Pug307

I travelled to the West Midlands to inspect this 2003 model Peugeot 307 - claimed to have been stolen and then recovered with substantial cosmetic damage to pretty much every panel. Upon first examination there appeared to be no signs of real theft entry nor drive away. It was evident that somebody had "had a go" at the steering lock, however the barrel remained intact and would turn with a key - the damage was only a poor attempt at making this vehicle appear stolen.
The mileage on the odometer (145,000) was quite high for a 6 year old vehicle, however this checked out with the stored mileage on another vehicle module (displayed in km).
Moving on to the keys, the 1 supplied looked original and untampered with. The vehicle, when interrogated, shows only 2 keys known and the body computer paired with the immobiliser unit. This indicates that the components are original to the car. The diagnostic computer also reported that the transponder within the supplied key was recognised. Therefore only 2 keys, the one provided plus a missing key were known to the immobiliser. This plus the absence of any theft related damage, and the mileage and general condition of the vehicle which would be unattractive to a thief is sufficient evidence for the insurance company to repudiate the claim. Typically, even if the PH then goes to the Ombudsman, once presented with the technical evidence the Ombudsman will support the repudiation, the PH could then be faced with a criminal record and lifetime membership of MIAFTR - Motor Insurers Anti Fraud & Theft Register - a less than exclusive club for motorists who try and defraud their insurer!

"Woooooow wo woooooaaaah, my Passat's on fire..."

One "flaming" fibber of a PH submitted a claim for the loss of his 2001 Passat. He claims it was stolen, only to be found abandoned with minor interior fire damage. There were no signs of a break in.. because the PH drove the car to the burn locus himself, set fire to the interior, shut and locked the doors with his key and then "hot footed" it away. The fire quickly went out due to a lack of oxygen due to the doors and windows being shut. He should have spotted the CCTV camera... it spotted him!!