My husband's car was stolen last night!!

OMG , this really sucks .. ! I can understand very well that you are totally upset .. !! A few months ago , someone tried to get into our house while my husband was out of the country .. . That "person" didn't succeed , but the idea only still gives me the creeps !!!
Take care Robyn ! Please let us know what happens now , okay.

[Edwina's Secretary]

Years ago I had a Pontiac Grand Am stolen from in front of my house. It is an eerie feeling (I had been at a reception the night before but honest....I only had ONE cocktail!!) I was making a training video that day so I took the bus to the office.

I will try to make this short.

I received a phone call from "Tim" who had seen my car (it was being stripped when an accident occurred nearby resulting in police presence) and found my phone number in my car.

I jumped in a cab and went to a neighborhood I'd never heard of -- Polk and Cicero to any Chicago natives. I called the police and they did not recommend I go to this neighborhood. The cab driver did not want to take me. I explained the situation. He became my protector because once I got there and tipped "Tim" I had no idea WHAT I was going to do. This was before cell phones -- the driver guarded me while I stood on this blighted corner on a pay phone trying to reach someone at my insurance company -- at lunch time.

The tires were gone replace with those "baby spares", the stereo was gone as well as anything portable.

I drove it VERY slowly to a garage in a caravan that included a cop car and my cab. (The neighborhood looked like I imaged Beirut at its worse).

I was back in the office an hour later and Allstate reimbursed ALL of my expenses including the tip for "Tim", cab fare and a sizeable tip for the driver -- because they said it was sooo unusual for someone to recover their own automobile.

It can happen anywhere -- any time!

[Christiansmommy]

It is a modified car...but more in the engine than on the outside. It did have $1000 rims on it...but unfortunately we never called the ins. comp. to tell them about them...so we didn't have upgraded insurance on them...so we will probably not get any money for the mods. And who knows if she will even give us the value of what the car is really worth...it is a 2000 Honda Civic Si, that my husband bought for $17,000 and they are still selling for around $15,000...we wont know for 2 weeks what we are getting for it...b/c they wait to see if its going to be recovered first...hopefully, since we arent getting reimbursed for the mods., that they at least give us the money that it is really worth...oh well, time will tell.

Thanks so much for everyone's comcern....I'll keep you updated.

Robyn

[sammi]

Sorry to hear about your car! That would be really upsetting. Good luck with the insurance and hope you at least get the value of it. Maybe your car will still show up - but not in the shape you last saw it in

Edwina's Secretary - you should have been spanked for what you did! You could have been in very much danger ( you might have been and just didn't know it!!!!!!)

[Vio&Juni]

That's why I don't have a car. Not having a garage makes it cry for being stolen.
But I got robbed about 3 years ago. At 5 am we woke up (me and my sister) because we were being pushed faces in the pillows It took me 2 seconds to understand what was happening. We were living at the 9th floor and there was another floor above. They found the money I had in the apt in a matter of seconds ($650.00), then they took ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING GOOD - kitchen aplliances, radio telephone, gold, clothes, shoes!!!!, purses, things like this. Then, because they had thought they'll find more money in the house, they threatened me with the knife. I was very calm and explained them I don't have more money. They left after about two hours. We called the police, but they never found them.
It was difficult to live in that building, so, we moved to the center of Chisinau. Of course, it's more expensive, and the apt is much smaller (the first one was huge), also, we had to give two cats to my parents and keep only one, but...
And guess what? They came in through the balcony, from the roof on ropes. We still close all windows even in the summer when it's very hot inside.
And I forgot to tell you - they almost killed my sister, because she was trying to scream. Luckily, I was calm and convinced them she will be quiet. I still have goose bumps when I remember.

[Barbara]

Oh Vio, when I hear all that I have goosebumps too. So much better if just the car is stolen ........
(Sorry, Christiansmommy -the car is bad too but at least there was no danger for somebodies life)

[Vio&Juni]

Immediately after they left I thought - What is gone is gone, it's good that we are still here.
Of course, it's very annoying to have lost the things, but what's more important if people are ok.
At least the car was insured, that's good.

[Pam]

Vio & Juni I would never be able to get that experience out of my mind! I am so glad you and your sister are OK. Just reading about it is upsetting!!! Yes, I know Christiansmommy is VERY grateful that no one was hurt. Here in the US we sometimes have carjackings. Someone will steal the car with the owner right inside! Just the other day the news reported that a car was stolen while in front of a store with a baby inside. The father unfortunately left the baby in the car because he thought he would only be a minute. That's all it takes! The good news is that the car was found and the baby was safe.

[Cataholic]

Originally posted by Christiansmommy
It is a modified car...but more in the engine than on the outside. It did have $1000 rims on it...but unfortunately we never called the ins. comp. to tell them about them...so we didn't have upgraded insurance on them...so we will probably not get any money for the mods. Robyn

Robyn- you should get the actual cash value for the vehicle, unless you had replacement cost...which is pretty unusual on vehicles (as opposed to houses, personal property). So, when the company figures out the value, you should see the sheet they work from, where they get their figures. If you had nice rims on it, and can document it via receipts (or pictures!), you should be compensated for it. If your engine was modified, again, you should get compensated for it. Is it $1 for $1? No, but, you should still get something. Don't forget that they owe you the value of the vehicle -not what you owe on it...i.e., you get a bad deal on a loan and borrow $20K for a 1977 Ford. You aren't owed $20K, you are owed the value of the 1977 Ford. Same thing if you get a great deal on a car..say through a friend, or a dealer you know, and only pay $10k for a car clearly worth $15K. The insurance company doesn't get off easy because you got a great deal!

Any of us can get the value of a vehicle online at Kelly's blue book/NADA or some other service. Information/education makes you a better negotiator.

[Sara luvs her Tinky]

OMG!!!
I can't believe they were able to disarm your alarm!!! It is amazing how some people educate themselves to be crooked... when if they would just apply themselves in school education they could make more money.... HONEST MONEY... in a real career. I know how frustrated you are..... Before me and Eric were married he lived with a roomate.... Me and Eric went to the beach on vacation and when we got back their house had been robbed.... and the police DID NOT CARE. They basically told us that no one would ever be caught that they have other things to worry about... But (I am a packrat!!!!!!!) and I happened to keep all the boxes to our electronics... like playstation 2 and VCR's and stuff and we got it back from the insurance company..... so like cataholic said if you have pics or receipts for the rims and mods... I would show them to the insurance company. GOOD LUCK!

[petsbestern]

OMG! I just hope you can get your car back! Some people are just SO evil and have no regard for other people's property! That is so sad! How did he get the car if you have an alarm? Was the alarm off?

[Christiansmommy]

We do have a ton of pics of his car with the mods and the pics clearly show his license plate too...proving it is his car, etc. He bought alot of the stuff online and therefore doestn have reciepts...but tons of pics. The way the insurance lady left it with him, is that since we never notified them of these upgrades...then they arent covered....

So she(ins. agent) said what she does is call up 3 car dealers and ask for a quote on this particular kind of car (im sure she isnt mentioning the upgrades, b/c she didnt even want my husband to come in...she did it all over the phone, therefore, she hasnt seen pics), and she said she will even haggle prices and whatever est. between the 3 dealers say...is what we will be getting for the car. She wasnt very helpful, to say the least. When we get the call in 2 weeks about what they want to pay us...if we arent in agreement, then we will ask for a higher managment person. I really hope they give us what its worth...he put alot into it. My husband has been a customer (had this insurance) since he was 17 years old...thats nearly 10 years...

Anyway, hopefully they will see that this particular model of car holds its value and give us what its worth.

Cataholic...you seem to know what you are talking about...do you think we should still go up to the ins. comp. and drop off the pics anyway...??

[Sara luvs her Tinky]

She wasnt very helpful, to say the least

Don't you hate that.... people have no sympathy now-a-days... why do people find it so hard to be helpful and want to do good for another fellow human?!?!?!?!?!?