My neighbour has had her handbag snatched containing her car keys for a 52 reg Corolla. The insurance company have said that they will pay for replacement keys and replacing (or reprogramming) the immobiliser at a total cost of £2500.
One consequence of this theft is that she will loose her no-claims discount, not to mention some peace of mind.
She has been quoted £180 for a replacement key, but given that the thief has a key, the only secure option is to change the whole security system and this does seem outrageously expensive.
Can anyone offer any suggestions as to how she could proceed on a more cost effective basis i.e. any way of keeping NCD and or cheaper ways of securing her car?
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Buy replacement key and a krooklock device, ie steering wheel one .
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Could it be cheaper to sell the car?
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Buy the key and change the car - far cheaper probably in the long run (hide it in the garage in the meantime)
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I agree with PU. But make sure it's secure! Presumably they have house keys too.
If the insurance know, this probably voids anything on the policy for theft!
Another suggestion is get all the locks and keys from a scrapyard? £2500 seems costly though.
PS I assume the car is worth a lot more than £2500 or it would be written off surely?
Edited by rtj70 on 25/02/2009 at 20:41
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Unless the handbag was stolen from the car, why not claim on the house insurance, this should pay for new house locks and as a consequencial loss, new car locks. won't affect ncb either.
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Jonathan {p}
I will pass your suggestion on to my neighbour, although I have the feeling that her domestic policy does carry an NCD (mine does) and so it may not be any cheaper than loosing the car discount. It's worth a try though.
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I would ask more about the handbag theft, where did it happen, was there id with address etc in it?
If it was a snatch from a pub or whatever, chances are it would have been dumped minus its purse within 2 mins, with the purse dumped shortly after once it had cleared out.
Don't think a 7 year old Corolla is going to get the average thief excited and I don't mean that in a bad way. The thief has got away, why put himself at risk of going round to your house and trying to watch when is best to steal the car. In that time he could have pinched another 10 handbags.
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But if there was an address in the bag (e.g. licence).... I assume house locks changed anyway.
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Depending how the Toyota system is set up, you may be able to get a Toyota dealer or good garage/locksmith to 'remove' the stolen key from the immobiliser.
They'll still be able to get in, but at least they won't be able to nick the car.
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The theft of the handbag was from a Sainsbury supermarket (they were super helpful and even gave her the groceries in the trolley). There was no ID in the handbag, or anything on the bunch of car keys to show the address.
Our local Toyota dealer says that for security, the entire immobiliser system and keys must be changed, but it does seem very expensive. Sadly, there does not seem any alternative.
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So thief has no way of knowing what car, where etc?
If it wasn't for the fact she had told her ins co I would suggest just get a spare cut/coded etc and move on. Think it would be a minutest of chances that car will be pinched.
In fact a good search outside the Sains or in the bins (probably too late now) would more than likely uncover the handbag!
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Our local Toyota dealer says that for security the entire immobiliser system and keys must be changed
They would say that! If they can add new keys to the immobiliser system then the must be able to reset and remove them!
Try an alternative automotive locksmith to remove the offending key and don't keep anything of value in the car for a while.
Edited by mfarrow on 28/02/2009 at 12:51
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They would say that! If they can add new keys to the immobiliser system then the must be able to reset and remove them!
From what I have read on ford immobiliser's they can only remember 3 keys or so. All that is required is that you add the new keys and add any existing keys again so it shoves the lost one out of memory. Probably the same on other makes as well.
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Just by doing a google for replacement car keys this came up - it depends on where you are but there was a lot more
www.theautolocksmith.co.uk/replacement-car-keys.ht...l
I found a very good one in midlands who cut me a new key and transfered transponder - I know yours went but this company can replace them so I would have thought a lot of other companies can - My Toyota remote key cost £35
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An update for you all on the theft of my neighbour?s car keys.
She offered to her insurance company that she would buy a replacement key and not make any claim to them (cost would have been circa £180). They refused and said that if she wished to remain insured with them, then the entire immobiliser / lock system must be changed and they would foot the whole bill of £2500. This has now happened.
So my neighbour has lost her NCD and the insurance company has paid out £2500 to keep secure a 51 plate Toyota Corolla.
Remember that there was nothing in her handbag to tie the keys to the car, or her home address. Seems daft to me.
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Remember that there was nothing in her handbag to tie the keys to the car or her home address.
Not that I disbelieve that you've been told that, but seems astonishing to me.
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