The good old Ford Transit is once again the most stolen vehicle in the UK. Although this year it is not alone, as the Mercedes Sprinter has joined it in the top ten as well. It seems that vans are worth stealing.
Nowadays the security and paperwork involved with owning a vehicle is so comprehensive that it’s far easier to break a vehicle for parts instead of selling it on. Most of the time, a vehicle is actually worth more in bits than whole, plus parts are a whole lot easier to shift than a dodgy vehicle, especially without any legal paperwork. Plus many parts are not numbered in a way that corresponds to the vehicle.
Those that are, such as the engine, may have individual numbers and codes stamped on them, but it’s not like these are visible when installed in a car or van, and readable in the same way a registration plate is, so there’s very little chance anyone is going to spot a stolen part such as an engine.
This increasing trend is also having an effect on insurance policies. As mentioned earlier, it is very difficult to steal a car or van without the keys. In fact, most car thieves now do precisely that. They steal your keys, and then they steal your vehicle, using a technique commonly known as “fishing”. Why? Because they use a fishing rod… – Most people keep their car keys close to the front door, which is perfectly logical for picking them up when you leave the house. Often they are kept on a hook or in a bowl, and this is where the fishing rod comes in. Thieves poke it through an open window or even your letter box and hook your keys with it, retrieving them without much noise, or having to break in, so they can even do this when you are in the house. Unfortunately, as well as losing your car, this will also present a problem when it comes to making a claim from your insurance company.
Nearly all car or van insurance companies will now turn down a claim where the vehicle has been taken using the keys. This is because there are still people who are daft enough to leave their vehicles, running, with the keys in. They may only be nipping into the house to fetch something, or warming the interior up on a cold day, but anybody passing by could just get in and drive off. In fact, this is precisely what happens in some cases. The owner rings the insurance company to be told that his claim won’t be honoured which is unfortunate, but entirely understandable given that such an incident was so stupid and very easily preventable.
In the case of vans, there is a further clause to be wary of. Vans are not always stolen because of the value of the van or it’s parts. There are times when a van is stolen for it’s contents. Van insurance companies noticed this trend a few years ago, and it mainly happens at night when the van is not being used and is unattended. As a result, insurers introduced a clause insisting on vans being emptied before being left parked up for the night, or the policy wouldn’t pay. Some of them include helpful stickers to use in with their new business or renewal documentation. You may have seen this – “no tools left in this vehicle overnight”, as they are quite commonplace now, and this is why.
These clauses are now quite common and it pays (literally in the event of a claim), to be aware of them, to avoid the unnecessary pain of a declined payout.
I am the marketing and commercial manager for Coversure Insurance, an insurance intermediary who specialise in Van Insurance. Visit our website for a van insurance quote, or read our FAQs if you have any van insurance related questions.
