I’ll Never Forget the Call to Say The Caravans Been Stolen!
I'll Never Forget the Telephone Call to Say the Caravan
Had Been Stolen!
It was late February 2001; I'd just left my previous job and was
in the process of starting my own business, initially working from
home.
It was about one thirty in the afternoon when the phone
rang.
"Tell me you've taken your caravan out, please." Said the
caller.
As if in slow motion my brain had to first work out who it was
on the telephone, then what had been said and then finally what did
she mean.
I listen to the voice and connected the word caravan, got it I
thought, It's Jayne from the caravan storage.
"Tell me you've taken your caravan out". No, what makes her
think that? Then the moment the penny dropped, s**t the caravans
been nicked.
We had a Elddis Cyclone we'd bought brand new in 1999.
It was stored at a friends house about 1 1/2 miles from where we
lived, along with two other vans.
We had a wheel clamp and padlocks on the steadies to stop them
being wound up.
Jayne explained that she'd seen a suspicious blue Transit van on
the lane outside their house about mid morning but when it had
disappeared she had put this down to someone being loss.
At about 12.40ish she had nipped out to the local shops and when
she returned at just before 13.30 she noticed our caravan was
missing and she could she the damaged wheel clamp laid on the grass
next to where the van had been stored.
Although she wanted to know if we'd taken the van out, she
actually knew it had been stolen and this was just her way of
communicating the bad news.
The conversation went on along the lines of: ME "No" BOTH "oh
god it's been nicked" ME "have you rang the police".
Jayne explained to me about seeing the Transit in the morning
and that she was pretty sure the caravan was still there when she
went to the shop at 12.40 and that when she'd got back, literally a
few minutes ago, it was gone.
I hurried her off the telephone, my thoughts been to ring the
police immediately.
I was convinced in that split second that this was February, it
was cold, damp and bleak, how many caravans are going to be on the
roads, it's just been nicked, the police are bound to spot it.
I honestly thought they could radio all cars and/or put a
helicopter in the air.
The telephone call to the police seemed to take forever.
Ring, ring, ring, for what seemed ages before an answer. My
caravans been stolen, just now from… They didn't want to know this
just then, they wanted my name, my address, date of birth,
telephone number etc. They then wanted the address, telephone
number and name of the people where my van was stored. I knew off
the top of my head the peoples names, they where Jayne and Stuart,
I knew Jayne's maiden name but not her married name, I knew where
the van was stored but not the actual address or their telephone
number.
All this had to be looked up while all the time I was thinking,
probably quite stupidly, "come on, their getting
away!"
Eventually after what seemed a life time, the lady that took my
initial call said "please wait while I put you through to a traffic
officer".
Know we're talking I thought, chuck up a few road blocks, deploy
the stinger and lets lock up these baddies in time for tea!
No that's not how it happens in real life. After ring, ring for
what seemed ages again a police officer answered the
telephone. I explained what had happened and no matter how
enthusiastic I could sound about how recent it had happened and how
few caravans on the road there would be I just couldn't seem to
muster up the same amount of enthusiasm from the other end of the
line.
I can appreciate this to a certain extent, this is an every day,
bread and butter type thing to them, nothing to make the adrenalin
pump, unlike me, where hopefully this was a once in a life time
situation.
I also appreciate they are trained professional and they are
trained to remain calm and follow set procedures.
The traffic officer informed me they would inform all the
traffic cars in the area and they would be in touch if they had any
information. I was given the all important crime number.
For a couple of hours I remained hopeful, but then as darkness
started to fall at around 6pm the realisation that we had lost the
van started to sink in.
If I was in any doubt about this realisation then I was firmly
and quite rudely brought down to earth when I telephoned the police
again and asked to speak to a Traffic Officer. After been
transferred several times and having to explaining what had
happened to each person I was evenly put through to a traffic
officer again.
Not the same traffic officer as before but the same department
and I was left in no uncertain terms that they would contact me if
they had any news and everything that could be done would be
getting done.
That was it, I'd been told. We were totally gutted at losing our
caravan and I could do nothing.
To Add Insult to Injury
I can't remember if I rang the insurance company that day or the
next morning.
We where insured via the Caravan Club and if you think you're
now going to hear a glowing report of how brilliant they were
you're going to be sadly disappointed.
The irony of irony, as bad luck would have it our caravan was
stolen on the last day of our insurance policy.
Not to worry the last day or not, we were insured and we had
renewed any way for the next year, not a problem.
We had received lots of literature informing us that the club
insurance now gave new for old cover on caravans up to 3 years old.
Great I thought we'll just replace the caravan.
However the policy that was just ending, that we were on the
last day of, was not new for old up to three years but new
for old up to one year old. The three year thing didn't start until
our next policy started so no new for old for us because the van
was stolen basically ten and a half hours too early.
When we reported the van stolen the initial person I spoke to at
the club was very polite and sympathetic but unfortunately all
their job entailed was to direct us or connect us to the insurance
company who, although they introduced themselves as the caravan
club, they no more worked for the caravan club than I did.
It was this person that pointed out to me that I wasn't covered
by new for old and used the terms rules are rules, dates are dates.
This I can and did except, however, in a later conversation when I
was told "you had your van stolen on the wrong day" or words to the
effect I started to feel a bit paranoid. Was the uttering of these
words just a bad choice of words or a suggestion that I was trying
some sort of insurance scam?
We had to fill in a claim form for the theft and for the
contents and await an offer from the insurance company.
I have made very few insurance claims in my life and this was by
far the largest ever.
An offer did eventually come through which was so poor that I
can still remember to this day the feeling of blood draining from
my body and my heart sinking to my boots when I opened the letter
and saw the amount .
People, with obviously more insurance experience than me were
bending over backwards to offer their knowledge and several told me
I didn't have to accept this and that this would be their first
offer, query it and they would make a more reasonable offer.
I rang the insurance company and was told in no uncertain terms
that this was their only and final offer and the only option
available to me should I not accept this would be through the
insurance ombudsman.
Obviously there is no good time for a caravan, or anything to
that matter, to be stolen but for me at a time when I was extremely
busy setting up my own business was far from the right time.
We accepted the insurance offer and lost approximately four
thousand pounds as a result of our van been stolen ten and a half
hour too early.
More Insult to Injury
Has the insurance claim was been settled approximately six weeks
after the caravan was stolen, if I remember correctly, I
received a telephone call from a detective at Humberside
Police CID.
I was asked to confirm my name and was asked if I'd had a
caravan stolen recently.
I confirmed my name and asked if the van had been found,
convinced it must have been and that this was the reason for the
call. I starting to wonder would I get it back, what conditioning
would it be in, would all the contents be there?
This wasn't the reason for their call however, no they hadn't
found it they where just following up enquiries after been
contacted by the insurance company.
So this was the road blocks and helicopters in the air I wanted
six weeks ago, a telephone call some forty plus days later.
This also made me more suspicious that the insurance company
thought I'd been trying to pull some sort of insurance scam.
I was asked what anti theft protection devices had I used. I
explained we'd had a wheel clamp and padlocks on all the steadies
and that the damaged wheel clamp and one of the padlocks had been
kept safe in case the police wanted to search for finger
prints.
I was asked why I stored the van where I did and I explained
that I knew the people informally and knew they stored a few
caravans on spare land at their home.
The final straw however was when I was asked "why was my van
stolen and not one of the other two stored at the same place".
I started to explain," mine was the newest, mine was the biggest
at 5 berth" I said before I stopped. What was happening, I was
trying to justify why my van had been stolen, I am a suspect I
thought. "How the hell do I know" I could feel the anger
starting to boil up inside, "if you'd got off your backside six
weeks ago and caught them you could have asked them yourselves".
The conversation ended soon after that and I never heard anymore
from anyone.
On a brighter note however, four years after the van was
stolen I got divorced and this was one less thing I could be
fleeced for in the divorce settlement, the business has gone well,
I live with my new partner and we're on our second motorhome. I
totally understand my insurance policy with my current insurers,
Myrtle is stored at a recognised storage facility and
installed with the latest tracking device.
The End
Comments
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Horrible and really gets you in the stomach apart from being angry and upset. We had experienced a break-in and had some personal possessions stolen never to be seen again. Luckily we were insured for loss but will never see the items of great family sentimental
value! Having said that we have been lucky eing able to store the caravan at home as we do now our Bessy. We did use a secure storage facility for about 3 years before we moved house but since then have never had any issues as every movement is monitored and
have security lighting. Even the cat can't get away with it!!!0 -
Ours was stolen while we were visiting my dieing Mum in hospital 2 years ago. We replaced it a week after the funeral. HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE
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Ours was stolen while we were visiting my dieing Mum in hospital 2 years ago. We replaced it a week after the funeral. HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE but as most things in life we got through it and moved on.
No-matter how bad things get as least they can only get better! Happy caravanning days are here again!
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Don't know how I managed to comment twice!
Sorry everyone x
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Thank you everyone for the comments.
When I said there was never a good time to have a caravan stolen I never imagined anything or a time as devastatingly terrible as having your van stolen while visiting a dying relative. This must have been, …well so bad I can’t think of a suitable enough
superlative to describe how this must have been for you kimmitubbs.Your outlook is commendable and a measure of the type of people you are and I hope you do have the many happy caravanning days and memories ahead you deserve.
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Name and shame the insurance company i say! Every insurance company promise the earth to get your money but when needed, they will back out of paying any-which-way they can. It might put of other caravan club members using them.
Good lucky with Myrtle
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Thanks KevinO, I was insured through the Caravan Club so it was which ever insurance company they used or let use their name back then. I'm not sure now, after all this time who it was. I'd hate to guess and get it wrong. They were horrible to deal with
though, I remember that.0 -
Hi all. We also had our caravan stolen from the drive at about 4-15 am. A neibough saw it going with the alarm sounding. They rang the police and told them and said if you go right now you may catch them they replied by saying don't worry they are on there
way as we speak. They stopped the thief about 3 miles from our house. (He got 9 months) It was about 5am when I looked out the window and the van was'nt there I though is it in for service or something not being fully awake, but there is a clear patch of snow,
where is it?. It slowly sank in. I phoned the police and told them but they aready knew and it had been recovered, thats before I knew it had gone. I think they did a great job. I did thank them later by letter. The insurance were very understanding (the caravan
club that is) a were very pleased it had been recovered. They made me feel at ease. The hole claim went very smoothly. It cost £4.500 to repair. Not a nice thing to go through. There are some nasty people about.sadly thats life. But also ther are lots of
nice people.0 -
Spot on Bazzy,
Great to hear a happy ending. They should have given him longer, and when he comes out, they should have made him pay for the damage and your costs/losses.. Opps im being synical, the theiving scumbags never pay, it's only the law abiding people that pay
for everything. Opps, I'll get of my soap box, sorry.0 -
Glad you had a happy ending Bazzy, how the police in your area reacted was how I'd expected them to react when mine was nicked. Also pleased you had a better response from the insurance company regards to repairing your van than I did with them replacing
mine.I'm also with you KeveinO, these dishonest scum should be punished and then made to pay the financial cost. He was locked up as punishment, all our premiums went up because of the 4 grand damage, make him pay. You can have ya soap box back now KevinO. :-)
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