Dad's car stolen last night, venting - update - insurer paying out

Anyway, I'm sorry for your loss JRS, clearly the car had more sentimental (and fatherly bonding) value than it likely had in actual value (even though they are massively on the up, so that's saying something!). I'm of the opinion you're very unlikely to ever see it again though unfortunately , so I guess all you can hope for is a decent outcome from the insurance co.

I'll keep my eyes peeled as Burton's not that far, but I'm not expecting it to be seen (especially on your plates) again. :(

I do wonder if I should have a tracker put on the S3 given their tendancy to get swiped, but I'm not sure I'd want it back if it were taken.
 
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Wow, people need to stop looking for offence. I think we can all agree that when someone says "it's about as funny as cancer/a car crash/the holocaust" that its a casual way of saying it isn't funny at all.

Absolutely nothing wrong or distasteful about what JRS said and it is only through Ahlecks misunderstanding/misrepresentation or what he said that it was offensive.
 
JRS said:
I'm not, as a rule, someone who is for capital punishment. But I would back a law that lets you cheerfully take a pickaxe handle to car thieves, TWOC'ers or even people who 'just' vandalise cars and brutally beat the snot out of them.
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I've maintained for some time now that if we just started chopping fingers off thieves it would drastically reduce the level of theft. I get some funny looks when I explain it to people who don't know me too well but I don't see much of a downside. The average law abider has absolutely nothing to worry about as it would never affect them and it significantly increases the deterrent for your typical opportunist thief.
 
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CaptainRAVE said:
Infuriating. Doubt the police will do anything either :(

Reminds me of PH where a car even had a tracker and they found the garage it was in, but they still wouldn't do anything about it.
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Suggest you follow some road crime teams on Twitter then, and you'll see various stories contrary to your anecdote.
 
Skillmister said:
I've maintained for some time now that if we just started chopping fingers off thieves it would drastically reduce the level of theft. I get some funny looks when I explain it to people who don't know me too well but I don't see much of a downside. The average law abider has absolutely nothing to worry about as it would never affect them and it significantly increases the deterrent for your typical opportunist thief.
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A man of my own tastes :)
 
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Quickest way to tell if it's our car - take a peek under the bonnet, and witness the sheer level of hackery that pa and I descend into when refitting a stock Zenith carburettor and realising that the previous owner removed all of the linkage that goes from the accelerator pedal rods to the carb's throttle arm.

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Yes that is indeed a flat piece of steel galv-paint sprayed, with a u-bolt clamping it to the accelerator pedal bulkhead rod at one and and a bolt+balljoint at the other attaching it to the Zenith.

There's also a bit of bodywork damage at the base of the A-pillar on the drivers side, where a split formed. Been like that apparently for ~ten years before we bought it. That bit of bodywork I could certainly pick out of a line-up.

Another distinctive thing is that the seat cushions aren't Land Rover ones - it has brown cloth-covered cushions and seat backs from a Chevy truck, with weatherproof grey covers over the left and right seats. Oh, and the channel between the light coloured roof and the body below is filled in with expanding foam as a sealing measure. Also has a badge similar to this on the back.
 
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Skillmister said:
I've maintained for some time now that if we just started chopping fingers off thieves it would drastically reduce the level of theft. I get some funny looks when I explain it to people who don't know me too well but I don't see much of a downside. The average law abider has absolutely nothing to worry about as it would never affect them and it significantly increases the deterrent for your typical opportunist thief.
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What if you were wrongly convicted? They cant just superglue them back on.
 
Sorry to hear this @JRS. Fingers crossed but 99% likelihood it's gone forever. I love LR Defenders.

I've had countless damage and things stolen from my cars in the past, including just one bog standard steel wheel from a car. I assume the thief just needed a new tyre or something. The worst for e was when my car was stolen from the driveway. The thief also burgled the house and used the car to take away the contents.
 
It'll be broken for parts or end up with another identity from a scrap a metal with a VIN plate bought from ebay. The police have given up on car crime.
 
Janesy B said:
It'll be broken for parts or end up with another identity from a scrap a metal with a VIN plate bought from ebay. The police have given up on car crime.
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Unfortunately that's also my experience. We'll be right with you.. They never turned up. Got the letter saying the case was closed before them even calling me back. Sucked. Didn't expect much tbh, but actually doing what they said they were going to was one of the things I did expect.
 
Similar happened to someone I know, house broken into, 2 sets of keys taken (whilst he and his wife, kids etc were upstairs sleeping)

New Merc and a Golf pinched, insurance were good enough to payout full value for both only days later.

Scary stuff.

Makes you wonder, is it best to have your keys in an easy to find location? Somewhere obvious? On the flip side you don't want the thieves looking round for too long putting your family in harms way..
 
Most likely if they can't find them easily they will give up. On the up side, you can legally kill them if they do come after you :P
 
MacRS4 said:
Unfortunately that's also my experience. We'll be right with you.. They never turned up. Got the letter saying the case was closed before them even calling me back. Sucked. Didn't expect much tbh, but actually doing what they said they were going to was one of the things I did expect.
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It's been 2.5yrs since I had the bumpers stolen off my Fiesta ST outside my house, still waiting for SYP to come and review the CCTV footage and take the suspicious cars registration plate that was on the street just 2 minutes before. Anyday now I'm sure they'll turn up to have a look.
 
Yeah, if there's a silver lining here it's that they didn't break into the house to get the keys. Especially since the double glazing is quite new at ma & pa's house ;)

Been pottering around various classified ads sites to get an idea of values in the (very likely) case that the car isn't found. Then I fell down the rabbit hole of looking at other stuff. Meanwhile, all the way over on Vancouver Island my dad was apparently doing exactly the same because an hour ago he sent me a link to this. What's the old adage, best way to get over the loss of a love is to fall in love again? :cool:
 
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