[Your car has been stolen! What do you do next?]
It's a classic car owners worst fear. Your car has been stolen. If you're like most, you're in shock, you're sick and your probably not thinking clearly yet. Classic car auto theft is on the rise, and now it has struck you.
What do you do?
After interviewing owners of all makes and models who have suffered through this gut wrenching ordeal, here are some valuable tips to give you the best shot at bringing your pride and joy home.
First, call the police. This may be the obvious response but this should be your first step. Have all your information ready for the officer including pictures, year, color, make and model and your vin number. If you don't have this information already on hand, do it today!
Have recent photos available too, when theft strikes you probably won't remember everything so prepare now, it may be the difference in recovering your car or taking a settlement. Call your insurance company. Report the theft a.s.a.p. In many cases you may need to provide the police report information so have that handy as well.
Now that you've taken care of steps one and two DO NOT RELY ON THE POLICE TO FIND YOUR VEHICLE! GET THE WORD OUT! If you belong to an on line forum, TELL THEM WHAT HAS HAPPENED, when and where. Include your cars information, pictures, description AND VIN NUMBER!
If you don't belong to a forum, JOIN. Majority of these forums are free and there is virtually a forum for every year car, color, body style, state etc. This is where you will find many people in every state that share the same interests. YOUR CAR IS STOLEN, THEY CAN RELATE, SHOUT IT OUT AND ASK FOR HELP!
On line auction sites such as EBAY. Don't wait for your car to possibly show up here for sale. Take out an ad and tell the world your car has been stolen. Again include all pertinent information AND PICTURES.
Craigslist. Your car was stolen in Dallas/FT Worth? Don't just place an ad in your local area, Post to EVERY Craigslist across the country. The more people that know about it the better your chances are of recovery.
Body shops, speed shops, towing companies, storage facilities, freight forwarders & depending on the year, classic car brokers, repair shops, parts sellers and don't forget every car club.
Offer a reward in an amount that will catch their attention and keep your car in their mind. It's your car, what would you give to get it back?
You may also try some of these suggestions that have helped in past recoveries.
Google Alerts. This will send you an email anytime certain keywords are posted on the internet. Add your cars vin, description, color etc. to your notifications. Craigslist and Twitter have similar functions.
Registries. If you haven't done it previously, register your car on one of the many registry sites and advise that it has been stolen. You can find registries for just about every type of classic on the road.
Magazines. Many monthly magazine will print a notification of a stolen car. These appear in print and on line.
Make sure people can reach you. Give out a contact number, email etc. and be available at all hours.
The theft of your car is a stressful event. While there are products on the market that may lead to finding your car, being prepared beforehand, making your car known in certain circles and taking these suggestions can provide many additional eyes and ears that may just lead to its recovery. Above all else, don't take the law into your own hands. If you believe you have located your property, contact the local authorities a.s.a.p. That's what they are there for.
Copyright © 2019 JP Emerson All Rights Reserved.
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