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Car Gets Stolen

What to do if Your Car Gets Stolen

There is no sure way to protect your car and ensure that it never gets stolen or parts removed. Unless you lock it up in your garage and never take it for a ride. But, if you are going to use it, then there’s a chance some bad person is out to steal your lovely vehicle. While there are no sure ways to protect your ride or tips that will guarantee you get your car safely back, some methods can help you stay calm and smoothly handle what comes next. Here are some tips that you should consider if your car gets stolen.

Contact the Local Authorities

This is a no brainer. If your car is not where you left it, immediately call the cops because from this moment forward, every second counts. However, before calling the police over, make sure your car wasn’t just towed and embarrass yourself in front of a crowd. Believe it or not, there also have been cases where people simply forgot where they parked the car and thought it was stolen. Before the police arrive, they will always ask generally for the same information every time so it’s a good idea to keep it ready beforehand. Here’s what you will need to show them:

  • The make, model, color, and year of your car.
  • Any kind of distinct features that set apart your car and make it easy for the police to identify.
  • License plate number of your vehicle.
  • VIN, Vehicle Identification Number.
  • If you have one, information on your GPS and tracking system.
  • Where did you last see or park your car.

Next Comes Your Car Insurance Company

Once you finish appeasing the requirements of the police, next you need to call your insurance company and tell them about the unfortunate event. They will ask you to submit an official claim with them within 24 hours after you notice the car is missing. There’s a chance your insurance company will want further details about the incident or documents. Make sure they get everything they want from your side as soon as possible. Don’t forget that you can always file a claim using the insurance carrier’s website in just under 10 minutes.

Your insurance company will want the same information that you provided to the police and, on top of that, they may ask:

  • A complete list of all your valuable items that were inside the car at the time of theft.
  • An original copy of the police report.

Mentally Prepare Yourself for the Worst!

According to statistics, there’s a 50% chance that you might get your car back. Only half of the stolen cars are ever returned to their rightful owners, unfortunately. Cars aren’t just stolen for use or to be sold as a whole. More often than not, they are stolen for their parts. Meaning they quickly get dismantled and each valuable part goes a different way. If you are lucky enough to see your stolen car ever again, it’s very much possible that the car can be missing some valuable parts.

Celebration Comes After, Inspection Comes First

In the event you get your car back and you find it in a drivable condition still, hold back the celebration because first you need to inspect and check for a few things. Before touching the car, put on some rubber gloves, get a flashlight, then carefully check the car for anything that might not be yours. In case you find something fishy, notify the police immediately. This practice ensures that nothing harmful comes your way and keeps everyone safe from harm. Plus, you don’t want to get pulled over with anything illegal inside your car.

Steps to Protect Your Car

When people lose something only, then they realize its true value. If your car got stolen, now you can know how valuable it really is and want to ensure its safety, right? There are some methods and accessories that you can rely on that discourage thieves from ever targeting your car ever again. Anti-theft devices like lock systems, shutdown features, Live GPS, and tracking services are good ways to ensure that your car is safe.