What to do after your Vehicle is Stolen
Every year there are about 705,000 vehicle thefts, just in the United States alone. That is a really big number, which should give you pause for concern the next time you park your car for an extended period of time somewhere. There are about 255 million total automobiles in the U.S. which mean you have about a 1/3 of 1% chance of getting yours stolen. Those numbers rise if you are on the top 10 most stolen car list. Automobiles like a used Honda Accord get robbed much more often that other vehicle because they can be sold for parts which are in high demand. Remember though, no matter what kind of automobile you have, it can be stolen at anytime.
There are steps you can take, however, to make sure you are not a victim and to reduce your chances of getting robbed. You also might wonder what to do after your vehicle is stolen? This is a good question and something you should educate yourself on. Let’s go over a few of the basics. Get quoted today at good to go insurance and save more online.
If your Automobile is Stolen Contact the Police Immediately
Have you ever gone shopping in a big place, like a Wal-Mart parking lot and forgotten where you parked? Often you probably just walked down the wrong area, but sometimes there is a real problem. After walking the entire parking lot two times, you cannot find your car anywhere and start to panic. You remember leaving the windows down, and now you fear it might have been stolen. You look around for a few more minutes and then remember the exact spot you parked at and realize, your cars been taken. Your heart started beating frantically, and you feel violated. Fear turns into anger and then helplessness. You wonder whether to call the police first or report it stolen to your insurance agent and start a claim.
When you are sure your car was robbed, you need to immediately call the police. The police will be able to put out an APB (all points bulletin) on your automobile and alert patrol to be on the lookout for it. The sooner you call, the higher your chances will be of recovering it. The authorities will come and take a statement from you and analyze the situation. They will note when and where the robbery took place, in addition to getting video from nearby security cameras.
Next, a formal police report will be created that you will need in order to file your insurance claim. If you have comprehensive auto insurance and your vehicles found later on, your insurer will cover the cost of any damages that have been done. If the damage is severe, you may need to rent a car for a couple of weeks while yours is being fixed up and your insurer should cover this cost also. This is one of the big advantages of having a comprehensive policy, total protection from vandalism and car theft.
Notify Your Insurance Agent Next
There is a high probability if yours has been stolen, it will never be recovered. This is why it is so important to carry a comprehensive plan, that will protect the large investment you have in your vehicle. The next step is calling your insurance agent. They will ask you several key questions, much like the police and start a claim. Most insurers will give you the current value of your vehicle, at the time it was stolen. So let’s say you bought a new sedan for $38,000 a year ago. It might only be worth $31,500 after just one year of depreciation. While this might seem frustrating, you can shop at sites like Autotrader.com and find a comparable year and model. For about the same price. Some carriers have offered policies that will replace your car with a new model, but the premiums are a bit higher.
Compare Direct Auto Insurance Rates Online
Now that you know what do to after your car is stolen, it is time to finish the process with a new auto insurance quote. This makes sense because you can easily save $600 by comparing new rates at sites like goodtogo insurance. The entire application only takes about five minutes, and you can stop your quote and come back anytime and finish it. Buying your new policy direct is smart because the savings are huge. See for yourself with a quick quote at good to go auto insurance on-line right away.