.

The DVLA

If your insurance claim goes ahead and your insurance provider pays out for your vehicle, you will need to let the DVLA know that you no longer own your vehicle as it’s been purchased by the insurance provider. Even if it never goes up again, the insurance provider now holds the stolen vehicle, so the DVLA will need to update its records. It will also refund you any remaining car tax.

What if your stolen vehicle has a personalized number plate?

If your steal car had a personalize registration and you want to keep it, you should apply to DVLA as early as the vehicle is stolen. You get your vehicle back, you can apply to put those plates back on the vehicle quickly. If you cannot get the vehicle back. You will need to allow 6 months before transferring your registration to a different vehicle. You will also have to show that the vehicle had a valid MOT and was tax at the time of the theft. This is the point at which you will be able to request a refund.

Another possible complication is that once you have made a claim, the number plates along with the rest of the vehicle belong to the insurance provider. It is really important to tell your insurance broker that you have personalized plates as early as you purchase them. That way they can make a note in case of future claims.

Will your insurance policy always cover the stolen vehicle?

Not necessarily, it will largely depend on the level of cover you have. If your vehicle is found within 14 days of your reporting it miss and there is not a lot of damage, your insurance broker should able to settle a claim immediately just as if you’d involve in an accident.

If your vehicle is not recover or found with much damage that can’t be repair, you will generally offer the market value of the vehicle at the time it was steal so you can purchase a replacement vehicle. Most insurance providers will wait for 30 days before paying out on a stolen car claim.

What do you need to do if your steal vehicle is recover?

If the police call you to let you know your vehicle has found, you should tell your insurance provider straight up. They will need to know if the vehicle has been damage if it is potentially unsafe to drive, or used to commit a crime.

Ensure you collect your vehicle from the police pound. If you don’t, they will scrap or sold at auction.

Will vehicle insurance cover the cost of possessions in your stolen vehicle?

If you have got a fully comprehensive policy in place. You may well be able to claim for the cost of personal belongings left in your vehicle when it was steal. Third-party, fire, and theft policies and third-party-only policies don’t generally cover possessions. If your insurance provider does not cover stolen things. You may be able to claim personal possessions on your insurance policy instead. 

Could your car insurance claim rejected?

There is every chance your insurance provider could refuse to pay out if they believe you have been careless. For example, leaving your keys inside the car will not generally covered, nor will leaving a window open. Your insurance provider might also refuse a claim. If your belongings were left in view and there were no signs of a break-in. If you are not agree with the reason your claim was reject. You have got the right to dispute their decision.

Will your insurance premiums increase if your vehicle is steal?

In most cases, yes, you can probably expect the cost of your insurance to increase to rising the next time your insurance policy is up for renewal. If they believe you have been careless while driving. A steal vehicle will also  logged Anti-fraud and theft register. Which could affect how much insurance providers charge you for your insurance premium.

How can you prevent your vehicle from being steal?

Don’t provide thieves an opportunity to steal your vehicle. Take these simple precautions to save your vehicle from theft.

Park your vehicle in a safe place:

If you are park your car on public roads. It will have a great chance to be steal and your insurance premium will high. However, if you park your vehicle in a safe place or in a safe garage, it will be safe and your insurance premium will also low.

Check that your vehicle is properly lock

Before you leave your car even when you parked at a filling station or at home. Manually check the door handles just to make sure. Unless your vehicle has keyless entry and opens the doors every time the handle is pull.

Collect valuable items from your vehicle

Remove valuable items from your car or put them in a box. You should not leave even your charger cable as it could be valuable for someone.

You are selling your car yourself, you should go with potential buyers on a test drive. If you need any kind of assistance regarding the vehicle impounded by the police, feel free to contact us because we are experts in vehicles getting out of an impound. If you want to get an insurance quote, contact us right now.