It can be frightening to realize that your vehicle has been stolen. It’s easy to become frantic and not think clearly because of the traumatic event that you are experiencing. But, it is important to try to stay calm and take action at this time. Here are some tips to take into consideration if you have dealt with a stolen car or are currently in this situation.
Step One
Be sure that your car has been stolen and not just misplaced or used by someone else. In other situations, your car may have been towed, not stolen. It sounds like common sense, but when you think that your vehicle may have been stolen, it can be hard to make conscious decisions such as that. It’s important to take a few minutes to yourself and think about all the possibilities and breathe.
Step Two
If your car has indeed been stolen, contact the police immediately. Once you have realized that you’re vehicle has been stolen, it’s important to contact the police as soon as possible. They will ask for information about your car to help get it back. The information they need is the VIN number, make and model of your car, and the last location of the vehicle you remember. Tracking devices can be useful when looking for a stolen car and that information should be shared with authorities as well.
Step Three
Call your car insurance to report that your vehicle has been stolen. It doesn’t matter what type of insurance plan you have, always call your company because they need to know that you are not in possession of your vehicle. Normally, insurance policies that might only cover the state’s minimum requirements won’t agree to reimbursements, but you should check with your insurance company to figure this out.
Step Four
Be sure to report the stolen car to your DMV. All DMVs have information about stolen cars and work with officers to find those cars and get them back to their owners. While telling more people not only gets the word out, it also results in more people on the lookout for your missing vehicle and might be able to help your situation.
Step Five
If nothing seems to be moving in the right direction, try to solve the problem on your own. If you realize that waiting for police to take action is taking too long, you can begin to look around the internet. Many people list stolen cars on Craigslist or similar websites and although that is a very difficult way to rediscover your car, you might be one of the lucky ones that ends up finding it.
Contact Us
Contact our office for more information about what the next steps are for reporting a missing vehicle. This can be a scary situation and you can find yourself needing guidance. We would be happy to help in any way.
