Stolen M140is

T

TitanTim

Elite
The post below popped up on one of the other BMW forums over the weekend and serves as a warning for anyone thinking of selling their motor privately to be always on your guard and never hand over the keys until you're sitting in the car. Have to feel for this owner as it only takes a second to lower your guard and before you know it the car is gone. Unsure how the insurance would fair if the keys were handed over :cry:

M140is seem to be a common target of late either being stolen by the method below or handing over the keys by force at home where the cars are sitting on the drive.

Personally I'm not sure I would sell a car privately again, chances are this type of thing won't happen but you never know. I always keep the M140i locked away out of sight at home with the keyfobs in a farraday pouch.

So if selling privately as always be on your guard,

Tim.

"A BMW m140i Shadow Edition owner based in Sutton.
Had the car on autotrader for a few weeks, bloke rang me and told me he was interested, came down to view the car, spent the whole morning cleaning the car, was looking absolutely mint.
Anyway, he told me he owned one before, knew a lot about the car, went around car talking about how good the body work was.
He also said he came from not far away having looked at another m140i but said the body work was not in the same condition as mine.
I let him sit inside and have a look, I kept both keys on me at all times, he then wanted to start the car up, we'd been speaking for a while and he totally had my guard down because he seemed like a nice enough bloke.
Pakistan or Indian chap, with a cap on and one of those little manbag things.
Anyhow, I gave him the key to start it up, we started speaking about price etc and agreed a price.
He then asked if he could move the car off the drive (my drive is sloped) and onto the road as the road is straight, I said sure, just let me come round.
As i walked around to get in the car he shut the door, sped off the drive and sped off nearly knocking someone down and almost hitting into another car.
I was absolutely shocked and fuming, tried to chase (not sure why) then I stopped and called the police and they came fairly promptly.
Doubt I'll ever see the car again, I didn't have the BMW Connected app installed so can't even track the car and no other tracker on the car.
I've still got 1 key and the logbook, no idea what insurance are going to say, I'm probably buggered to be fair.
Car was absolutely gorgeous grey, shadow edition, plate was HG18HDX"
 
1 ) until funds have changed hands no-one gets anywhere close to the keys of any car i'm selling
2 ) I wouldn't let anyone with a manbag on my drive let alone inside a circa £20k hot hatch that was idling
Expensive lesson as i wouldn't expect the insurance company being very understanding :cry:
 
mr wilks said:
1 ) until funds have changed hands no-one gets anywhere close to the keys of any car i'm selling
2 ) I wouldn't let anyone with a manbag on my drive let alone inside a circa £20k hot hatch that was idling
Expensive lesson as i wouldn't expect the insurance company being very understanding :cry:
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Yes I think the manbag would have put me straight off :lol:

Also thnking about it, if you had comfort access the car could still be driven away if you didn't have the key in your possession, probably not the best way of nicking the car though :?

Tim.
 
Surely it's a hypothetical question - yours isn't run in yet is it? :lol:

Feel sorry for the guy who had his stolen, but no way would I let anyone start my car or move it! Especially if they had a manbag, and if I still lived in Sutton. :o
 
Mr Tidy said:
Surely it's a hypothetical question - yours isn't run in yet is it? :lol:

Feel sorry for the guy who had his stolen, but no way would I let anyone start my car or move it! Especially if they had a manbag, and if I still lived in Sutton. :o
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:lol: Good point, if they went over 3000 revs in mine it would break down :)

Tim.
 
I think insurance would pay up. It is theft after all. I can't see much difference between this scenario and a thief obtaining keys another way and nicking the car.
 
Pondrew said:
I think insurance would pay up. It is theft after all. I can't see much difference between this scenario and a thief obtaining keys another way and nicking the car.
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I’d tend to disagree
If you left your keys in the ignition while you got out to open/close your gates to your house and someone jumped in and drove off then I’m sure you’re insurance company wouldn’t pay out, I know it’s theft but you have to take reasonable care to protect your property
 
Chippie said:
I’d tend to disagree
If you left your keys in the ignition while you got out to open/close your gates to your house and someone jumped in and drove off then I’m sure you’re insurance company wouldn’t pay out, I know it’s theft but you have to take reasonable care to protect your property
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Yes I can see that point of view and don't know what the situation would be regarding a claim (and hopefully never will).
I suppose it's down to what the insurer deems as reasonable care. If he had lost control of the car whilst driving and hit a tree the insurance would pay out. That could be argued he didn't take reasonable care whilst driving.
I wonder if the insurance doesn't pay out, there may be compensation due from the victims of crime fund to cover it?
 
I don't think anyone in their right mind would tell their insurance or the old bill they willingly gave their keys over, with amount off knife crime in London nowadays would be far better off saying you had a knife put to you. And I certainly wouldn't let some manbag scummer anywhere near my motors
 
Can we please have an update if and when it is available. I have told several people about this (one who's wife works for an insurance company) and they've been asking me if there is any news!
 
andy.c said:
I don't think anyone in their right mind would tell their insurance or the old bill they willingly gave their keys over, with amount off knife crime in London nowadays would be far better off saying you had a knife put to you. And I certainly wouldn't let some manbag scummer anywhere near my motors
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So if you were selling your car and the person who turned up who seemed genuine was wearing some kind of apparel you didn't like, you would tell them to jog on? I doubt that very much.
 
My current policy on my Z4 through Adrian Flux specifically excludes "loss or damage arising from theft or attempted theft when your vehicle is left unattended:-

i) if the ignition keys are left on or in your vehicle

ii) unless all of the doors, windows or other openings of your vehicle have been closed and locked ; or

iii) if an alarm or electronic immobiliser is fitted to your vehicle and has not been set or is not working properly"

With that sort of cover it doesn't look promising - but thankfully that policy expires tomorrow!
 
I have had this conversation with several people, re: insurance. This is "exceptional circumstances", the chap was selling his car. What was he supposed to do? Say to the prospective purchaser "you can come and look at the car but you can't get in it, start it, get within 6 feet of the keys". It's just not viable when selling a car, or you will never sell it.

If this chap is £25,000 out of pocket (which could ruin a lot of people) because a thief nicked his car, then there is something seriously wrong with the world.
 
That may be why adverts often say nobody can drive the car without proof of comprehensive insurance in place.

I worked in the General Insurance industry for over 30 years (for my sins) and remember back in the 80s my employer had a claim for a newish Porsche 911 that was stolen from a filling station while the owner went into the kiosk to pay, because he had left it unlocked with the keys in the ignition.

My employer turned the claim down on the basis that it was a policy condition that the policyholder was required to exercise all reasonable care to prevent loss or damage, but the Insurance Ombudsman (now Financial Services Ombudsman I think) didn't support the insurer's view. So they had to pay the Porker payout - and the Ombudsman referral fee!

His argument was that if the insurer wanted to exclude situations like that they needed to have a specific exclusion, so that's why most policies exclude cover for theft when the keys are in or on the car.
 
Pondrew said:
andy.c said:
I don't think anyone in their right mind would tell their insurance or the old bill they willingly gave their keys over, with amount off knife crime in London nowadays would be far better off saying you had a knife put to you. And I certainly wouldn't let some manbag scummer anywhere near my motors
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So if you were selling your car and the person who turned up who seemed genuine was wearing some kind of apparel you didn't like, you would tell them to jog on? I doubt that very much.
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I have thought this myself, it doesnt matter what someone looks like if they are giving you a stash of cash.
I sold a sports bike years ago and when the guy turned up to take it away he had waterproof gear for touring and a flip style helmet, not what you would really wear on a sports bike in sunny weather, but he handed over what I was looking for and off he went on his merry way.
Stories like this though are good as they make you think about the possibilities of this happening.
 
Mr Tidy said:
That may be why adverts often say nobody can drive the car without proof of comprehensive insurance in place.
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I dont think someone showing proof of insurance is a guarantee that they wont steal your car.
Its not like you will take a copy of their insurance policy and then try to claim on it.
 
Adrian Flux had a clause for everything, did me on a motorbike policy 40 years ago when it was Mr Flux himself!!
A good insurer does exactly what it says - insures you.
If a thief robs you he robs you.
Police and ANPR are very good - have faith
 
Mr Tidy said:
Especially if they had a manbag, and if I still lived in Sutton.
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A man bag in Sutton !!! That`s my old neck of the woods and my mates would have ripped the s**t out of me if I had a man bag . Couldn`t have been a local .
 
Pondrew said:
andy.c said:
I don't think anyone in their right mind would tell their insurance or the old bill they willingly gave their keys over, with amount off knife crime in London nowadays would be far better off saying you had a knife put to you. And I certainly wouldn't let some manbag scummer anywhere near my motors
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So if you were selling your car and the person who turned up who seemed genuine was wearing some kind of apparel you didn't like, you would tell them to jog on? I doubt that very much.
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I grew up in a hood in London and can spot a hood rat at 100 paces, no hoodrat is coming to buy a motor like that unless they're the local coke dealer and then they generally don't dress like a hood rats and certainly aren't stupid enough to chore a motor off someone's driveway like that.
The fella must have been a bit soft in the head to just hand over his car keys like that
 
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