Theft of classics. That is a business model. And classic enthusiasts are a perfect target group. When you steal a piano, you have to carry a lot. Our classics have wheels. You step in or on it and you drive away with it. And from the fringes of the border provinces you are then just fifteen minutes after the start of your new acquisition across the border.
What to do in the event of theft
First inform the police. Ai. That can sometimes be difficult. But keep trying. Write down the name of the police person who may be on the phone. That in connection with possible, later insurance communication. If you have submitted your report, the classic will be placed in the system as stolen and all police cars will now receive the identification and license plate. When you think of helicopters and road closures, you have watched too many American TV series. The police will certainly not work to track down your vehicle on the Internet. And if you have a track & trace device built in, it is mainly for your own reassurance. Although: an entrepreneur who saw his two cars driving to Poland thought differently. He went with 6 gym friends in two jeeps with trailers to Poland. And he was lucky that he found his property there unattended in a shed. We call that being unattended luck. Because in former Eastern bloc countries firearms possession is considerably more common than in ours. But with the report to the police you have covered yourself with the insurance. And you will then contact them. If something is found.
The insurance
With the official report in hand - or digitally - you then report to your insurer. And it is therefore very useful if you can hand over a recent appraisal report of your classic car. Such a recent report is important because some classics have risen very rapidly lately.
Search for ads
Sad but true. The greatest chance of getting your property back is by searching for it yourself. On the Internet an enormous amount of stolen goods is offered, including stolen classics. And of course Facebook is pernicious. But you can also take advantage of that Internet. Put the theft in any case with the request to share the message as much as possible on FB, also through friends and acquaintances. The chance of success is small, but still ...
Then it's time for something that would be nice if it wasn't about your stolen classic like this: search the Internet for foreign counterparts from MP, Investigators and the like. You will then end up in countries where a reasonable group of people have earned quite a bit of money in the last ten to fifteen years. Allegro.pl and Basos.cz are nice examples of this.
Internet, the big leveler
You can also see on those sites that the Internet is the equalizer in terms of price. The asking prices, also for non-EU countries, are often quoted in euros. And in dollars. And what kind of tension that gives in a country like Slovakia where a monthly wage of 800 euros is considered good money?
And if you find your classic on such a site? Then you know where he is ... And it is also up to your own inventiveness to destroy the theft. There are people who collect and return vehicles on assignment. They are professionals. Don't start it yourself.
So the valuation
A good valuation is a well-founded price where you can buy a classic in the same condition and condition in the short term. Such a valuation is therefore usually always higher than the selling price. But in insurance situations, that valuation is your back cover.
Wilbers Taxaties has been around since 1976. We, the makers of Auto Motor Klassiek would also like to take care of your valuation. https://wilbers-taxaties.nl
A heading “advertorial” might not have been out of place above?
Yes, but it is also advertising for Wilbers!
What a wild west story? Have been living in Poland for ten years and have not seen a firearm, except from the police and security companies.