On April 2006 I bought 2003 Ford Expedition through Carmax and insured it with full coverage through Geico Insurance Company. On May 7<SUP>th </SUP>I added a brand new navigation system that cost $2,200.00 (Eclipse AVN6600 with accessories). I used my American Express to pay for the navigation system that comes with an automatic insurance policy against theft. Unfortunately motor vehicles and its equipment are not covered.
This morning on June 3rd I drove to a local LA Fitness Club to workout. I haven’t worked out for about 2 months because of my busy schedule, so the LA fitness is not a place where I would be showing up regularly. After about 30 minutes of work out I felt noxious and decided to leave. <O
When I came to my SUV parked on the LA Fitness parking lot (11:45 AM), I couldn’t believe my eyes. My cars door lock was missing and my navigation system was gone. Someone really skilled and fast broke into my car, cut the wires and ripped it right off my dash board. <O
There was a lady parked right next to me on her cell phone and she told me that she had been in her car for about 15 min. and did not see anyone.
That leaves me with only 15 minutes of time when I was at the gym and nobody was parked next to me. I called the police immediately; they gave me a police report and told me that another 15 cars were broken into in the past month at the same parking lot.
They also said that they had been asking LA Fitness to increase security, installing video cameras on the building but so far had no respond from the manager.
About five minutes later another person showed up coming also from the gym getting into her Ford Expedition. To her surprise her lock was missing also and someone had tried to break into her car at the same time.
I got home, took pictures of the “hole” in my dash board and went on the phone. Geico told me that they won’t cover my loss because I have not called them to add my navigation system in the policy. American Express told me that vehicle equipment is not covered and the Police Department told me that there is nothing they can do. My 30 minutes work-out cost me $2,200.00 already plus lots of stress. I have not even started to pay for my navigation and without your help it looks like I will be paying for the hole in my vehicle.

If anyone has any advice, please share.

 

Push GEICO hard on this issue. USAA will automatically insure a car for me if I drive it off the lot. I am responsible for notifying them ASAP about the purchase but they will cover the vehicle if I happen to wreck it on the way home.

Not sure what kind of leeway you'll have with GEICO. A month may be too long. A $2200 claim doesn't sound like that big of a deal especially if you've been with them for awhile.

Good luck.

 

I tried with Geico. They said there is nothing they can do since I did not notify them of the new system. All they kept saying was if I had read my policy in detail I would have saw that I need to notify them of anything that is added to the SUV.

 

I removed my locking rods after my MP3 player and Nav system were stolen from mine. I'm surprised that your 'comprehensive' did/does not cover the new electronics.

 

Your homeowners insurance will cover this loss.

 

If it was at home...

 

I don't want to be the bad guy, but would you set 2200 in cash on your dash and leave it in a public place. I know people want to trust others but this is not possible anymore. This is my reason for staying with a stock radio as much as I hate it. Short of removing it everytime I leave the vehicle it will not be protected. I would try and push your insurance company to paying, you may have to be creative since you see how far honesty has gotten you. I believe the factory radio is over 1000.
Dave

 

your joking right????

Do you not go out to dinner because there is the potential you could get hit by a bus while walking across the street.

 

Sorry to hear about your misfortunes. Read and re-read your policy for exact details. If you interpret it differently than they, you might have a case.

Homeowner policies cover (or at least used to) items that aren't attached to or permanently installed in vehicles, so you might not be able to claim it on your homeowner's policy.

FWIW, I agree with Luzer, leaving valuables in plain sight is an invitation for problems.....sad but true.

 

I would fight the insurance company hard. You pay them hundreds of dollars each year for coverage. Take pics of where it was attached and show them the receipt for the nav system, police report, everything you have. If you have full coverage then it should be covered. In order for comp insurance to cover something it has to be attached to the vehicle, which it sounds like it was.

 

Geico needs items to be added to the policy. Meaning you buy a new radio you must tell them right away so they can add it to your policy, in turn making your rates go up.
They under no circumstance will cover anything that is not included on your policy. I fought with them for 2 days.

 

Give me a break, two different things, valuables in plain sight (low density high dollar) in a very public place. Would you leave your 2000 dollar navigation system on the dash and go to the movies, honestly?

Dave

 

Come on guys...
I thought I was safe parking close to the building in the middle of the day. I remember a black Mazda 6 parked next to me not blocking the view of my drives side door. When leaving the gym you would see my truck perfectly if you turning you head to the right. That’s what I don't understand no one saw anything. Anyways I repaired the door lock, when I removed the door panel I notice how cheaply this truck is made. The lock is pressed inside a plastic housing with a very thin metal C-clip holding it in. I also removed all the metal rods that are connected to the lock mechanism. Only thing is I realized by doing this there is no way to get in the truck if the battery dies, well you could always break the glass. I’ve also contacted Eclipse (radio manufacture) I found out they have a 1 year theft replacement program, meaning if you bought and installed you radio at a eclipse authorized dealer they will replace the radio at no charge up to 1 year. I preying that this will work. And finally I'm getting a Viper 791XV alarm installed. I can't believe a near $40k truck doesn't have a alarm from the factory.

 

Your truck doesn't have a factory alarm?
My low-trim 1997 XLT has a factory alarm, came as standard equipment.

That is terrible at any rate.

My daily-driver is parked outside, I refuse to upgrade the crappy factory radio for just this reason. Some people = teh sux.

 

All I know is that there is a chip in the key, that pervents the truck from being started without it.