[Switch]

2016 has been a bad year for my dad when it comes to cars. This is the second bad experience in the same year with the ownership of cars. For what has happened earlier please refer to this thread http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...-now-what.html

His i20 got stolen at 9:20 PM parked outside his office.

Now yesterday night at 12:00 his insurance for his i20 had expired from the previous insurer, he has already issued a cheque about a week back for his car insurance which cleared yesterday from our bank(will get it confirmed again tomorrow morning). His previous policy was zero dep and the new policy is also zero dep.

My queries are as follows:

1. If insurance got renewed a day before the theft and its a zero dep insurance how much deduction should he be expecting from the IDV when it comes to final payment. The car is an i20 Diesel Sports model and IDV is 380000.

2. Also the thief walked in his office and walked out with the car keys and drove it off. Does insurance company ask for both car keys or a theft is a theft no matter what !

3. I have to file an FIR tomorrow morning as I had called up on 100 number and informed about the theft and the PCR had come to the office and they noted the details too and asked us to either file an online FIR or come tomorrow to file a FIR at the police station.

Thanks for reading and looking forward for valuable inputs.

Regards

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by Switch

...His i20 got stolen at 9:20 PM parked outside his office.

Now yesterday night at 12:00 his insurance for his i20 had expired from the previous insurer, ....

So, technically the car was stolen when the previous insurance was active right? Ideally, the compensation should be the IDV at that time & not the renewed one. I guess only the compulsory deductible amount will be taken out from the value.

Originally Posted by Switch

...he has already issued a cheque about a week back for his car insurance which cleared yesterday from our bank(will get it confirmed again tomorrow morning)...

I am not sure a cheque clearing is enough; has a cover note been issues yet? I believe a cover note is considered to be a valid alternative till the original document comes. But, as I mentioned above, the car seems to have been stolen when you previous insurance was in place.

Originally Posted by Switch

...2. Also the thief walked in his office and walked out with the car keys and drove it off. Does insurance company ask for both car keys or a theft is a theft no matter what !....

Is it an insider? Seems the person knows the place where the key is kept and finds the right car?! Isn't there security guards / cams around?

Originally Posted by Switch

...3. I have to file an FIR tomorrow morning as I had called up on 100 number and informed about the theft and the PCR had come to the office and they noted the details too and asked us to either file an online FIR or come tomorrow to file a FIR at the police station...

How do you say the car was stolen at 9.20 PM? Please make sure the FIR is clear so that the claim process is smooth.

Edit :: Guess you are jumping the gun. The claim is valid only if the police says the car can't be re-traced and found and the case is closed?

[haria]

Originally Posted by Switch

2. Also the thief walked in his office and walked out with the car keys and drove it off. Does insurance company ask for both car keys or a theft is a theft no matter what !

Not sure whether you should mention this! One of my acquaintances claim for bike theft was rejected because he had left the key on a table near the window which was open. The reason given by the Insurance company was that it was due to owner's negligence of not securing the vehicle adequately. Please validate!

[Switch]

1. Car got stolen when the new Insurance was active. The last insurance expired previous night.

2. IIRC according to the law if I have issued a cheque and I have a balance in my bank account (when I have issued the cheque) and the insurance company forgets to cash the cheque then too insurance is deemed to be in effect. Im my case the cheque was already debited from my bank, that means my money for insurance has already been paid, making a cover note is their(Insurer's) responsibility not mine.

3. I am sure about 9:20 as car was parked till 9:20 last checked. 9:25 car was gone.

4. About the guy leaving with the key, well we run a furniture store. It was closing time and dad was alone about to leave when a customer walked in. He finalised a deal and had to pay some advance. He said he is not carrying any cash and has called his friend to bring over some cash. Then another customer walked in and dad left the table to attend to him. After 2 minutes this guy leaves saying he is going out to look for his friend outside as he is having trouble finding the store. After five minutes dad checked for him and he was not standing out. Dad called the phone number given by him and it was a fake number. He found the car keys missing from the drawer and upon checking the car was also gone. That is why he is kind of certain about the time.

Where to check complete information regarding car keys ?

[aravind.anand]

My friend had his car stolen few years ago, and one of the points that worked against him was that the thief took the car along with one of the keys. And the stingy insurance guys kept asking for the other key, as they need both the keys to close this as a theft case. And since only one was available, he had to file an FIR, and the police had to search and then give a 'vehicle not traced' or some form, for which he had to beg, plead and also bribe the police guys... Sorry I am being negative, but just wanted to give you a heads-up on what to expect. Of course, I only hope that things would work out smoother, and much better in your case

PS: Also, check the CCTV cameras in the area for any leads.

[Viv3k]

Couple of pointers:

Hope you are certain that its not the mischief of an insider. We did try this trick on a friend during college days and we were severely reprimanded by the cops and our families. Make doubly sure about it.

If the guy came into the building, took the keys and left, it could be someone well known. If you do not have a CCTV within the building, you can check the surroundings and others will be ready to share the footage with you. This will make your case stronger.

Since your key was within the building and assuming that the guy entered through the main door and took the keys, that itself warrants a complaint of theft and the insurance should be honoured. However, given the pickiness of these companies, I suggest you inform them about the theft, file an FIR and wait for the police to close the case. You cannot claim anything from insurance until police write-off the case and yes, you need to submit both the keys for the claim.

From my experience, knowing a senior cop would really help in smoother claim settlement (i.e., if the police can't recover your car)

[Switch]

Mod Note : There are several spelling & grammatical errors in your posts. This negatively affects the forum experience for other readers.

Kindly ensure that you proof-read your posts prior to submission. Also, it would be a good idea to use a spell-checker.

[Viv3k]

@ Switch

Unfortunately, you need to submit both the keys if you claim ONLY your car was stolen. However, if you have a valid reason as to how the key was stolen, your claim will be honoured. On the other hand, if they deem the reason as negligence on the part of the driver, you will not be eligible for the claim.

[Visaster]

Originally Posted by Switch

What my real question is the clarity on both the keys ?

Sorry that the car is lost. You are jumping the gun. No one is going to give you the money right away. Insurance company that too being the new one, will try all means to avoid your claim of theft with a lost key. Totally to their discretion to honor your claim, always can account it to negligence.

You are at the mercy of the cops and once they decide its untraceable you are at the mercy of the insurance advisor who is going to take up your case.
Better than counting how much your insurance company is going to pay, its time to run behind the cops later befriend the top guy in that insurance company.
Ideal world scenario you should get the whole IDV if the car is lost.
I hope you have the new insurance document at hand, its immaterial whether the money was credit from your account or not. And I hope the new insurance company has been notified of the lost car.

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by Switch

What my real question is the clarity on both the keys ?

As mentioned by others both keys are required to claim the insurance. One of my friend faced a similar situation few years back and he submitted both the keys to claim the insurance. You can find some information here as well,
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...w/43141806.cms

[GTO]

It's not a hard & fast rule that both keys are required. What if my car is stolen at gunpoint? Or my driver runs off with it?

You have a valid case. I wouldn't worry too much about this 'two keys' thing. The insurance company will try to wiggle their way out - that's why they have lawyers on full-time payroll - but if it comes to that, there are legal routes available for you.

[Switch]

Well as of now I am just NOT mentioning about the walk in customer. I am just reporting my car stolen.

[vinit.merchant]

Originally Posted by Switch

4. About the guy leaving with the key, well we run a furniture store. It was closing time and dad was alone about to leave when a customer walked in. He finalised a deal and had to pay some advance. He said he is not carrying any cash and has called his friend to bring over some cash. Then another customer walked in and dad left the table to attend to him.

Though OT but in all probability, that second customer who walked in was his friend. And he came in only to distract your father so that it is a cake walk for the thief to pick up the keys and leave without anyone noticing the keys missing.