When an object of value is stolen from us -both financial and sentimental-, we tend to be left with an enormous feeling of helplessness. The most common is that the stolen object is, for example, the mobile phone or the wallet. But lovers of foreign things can also take larger possessions, such as a car.
If our car, motorcycle or any other type of vehicle is stolen, it is vitally important to follow a series of steps that we detail below.
It may seem an absurd question, but before ensuring that the vehicle has been stolen, we must make sure of it. Every year, many owners contact the police to report that their car has been stolen, although in the end this is not the case. Sometimes they have parked it in another place and they have gotten confused, a relative with whom they shared it has taken it, the municipal tow truck has taken it... Therefore, the first thing is to verify that the theft really exists.
Once we have confirmed that the vehicle has been stolen, the next thing we must do is file a theft report with the police. The procedure can be carried out both in person -at a police station- and electronically -in the virtual office-. In addition to reporting the theft of the car or motorcycle, we must also add the belongings that we had inside.
It is important to file the complaint as soon as possible to avoid any responsibility for the acts that the offender may commit. Otherwise, from now on we will continue to be responsible for the crimes that are committed with that vehicle. And it is not something minor, since the sanctions for excessive speed, for example, can be punished with sentences of between 3 and 6 months in prison.
As Belén Sánchez, head of the DGT Regulations Unit Service, explains in an article published in the Tráfico y Seguridad Vial magazine, it is also essential that, in the event of receiving an economic sanction, we defend ourselves: we have to appeal the fine and provide the theft complaint to be able to cancel it. In this way, the DGT will exonerate us from responsibility "provided that it has been presented in due time and form", points out Sánchez.
Likewise, it is important to report it through the State security forces and bodies, "because those bodies include it in a database of stolen vehicles in the European Union (EU) and prevent it from being sold in another community country," he advises. . This is relevant because a large number of stolen vehicles leave Spain quickly to be sold in other states.
If our car has a tracking device, the next step is to contact the alarm center to report the theft and to start the search for the vehicle. If the vehicle has the eCall emergency call system (mandatory in new cars from 2018), it also includes a pager. In this case, we must call the company that provides us with the eCall service, which is usually the manufacturer or an associated company, as explained by RACE.
However, most thieves who look at high-end or new vehicles already know how to disable these location systems, so this operation is often fruitless. Of course, it must be borne in mind that stolen cars are usually old. In fact, "two out of three stolen cars are more than 10 years old," according to the conclusions of a report prepared by Unespa.
The course with the insurers is similar to what we experience with the DGT and the police. If the stolen car causes an accident and the driver is not identified, the damages fall on the individual or legal entity that has contracted the policy. Therefore, once we have reported the theft of the vehicle, the next thing we should do is contact the insurance company to report the situation. Thus, we must present the complaint made to avoid our responsibility in the event of an accident.
The usual thing, according to the RACE, is that, after more than 30 days from the theft of the car, if it does not appear, the insurance company officially considers it missing. And the truth is that few recover: barely 10%. Once that reasonable period of time has passed, the insurance conditions come into play to determine whether or not we can request compensation. Not all vehicles are insured against theft, as it is voluntary coverage.
