Successes19

Provident Insurance PLC instructed me to report on a 1997 Sprinter van which was supposedly stolen from outside its owners house during broad daylight in the summer, witnessed by a friendly neighbour. Apparently the thief took 20 minutes to open the vehicle and drive it away. It was later recovered by the Metropolitan Police. The PH was instructed to send ALL of his keys in for inspection. Both keys handed in were different key patterns.
Mercedes Benz UK confirmed the correct key number for the vehicle, as per one of the keys from the PH. Ambersett's director, Bill Hurr, made a home visit to inspect the vehicle as it was unclear exactly why the PH was making a claim - there was NO theft related damage whatsoever. The "other" key turned out to be for a replacement back door lock.
In speaking with the PH he claims to have moved the vehicle to his brother in law's house as it ran out of road tax... when asked how, he produced a third SILCA key (identical to one of the 2 keys handed in). His story changed to say that this was the key in the vehicle when the police found it. So if the "thief" had a key (explains no damage) why take 20 mins to enter the van and start it? The PH claimed that the SILCA plastic head keys were provided by his local Mercedes dealer for £200 yet they were £20 aftermarket blanks. So how did the "thief" get one of them? The PH then claimed that £6,000 worth of tools were stolen from the rear of the van and showed what looked like "several year old" damage to the rear doors - in that the metal was rusty to the point of rotting away - this was claimed as "new" damage. The rear door striker had been exposed and cut through at some time.
When asked why the thief would damage the doors when he or she had keys to the cab area, the van had no bulkhead and no security locks such that the cargo doors could be opened from inside, the PH could not come up with an answer.
It seems that although the £6,000 of alleged stolen tools were not insured, the PH was claiming that this "old" damage was "new" and related to the "theft". It was clear that this was a fraudulent claim and recommendation to repudiate was made.

"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!!