No more “DOOF-DOOF”, no more dice

No more back seat paradise…

I know – you were much younger then.

The negative impact caused by car theft spares no one. Its effects are felt right across the community. For example, an increase in motor vehicle thefts means an increase in motor vehicle insurance claims and this ultimately leads to a rise in motor vehicle insurance premiums.

But it doesn’t stop there. Even those who don’t own a vehicle end up bearing the cost of motor vehicle thefts indirectly as taxi fares, bus fares, even school excursions become more expensive. And if you believe you’ve been excluded from these increased costs because you walk or cycle everywhere, think again.

Higher motor vehicle insurance premiums mean higher transport running costs, which lead to higher freight charges, and this translates to higher prices on the supermarket shelves.

And let’s not forget the individual. The poor motorist who has had his car stolen must now cop a reduction in his No Claim Bonus as well as pay a hefty excess. If he relies on his vehicle for work there is also the alarming prospect of a temporary loss of income.

So what can be done to combat these heinous crimes?

Many new cars these days have built-in anti-theft devices such as car alarms, engine demobilisers and wheel nut locks. Even so, there are several things car owners can do to prevent the their vehicles being stolen.

• If your car doesn’t come with an anti-theft device, buy one.

• When parking on the street at night, always choose a well-lit area.

• That anti-theft device that you bought…use it!

• Never leave items that may be tempting to a thief in plain sight. These may include department store shopping bags, mobile phones, wallets, gifts or other valuables. If such things absolutely must be left in the vehicle, hide them away in the glove box, boot or even under the seats.

• This may sound obvious but keys should never be left in the ignition. Many a car has been stolen from right under its owner’s nose simply because the key was left in it. Even if you’re just popping in to pay for the petrol you just pumped, take out the key. Theft of your vehicle will take less than ten seconds with the key already in the ignition.

• If you have a garage, put your car in it instead of the pool table. And, having done that, don’t forget to lock it.

• If you don’t have a garage, park in the driveway instead of the street. (If you don’t have either… have you considered a pushbike?)

• When leaving the vehicle unattended at home, take your car keys with you.

• If leaving the car with a mechanic for maintenance or repairs, only leave the ignition key with the car.

• Never leave spare keys in or on the vehicle.

• Don’t leave important papers such as registration, license or mail in the vehicle while unattended.

If, even after being as careful as possible, your vehicle is stolen, report the theft immediately to the police. They will take details of the vehicle, where it was parked and for how long, as well as information about any items that may have been inside it at the time.

You will then need to make a claim through your insurance company -assuming you have comprehensive motor vehicle insurance, of course – as soon as possible. These days many insurance companies allow you to report the claim online as well as in person or over the phone. The important thing is to do so promptly, giving as much detail as is available so as to help streamline the process.

Once the claim is reported, a claims officer will most likely contact you within a day or two to confirm the information. If accepted, it may then take up to a further six weeks to pay the claim if the vehicle is not recovered. If it is found within that time, the vehicle will be assessed as to whether it can be repaired and, if so, at what cost. If the repair costs would be more than the vehicle is worth, it will be deemed a total loss and the claim paid for the insured value less any excess.

Any way you look at it, motor vehicle theft is a crime that causes loss and anxiety in several different ways. The best we can do is take as many steps as we can to prevent it and support car manufacturers that provide security devices in their cars.

As for the car thieves,placing them in stocks and throwing rotten tomatoes at them springs to mind.

Before You Get Started

Preliminary considerations will have to be made so that you can prepare firm ground on which to stand when you start looking for a loan.

How much cash do you need? How much can you spare a month, without affecting your economy? Do you want to be conservative or do you want to get a really good car? Just one truck for the business? Or two, so you can cover more work?

Things That Help Getting A Good Deal

If you have a poor credit rating, perhaps you can be conservative, make sure you pay back accordingly and help build up a good credit record for the future.

If you are looking for a secured loan, ask about insurance first off. Do not wait until you have the car in your hands to insure it. The agent will appreciate the fact that you take care of all the details, and you will surely get better conditions.

Loan Insurance

Another thing to do, although it means a little more expense, is loan insurance. If anything should happen to the vehicle, the insurance policy covers the outstanding balance for you.

Maybe A Broker?

You can even consider seeing a broker. Brokers assist clients in the negotiation of the price of a new car. The benefits they may get you are special fleet discounts, or even a simple discount on the price of the new car.

Another form of financing a vehicle is through Commercial Hire Purchase, or CHP. This means that the purchaser hires the vehicle for a determined period, at the end of which, the ownership is transferred to the purchaser.

Good Credit Rating

In this case, you could go for a novated lease if you are employed. Novated leases are agreements between the leasing company, your employer and you. The payment is made by deducting the amount from your pre-tax salary and in the event of a change of jobs, you take the agreement to your new employer

A fully maintained novated lease has all maintenance costs covered by the leasing company and you just pay a monthly sum, in agreement with the leaser.

Those Blessed Credit Bureaus

Some banks will even give you unsecured credit based only on your perfect rating. But considering the frequent errors made by credit bureaus, it would be no surprise if you found out all of a sudden, that you have a poor credit rating, or even no rating at all.

You might have forgotten to pay one installment because it was your wife’s birthday and you got stuck with a nationwide “Bad Credit” label on your name.

No Need To Worry

However, worry is the least thing to do. There is always a way out of trouble and always a tailored response to every circumstance. And one last consideration, for that matter: There is no such thing as “good credit” or “bad credit”, just “different”. So, get on your feet and go for what you want!