No one wants to deal with a stolen car, but it can happen depending on the situation. If you find out someone stole your car, you may not know what you should do at the moment to overcome the problem. Because of this, you should look into the options available and ensure you cover your bases to get your car back.
Get Your Car Records Immediately
You should immediately collect all the records you have about your car. This includes knowing your car, the license plate number, and any other details. If you get this information right away, you can hand all the details off to anyone who needs to know about your car.
If you don’t know these details, you should make sure you learn them ahead of time. Doing so will help you out in the future since you don’t need to scramble to get the information. On top of this, you should always know the license plate, year, and make of your vehicle to keep it safe and identifiable.
Contact the Authorities
If you find out someone stole your car, you should immediately call the police. Make sure you use your local emergency number, so police can know about your situation, come to you, and offer the assistance you need. From there, you need to wait for the authorities to arrive, so you can tell them what happened.
Make sure you give the police all the details of your car, so you can report it as missing. This should include telling them the year of the car, the make of it, and also the license plate number, so the authorities won’t mistake it for a similar car.
Look Into Tracking Options
If you get a tracker for your vehicle ahead of time, you could figure out where someone took your car. Some people like to install trackers on their cars, so they can figure out the location of the vehicle and get it back sooner. Based on the situation, you could get your car back by informing authorities of your car’s location.
You can do this by using GPS tracking to always know the location of your car through your phone. If you purchase the right system, you can even get live updates of the location, so you never have to worry about losing your car.
Tell the Insurance Company
Once you tell the authorities and look into tracking, you should let your insurance company know about the situation. This means you should call your insurance company and talk with them, so they understand you don’t currently have your car. That way, you can avoid insurance problems in the future based on what happens.
For example, the person who stole your car could get dents or end up in an accident. If this happens, you don’t want to receive the blame for the situation and get an increase in your insurance rate, so make sure to talk with your insurance company before this happens.
Inform Your Friends and Family
Since you don’t have your vehicle, you should let your friends and family know about the situation. Since some of these people will recognize your vehicle, they can keep an eye out for it if you provide them with the license plate number. That way, if they see it, they can tell you or the authorities about the situation.
On top of this, your family may need to know, so they can help you out. For example, if someone stole your car while you shopped, you may need to get a ride home from a friend or family member based on the situation at hand.
Inspect Your Car If You Get It Back
If you get lucky and get your vehicle back, you should make sure you inspect your car closely. This means you should look through the car and see if the thief took anything from your vehicle. For example, you want to make sure you still have your vehicle registration in the car before you drive it again.
However, you also need to visit a mechanic to get your car inspected. Make sure you talk with the mechanic ahead of time and explain the situation, so the mechanic knows to check your entire vehicle. That way, he or she can identify any problems and address them.
Look Into Alternative Transportation
If you don’t get your car back, you need to consider alternative transportation options. For example, you should see if you can take a bus to get yourself to work when you don’t have a vehicle. On the other hand, you can ask friends or family members to help you by taking you to work if you don’t have transportation.
Once you get someone to help you out, you should look into different ways to get around. For example, you may need to seek out a new vehicle, so you can drive yourself to work and not worry about relying on others to help you out.
Conclusion
Once you find out someone stole your car, you should contact the right people to get your car back. Even if you don’t get your car back, you can make sure you let your insurance company and others know about the situation. As you focus on your car and do your best, you can take the right steps if someone steals your car.
About Author – This article has been written by Lizzie Howard.
