What is the point in trying to find your stolen bike?

[Guyincognito76]

Let's leave aside wishing to see the thief prosecuted, or if you have an expensive customised bike etc.

So, you phone the police, and then you phone your insurance provider and immediately make a claim. You swallow the big excess charge, and hopefully you get a replacement bike pretty quickly. If you then 'find' your stolen bike it belongs to the insurance company. I've had my bike chipped, so if it's recovered they'll be able to find me, but again the bike will belong to the insurance company; it would seem that this chip was a waste of money.

Obviously, I don't really want two identical bikes but I wouldn't even get my excess back if my old bike is returned, and the insurance company will have a bike with a higher second hand value than my excess.

Moan over.

 

[sidevalve]

Just wondering here, if you do have what in the car world is called a "total loss claim" ie bike trashed or stolen, does it affect future premius if you re-insure another bike ?
To the OP I suppose if you get the bike back [and it's still ok] you could at least sell it to recover some of your losses.

 

[Guyincognito76]

To the OP I suppose if you get the bike back [and it's still ok] you could at least sell it to recover some of your losses.

You don't get the bike back, if the police find it then it goes to the insurance company.

 

[Beebo]

If your bike was found by the Insurance company then you have the two choices:
either to give your new bike back, and they would return old bike and your excess,
or you keep the new bike and they keep your excess.

 

[Guyincognito76]

If your bike was found by the Insurance company then you have the two choices:
either to give your new bike back, and they would return old bike and your excess,
or you keep the new bike and they keep your excess.

Is this standard policy? This sounds fair, but you don't associate insurance companies and fair

 

[Beebo]

Is this standard policy? This sounds fair, but you don't associate insurance companies and fair

That's pretty standard policy, it works the same with stolen cars. Most people will keep the new car, they dont want the old car back.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

That's pretty standard policy, it works the same with stolen cars. Most people will keep the new car, they dont want the old car back.

I had my old car back (OK I'm not most people). I knew the engine was fine after dipping the oil before I made the decision, my oil was always same colour it went in and still was after the theft - did another 80,000 miles in the car before it finally died) - Also got it back complete with (more stolen) contents which were not mine... Police did not like me for the extra paper work when I tactfully pointed out that almost everything in the car was not mine! (It had been used to raid several houses as it turned out, not to mention some shop-lifting as well...) strangely my handbook/mileage records and calculator turned up seperately in someone elses home...

Would I want my bike(s) back? Probably not unless it was my tourer and I was on the road using it at the time...

 

[Guyincognito76]

That's pretty standard policy, it works the same with stolen cars. Most people will keep the new car, they dont want the old car back.

My bike was six months old, so if I get like for like then I'll take my old one back