kevrains

Dear All, I've (rather my wife has) found ourselves in a pickle and need some help to get out of it. My wife bought a Fiesta brand new from the Ford dealership a year and a half ago. She was served by a salesman who had worked there for a short time and did not have a car sales background. Nothing suspicious about other than him lacking car sales experience. My wife was only given one key when she picked up the car. She's not an experienced car buyer and wasn't aware that having only one key was anything out of the ordinary. I drive a mondeo so there was never any call for having another key. Anyway, in January my wife arrived home at 6:10 from work, locked the car and went indoors. At 6.30 her dad knocked on the door and upon opening it found that the fiesta had been stolen from right outside our house. My wife put the claim in to the insurance and it has come back refused on the grounds that they did not believe she only had one key. The key she did have had been sent for analysis and it did not tally with the mileage my wife had said she'd done - about 3800mls. Furthermore they said that 20mins did not give any thieves long enough to get a car loader to the car and therefore have stated that my wife did have two keys, she had left one of them in the car and had sent them the spare key for analysis - additionally they say they've got evidence from Ford that my wife signed for two keys - I've not seen this though and am sceptical. I know for a fact that only one key has been used with the car so their analysis isn't correct. My wife has appealed the decision and also written to Ford - guess what the car salesman no longer works there. If anyone has any information or experience we could use to get out of this mess it would of course be appreciated.

MikeyRobbo

When she came home with the car and only 1 key why did you not go back to the dealership?

Piston Broke

I had a job working in car insurance, it was in a similar field to this in an investigation team but a few years ago now. Any evidence they have you will have a right to see, I think you will find that they are trying it on as in each insurance team they have a 'get out god' a person whos job it is to find a way to get out of paying. Unless when your wife signed for the key it was witnessed etc that's a load of rubbish also the ware on the key is a rubbish thing to as you could have had a new key cut by ford and who would know which is the original etc as the chip in the key isnt to identify when the key was made etc only for the ECU of the car to read through the ignition transponder, I think if i was you i would have a solicitor now deal with the case as you will cause more problems for yourself trying to deal with it yourself, you are, by law aloud 30 mins free with any solicitor free of charge etc, I think you will find once you go down this path they will pay up as they are using a scare system and the evidence they have is as much use in court as a chocolate fire guard, dont panic you will get paid out for the car but need a voice behind you who they carnt talk rubbish to !

ludacris s

20 mins is more than enough time to load a car onto a trailer as well!

Shings

There is also an issue with data protection in your post.

kevrains

Thanks for coming back to me with info to date - am feeling a little more confident of arriving at a satisfactory outcome. Interesting to know about the transponder - sounds like an opinion rather than anything based on any real evidence.
To answer the q. about why we didn't go back to Ford immediately about the single key. Well, I wasn't too amused about my wife buying a new car when we live in London so it was very much a thing she did - I only found out there was one key some time later when she blocked the drive with her car.

jamesst24

how do you know the guy who sold you the car didnt keep the key he also had your address

doga-ot

iTrader: (1)

+1 obviously cant just point fingers and you dont know his background etc but seems funny she gets 1key he knows jack all about cars he selling and know longer works there and car was obviously taken with key!

WES

booner999

A good friend had this, car stolen with the spare key that was never passed on to him. They did the old, read the miles off the key as well, said it did not tally up with the miles on the clock. Not sure what he did but they paid out in full.

Also know of a E46 M3 going to a garage for some work and a couple days latter being stolen with a key. Paid out fine, if they clone your key, what can you do about it? Nothing saying the previous owner did not get another key cut and gave you all the standard Ford keys supplied with the car and came back with his spare he had made up. Total rubbish if you ask me.

kevrains

Car sales guy not keeping the key? I don't. Though it wouldn't have been difficult for someone to get a key cut either. The car has been serviced, valeted, minor repair - so plenty of other people have had access to the cars details in order to get a key cut. For all we know he may have left the key in the glove box, in the door, any one of a number of different compartments. My wife didn't use any of these - she did a round trip of 5 miles a day. The only accessory she had was a scraper and de-icer.

Nath

Have you got any legal cover from either house contents or car insurance cover?

Hope you get it sorted.

booner999

I think the big question is. Why would they steal a little fiesta? unless it was an easy target? Its not the kind of car that is stolen to order?

kevrains

We've used our household legal cover before but that was a lot more clear cut than this. I think they'll only agree if we've got a good chance of winning. I'll def be checking it out though.

kevrains

I thought this also initially but they are one of the most stolen cars in the UK. I think tracking down a stolen black fiesta would be nigh on impossible. There are so many they don't stand out - easy to sell on to someone unsuspecting via the classified ads, provide a pay as you go mobile number, exchange at a non-property location - bingo - you've just pocketed yourself £6-7k.

XRT_si

iTrader: (2)

Lots and lots of new shape Fiestas get stolen. A few have gone missing round my way!

Hope you get it sorted, sounds like the insurance are being right twats.

MikeyRobbo

One went missing on here a few months back, that was taken without any noise, no smashed glass and nobody heard a truck, assumed key. Maybe a loophole like the BMW?

matts1

This is the insurance trying to bullsh*t you, I would suggest you get some legal help, perhaps speak to an insurance ombudsman or citizens advice.

I read a thread a few weeks back of a similar situation, in this instance the insurance got dates confused and stated the evidence from the key given to showed the key had been used with the car after it was reported stolen, sadly for them, the date they claimed it was used meant it would have had to have been someone in the insurance firm as they had the key at that point lol!! When told by the customer he would be notifying the police that someone at the insurance firm had been proven to be in possession of the car (which was still missing), they paid up.

Some proper legal advise should quickly put an end to scare tactics from the insurance firm and if they are telling porkies about what they can and can't do regards obtaining information, they will want the case closed quickly.

kevrains

Thanks for your good wishes to date. I know nothing about stealing a car - will it be the case that a key has definitely been used? Only other alternative being breaking in, dropping the handbrake and sticking it on a trailer?

Nick 172 Sport

or breaking in and using a laptop running software

k8donn

Hi sorry to hear about your situation I work in a dealership the piece of paper saying that you had 2 keys was probably a handover checklist and they are aload of crap all it generally says is that someone has run through the controls told you the service schedule etc hope this helps.

williec

crooks now have a wee box that plugs into obd port and bypasses the alarm and lets them be off with the car

STAFFY OWNER

I remember when my XR3i got nicked and the insurance company sent out an investigator to interview me and my mum (the car was registered in her name even though it was my car). He had a way of making you feel guilty even though we genuinely had nothing to do with the theft, you could tell he was trying to trip you up or make you say something that they would later use against you to wriggle out of paying up.