Car Insurance After a Car Theft - Having a car stolen can be quite a traumatic event, we hope the following notes may be of assistance to you in making a claim under your car insurance policy.  As soon as you notice you car has been stolen inform the police, they will issue you with a crime book reference number. This will be required by your insurance company in order that they may process your claim.  If you car is located, the police will notify you and in most cases, they will have it taken to a place of storage.  It is important that you advise your insurance company immediately that you notice your car is missing. They will take full details and begin to process your claim. They will normally allow a period of 28 days before they make a payment to you.  If you car is un recovered, they will pay you out the market value of the vehicle. This will normally be determined from either Glasses or Parkers Guides. In order for your insurers to process your claim, they will require the following information from you:-

• A completed claim form

• The original of the Registration Document

• The original and current MOT certificate

• The vehicle Keys

• The Police crime reference number

• Any service history receipts

• The purchase receipt if available

If you vehicle is stolen and recovered then any damage caused will be paid for providing of course that the vehicle is not a write off.  If the damage to your car is only minor or perhaps only the Radio was stolen, it may not be worth making a claim. You will normally have to pay an insurance excess of say £100.00 and you could possibly also loose your no claims bonus. Before you make a claim on your insurance policy, try to establish what the true cost to you will be.  Following a Theft claim, it is not normal practice to receive a courtesy car, it is thus a good idea to forward all of the required documents to you insurer as quickly as possible in order that they may settle your claim without delay.

If following a Theft claim, you are unsatisfied with the offer made by your insurers, you can ask them to consider increasing the amount. Usually settlement offers are fair and reasonable. If you want them to consider an increase, you will normally have to provide documentary evidence supporting your demand for an increase. You could obtain news paper or magazine cuttings showing the prices of similar vehicles. It may be an idea to keep photographs of your car, they may help to verify its condition.  Unless you have a protected no claims bonus insurance policy, you will loose some or all of your no claims bonus following a Theft. Even though this type of claim is not your fault, it is a no claim not a no blame bonus.