Two weeks

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Ascender
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Re: Two weeks

Post by Ascender »

Fucking scumbags. That's scarily quick to be in and away though isn't it. At least there's some comfort in the fact they didn't come in to your house.
Cheers,

Mike.
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GG.
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Re: Two weeks

Post by GG. »

mik wrote: Mon Jul 12, 2021 10:34 am Amazing that they entered and got it started in 32secs. :shock:

And not in a good way.

Any chance there was already another key coded to it by a previous owner?
I don't think its likely that any additional keys were coded by the previous owner (amusing enough he was a knight of the realm... though for worthy causes rather than a celeb). Thing is you never know whether someone at the dealer I bought it from could have done something like that and tipped off thieves given they have my home address. The police also asked where I had the private plates printed that went on the car hours before it was stolen as they would also have my details.

Has anyone been through this experience where they have finance on the car - the Lender's terms state that they will require the finance to be paid off on receipt of the insurance payout but clearly I'd rather roll that money into replacing the car rather than repaying and re-applying for finance given how that worsens your credit score. Wonder if anyone has had a lender agree to 'port' to the replacement car?
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GG.
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Re: Two weeks

Post by GG. »

jamcg wrote: Mon Jul 12, 2021 11:16 am The fact this is a 2018 car, and this is still possible, I’m not sure how trading standards aren’t involved on mass- quite clearly the security features are not fit for purpose
Yes - totally ridiculous really. I want to replace it but I'm not even sure whether it will be insurable :(
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jamcg
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Re: Two weeks

Post by jamcg »

GG. wrote: Mon Jul 12, 2021 11:42 am
mik wrote: Mon Jul 12, 2021 10:34 am Amazing that they entered and got it started in 32secs. :shock:

And not in a good way.

Any chance there was already another key coded to it by a previous owner?
I don't think its likely that any additional keys were coded by the previous owner (amusing enough he was a knight of the realm... though for worthy causes rather than a celeb). Thing is you never know whether someone at the dealer I bought it from could have done something like that and tipped off thieves given they have my home address. The police also asked where I had the private plates printed that went on the car hours before it was stolen as they would also have my details.

Has anyone been through this experience where they have finance on the car - the Lender's terms state that they will require the finance to be paid off on receipt of the insurance payout but clearly I'd rather roll that money into replacing the car rather than repaying and re-applying for finance given how that worsens your credit score. Wonder if anyone has had a lender agree to 'port' to the replacement car?
When my corsa was wrote off they did this, it was with Santander finance and was sourced from the same dealer- it was however a new car and I’d only had it 2 months when it was wrote off. It’s worth an email and getting in touch with your dealership, they might have experience with this?
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Re: Two weeks

Post by IanF »

I had a 330i stolen and I received the remainder of the insurance payout after they insurance company settled the finance directly with BMW (Finance). The settlement figure was larger than I’d paid 2 weeks before, so I went back to the same dealership and got the same deal on a 6 month younger model and a bottle of champagne thrown in for being such a good customer! 🤨

You need a G-Wagon next anyway
Cheers,

Ian
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Re: Two weeks

Post by drcarlos »

Damn, makes you cringe thinking about it. One of those things that you think will never happen to you.

I remember many years ago a couple of joyriders tried to steal my mg maestro from college, forced the lock but they legged it when the alarm started wailing and they obviously found the immobiliser that was forced on me by the insurance company. Definitely left a bitter taste in my mouth that. Hope it’s relatively easy to get sorted.
simon_g
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Re: Two weeks

Post by simon_g »

Sorry to hear it, and crazy that a modern expensive car can be taken so easily.

It's nearly 10 years since I had a car stolen off the street outside our flat in London, heard an alarm and went to the window - saw a car driving away, where's my car gone? Aaaargh. Brings back memories of the fruitless driving about, the calls with police, the insurance nonsense. Hope it's all sorted quickly.
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integrale_evo
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Re: Two weeks

Post by integrale_evo »

Always a bit suspicious when something vanishes so soon after purchase, but I guess if they had an actual spare key they would have been gone a lot quicker.

I can’t imagine what it’s like to have a car taken :x
Cheers, Harry
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JonMad
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Re: Two weeks

Post by JonMad »

Random thought as you happened to mention a private plate. Hope there’s no issues with the title to your private plate that’s on the car.

I guess you can apply for the number to go on retention and, well you can’t put the original plates back on the car :(

As long as that doesn’t confuse your insurance/finance.
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MikeHunt
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Re: Two weeks

Post by MikeHunt »

JonMad wrote: Mon Jul 12, 2021 10:50 pm Random thought as you happened to mention a private plate. Hope there’s no issues with the title to your private plate that’s on the car.

I guess you can apply for the number to go on retention and, well you can’t put the original plates back on the car :(

As long as that doesn’t confuse your insurance/finance.
If the car isn’t recovered, you have to wait 6 months before you can assign the plate to another car.
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Nefarious
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Re: Two weeks

Post by Nefarious »

jamcg wrote: Mon Jul 12, 2021 11:16 am The fact this is a 2018 car, and this is still possible, I’m not sure how trading standards aren’t involved on mass- quite clearly the security features are not fit for purpose
Stuff I know from my auto-locksmith pal:
When new models come out, not even the dealers are supplied with the security software (to prolong the time customers are forced to stay locked to the dealer network). Pro locksmiths rely on the grey/black market of cracked code to be able to do repairs etc without having to ship the ECU etc back to the manufacturer wholesale. The kids cracking the codes are far from scrupulous in who they'll sell to. So for the first 1-2 years of a new model's life, the thieves have a technological advantage over the dealers.
Cracked codes (for a specific model) sell for £5-20k. Sometimes they're just software for existing or modified OBD interface tools, sometimes they have their own special interface box. Mostly they'll let you either pre-programme a key, or at least do 90% of the key coding before hand, so once you're physically in the car, you only have to insert your pre-made key and do the final sync with the EMS module and you have a completely functional OEM-looking key.
So, typically, the bad boys choose a particular model, shell out for the cracked code and a load of key blanks, and figure out a method for physical access. This is scarily old-skool in most cases - it's as likely to be a big screwdriver as a fancy keyless entry signal booster. Then they just hit up every car they can find that their newly purchased kit will work on. Rinse and repeat for a few weeks and move onto the next model.
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dinny_g
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Re: Two weeks

Post by dinny_g »

So my "Double Click" Merc key is pretty useless if someone wants the car and has the right kit ??

Not that anyone's really interested in a GLC300 :lol:
JLv3.0 wrote: Thu Jun 21, 2018 4:26 pm I say this rarely Dave, but listen to Dinny because he's right.
Rich B wrote: Thu Jun 02, 2022 1:57 pm but Dinny was right…
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scotta
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Re: Two weeks

Post by scotta »

@GG. Whats the progress with this mate - any sign of recovery?
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Jobbo
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Re: Two weeks

Post by Jobbo »

Every time I see a Range Rover in a similar spec on the road, I have a good look at it now.

Hope you're being sorted out by the insurers without hassle, GG. Did you take out GAP insurance? It's not something I agree with in principle because it seems not to be insuring an insurable interest, but it does seem to pay out and therefore give people windfalls.
Nathan
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Re: Two weeks

Post by Nathan »

Kits available all over the place for these JLR cars sadly

unlock and starts a car in 30 seconds

Image
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GG.
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Re: Two weeks

Post by GG. »

Thanks guys - the insurers have paid out so it is all sorted on that front. They paid me the balance very quickly but dragged their feet settling the finance. I called Santander after I got back from holiday (two weeks after I'd been paid) to check that the account was settled and they said they hadn't received anything! :shock: After chasing it up it seems that they pay the finance companies on their monthly payment run as they authorised the payment weeks before effecting the transfer - would have been nice if they'd let me know!

I didn't take out GAP insurance but as it had been purchased so recently the insurers agreed the purchase price as the settlement value so I wasn't out of pocket there - clearly I am out of pocket by the excess plus the annual premium (see previous post about how extortionate that was - clearly for good reason...) which I either have to keep paying or settle if I don't replace the car, plus the price of the new mats I put in the day it was nicked and £80 retention fee to put the private plate on retention... which I can't use for six months as the car hasn't been recovered. All in all the cost of ownership was well into four figures per week for the fortnight I owned it :cry:

The worst part however is that I don't feel I can buy another one living where I currently live given the likelihood of it being nicked again. That has then spiralled into a more existential crisis as to whether we move out of London altogether. Given I'm probably going to be working 3 days a week in the office going forward, somewhere further afield is more of a practical consideration now. Downsides are that my son is in a really good school and we're reluctant to pull him out (and many of my wife's friends are the mums of the other kids in his class). Plus if we move out altogether, from a timing standpoint we'd probably need to sell up and rent until we find somewhere we want to buy given the dearth of stuff on the market - none of which makes committing to such a move easier even if its the right thing to do in the long term...
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Re: Two weeks

Post by ZedLeg »

I wouldn't move out of London if you really don't want to, would hate to feel like you were chased out of somewhere you like. Can understand the feeling though as we had similar thoughts after being burgled.

Simplest option is to do what the old money do in town and buy a 1000 year old Volvo 740 :lol:
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GG.
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Re: Two weeks

Post by GG. »

I don't think either of us want to live in London to be honest - it has its plus points but they're generally outwieghed by the bad (of which this is an admittedly dramatic example). It was more of a necessity living in London to work in the city and a lot of that has changed due to Covid and remote working. Our quality of life would improve dramatically if we moved but it would just be a wrench and a lot of upheaval to do it. As with many things, if we didn't have kids (well, a kid) to consider it would certainly make it easier.

I'm also not sold on the old Volvo plan unfortunately - I'm northern and not old money so it doesn't flick my switch :lol:
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Mito Man
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Re: Two weeks

Post by Mito Man »

Don’t blame you, post covid and what with all the usual protests every weekend closing roads, the hatred for cars, worsening public transport and stabbings now happening a stones throw from my doorstep I can’t say I love it all too much either right now.
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Gavin
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Re: Two weeks

Post by Gavin »

Completely missed this post, so sorry GG, that is utterly shit. I echo what the others have said re no house invasion but that is crumbs.

I was only in London a few years bit got burgled and my pocket picked and one possible bungled mugging (my wife say it probably was going to be a mugging) and I couldn't wait to move but that was pre kid.

If your child is young, I would just bite the bullet and move, kids are brilliantly handy for making a new circle of friends and your really solid friends will still be so.

I guess showing the bairn and looking at what you would get outside London and still commutable would possibly cheer you all, assuming you can find anything.

Not that I am money, new or old, but I had an old 760 in London and it was spot on.

Hope things get back on track, whatever you decide.
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