See if this dealer has something where they charge the insurance company for storage of the vehicle. If not, tow it away somewhere else or use it as leverage against the insurance company.

I worked at various dealerships including a few Fords in sales, service, and parts, not having all the parts, unless Ford says they are unavailable, in one month is lousy unexcusable service.

What I think the real story is.

Noone at the body shop wants to work on the vehicle because it is time consuming to fix it right. They will only get say .3 to replace a panel from the insurance company, but, on a stripped vehicle it takes much longer once you figure out the 1/2 a dozen pieces you need to attach it, the sound proofing, how it actually attaches etc.

It probably takes at least ah hour to write a good estimate for a stripped interior, noone will get paid to do it so it gets delayed while it gets dumped on a parts person that 1) does not want to do it 2) has no idea of what is needed.

The body shop might only get 12 hours worth of labor to reattach everything, but, it might take 30-40 hours to figure it all out. Then they have to get and argue over supplements etc.

I would say the warranty is void if it was stolen and stripped and as such the vehicle is totaled and you should start on another one at ANOTHER dealership.

 

If would cost to get it installed, but, I think www.brakelock.com is a great system. Coupled with a LO-JACK system = awesome. With both systems on a vehicle, it is well worth it in the long run.

 

If they catch the thieves you can get a legal judgement againt their assets for you finacial loses but the common problem is thieves seldom have assets,,,,,,,,,Its going up their nose.

 

Well, not sure what they do for recovered theft vehicles in your area or how every insurance company treats it, but the second line above is really worth taking note of and thinking a little bit deeper as I'll explain. This is in light of the very real possiblility that when you sign the insurance company check over to the body shop, you will be releasing the insurance company from any and all future liability, unless the repairs on your truck are also guranteed by the insurance co (and the dealer doing repairs, two guarnatees is what you want). But that's not your only concern here. The plot thickens more........

If this theft is reported to Carfax (and it most likely will be since your insurance is paying for the repairs and the cops/state cops just might inform carfax) you have a *branded* vehicle. The repair facility may do an excellent job and there may never be a future problem with this vehicle due to this theft and the repairs, but still, you will forever have a *branded* vehicle. Your truck, side-by-side on a used car lot (or at trade in and yes, it's so easy to check carfax and many will when you try to trade) with a carbon copy next to it will be worth less in the eyes of any buyer aware of this history. Buyers are pretty smart too; they know how to ask for or run Carfax. Because of this, you need to have a real nice chat with the insurance adjuster concerning the subject of your being compensated for what is known as diminished value. Diminished value is the difference I noted above, except you guys get to somehow determine a reasonable amount for settlement. Or, maybe at this point in time try to bail on this truck. Time to dig into the fine print on your insurance policy and maybe have a chit-chat with your insurance agent on this subject.

*Don't cry about your not getting a rental, do grit your teeth over the delay on not getting parts faster and yes, it does suck (how come I can go to Ford and buy a part that might not be on the self and they can locate it and give me a real good received date and your Ford dealer can't......), do make the payment on time and yes, it's ok to be frustrated while cutting the check, but do not overlook diminished value (sounds like you have a late model truck thus reason to be concerned). That has potential to financially bit you in the **** unless you trade your vehicles when the value is pretty low (age or miles or both).

*I hope I don't put a knot in your stomach, but you do need to be aware of this and your insurance company would probably rather you don't bring it up. Saves 'em money at your expense.

 

I would like to have 5 minutes alone with the people that stold the mans truck, They would relive the horror of those 5 minutes for the rest of their lives,,,,,I want some paybacks myself

 

Good post Bill. Unfortunately, the best case scenerio in a theft like this is to NOT get the truck back. Title's branded, incredible hassle, yada yada yada.

For the cost of replacing an entire interior (which will be stupefyingly expensive), it might be cheaper for the insurance company to just total and and call it good. (salvage value is pretty high, after all).

 

Wendal;

Thanks for the reply. If they did total it I would also be out another $3000.00 even with GAP insurance. Either way, I lose!

 

hey buddy i work for allstate, sell home and auto. if you have comprehensive coverage on your truck which im sure you do because you have a loan on your vehicle, comprehensive covers fire theft vandalism, it should not be a problem with your company covering this. plus i dont think the cost of repair is going to exceed the vehicle value (it sounds like a newer expensive truck) also i dont think its your agent, if you have comprehensive coverage - its black and white. your company would and should cover you. i dont know what state your from but allstate is in the top three in the industry in paying claims.

 

Well I've left my agent issues out of this topic, but, seeing how you broke the ice....

#1 When I bought this vehicle i immediatley notified him and gave him all the information. As a consumer, I told him I want "Full Coverage"! In Consumer language that mean give me the best policy for my investment. He did not inform me of any choices or additional "Options" available to me.
I'm a Sales manager in a different industry, but agent is a fancy title for Salesman. When a consumer asks me about a product I steer them at the best product I offer, briefly going over features, benefits & price. Then I show them the next two available products in that category and leave the decision in the consumers hands. I feel certain that the consumer is happy with the decision to buy, because the consumer made the choice.
However, in this situation, the "Agent" didn't tell me the policy he wrote was for "Like New" not "OEM" replacement. This truck is brand new! Why would I want used replacement parts? The agent made that choice, not me! Let him figure out how to pay the difference.
It's also been a month and a half with nothing to drive. I have to rely on family to drive me to work and pick me up. Why's that you ask? Because the policy my agent sold me, he left out the fact that in the event of theft, you do not get a rental car. I've since added that to my policy, but still it only covers a rental in the event of collision, not theft! Oh, this isn't your company, but its another Nation-Wide company if you can read between the lines.
I've done some research and I do believe there are some legal formalities here like......Bad Faith......Dimeneshed Value!
I had a similar situation with another "Agent" for a good hands company that misinformed me about why I didn't want UM added to my policy. He claimed it was a waste of money, which after being rear ended by a drunk driver and causing considerable damge besides having my neck grafted from C3-C7 and in need of having the same procedure done to my lower back, there wasn't enough coverage to do surgery. My car was a 97 Steeda Cobra which that company wouldn't total. It was worth a pot to **** in after being repaired. I've learned that having a lawyer read your policy now is a requirement if you don't want to go down the road of poor coverage. Which is sad. I build relationships with my customers because I believe in return sales. Obviously, Agents could care less. My product is a luxury, his is a neccesity, that's the difference.
If I could find a trustworthy agent out there that could take care of my needs, I would throw him all my business! But, as for now, I'm very stand-off-ish with insurance agents.

 

Is the said body shop your choice or the insurance companies choice?

Have you looked at the vehicle to see if any work has been done to it?

If no work has been started I'd be looking at different body shops to see who can get you in now, and done to your satisfaction.

 

Your agent sounds like he's more concerned with what's on TV tonight than about representing his company, their offerings, your needs and desires, and matching the two. But sadly for you, the time to have figured this out was awhile back. Times change, terms change, offerings change, and a good agent AND a reasonably alert and versed consumer communicate to keep up with things. As a consumer, it pays to execute due dilegence, research, homework, and empower people that one is comfortable with. Always remember, nobody cares more about your well being that you do. Just the way it is.

-------

How did this come to be?

 

*cough*Arson*cough*

 

honestly just have an in depth conversation with your agent next time, ask questions thats what they are there for. to be honest with you, nobody wants to pay for car insurance, its not a bill were happy about. UM coverage, uninsured or underinsured coverage,,,,,it usually duplicates your bodily injury, basically B.I. for you. 100/300 in coverage usually about 65 dollars. you would be surprised the amount of people who turn down an extra 100,000.00 per person not exceed 300,000.00 for the accident. its one of the best ways to spend 50 to an extra 100 bucks. i carry 250/500 on my policy, you know why because these are sue happy times and its only going to get worse in life. im 29 a non homeowner, but do you think that if i creamed someone causing a 100,000k plus im going to want some one to salp a lean on my home or partly own evrything that i own until there satisfied, no way man your crazy. in an auto accident you can lose------savings,checking,cd's,ira's, they cant take your 401k nor your home, but slap a lean on it and when you sell they will get paid not you. for you man----i would get on the horn with your company and start making some threats,threatin them, the agent, you just have to look at what forms your signed,,,the oem thing and like new is something to do with your company, i have no idea. good luck man.

 

To conclude this entire bad episode of my life, First I appreciate and Thank everyone that responded to this thread. All of you are an asset to everyone on this site.

It did take untill Mid October of last year to complete my truck. Since then the only problem I have had was with my spring clock? Dealer fixed it for me under warranty. The dealer I might add is first class and has treated me with much respect. I will not hesitate iin the future about buying another Ford product from them.

I have lifted my truck with a 6" lift and 38"X20"X15 tires and rims, put a top of the line security system on and a navagation system (Pioneer Avicz1) custom door pods with JBL 6.5" components. The best part is a device that is also installed (Hidden) that does three important things. If my alarm is triggered it notifies my cell phone via text, If the vehicle enters or leaves an area I set up it notifies me, and if it goes over a set speed limit I've set up it notifies me. At any time I can go online and see the status of my truck anywhere in the United States, Mexico or Canada. No activation fees, no monthly charges and Peace of Mind in the event someone ever tries to steal it again. Police really make no attempt to recover because car theft is a non violent crime. Now, I know when where it happens and can go after it and the thieves myself, making the situation a violent crime. I can even shut down the fuel pump while their making an attempt to get away while pursueing them. For the $699.00 this piece costs, it's worth every penny knowing they won't get away this time. GM Dealers can't do this with Onstar without proving to Onstar with a police report and pulling alot of red tape. this piece takes less than 5 minutes to install, has a built in battery backup and is foolproof.

So for all that responded......Thank you! If ever I can offer advice to stolen car issues, I'm here for you!

 

Glad to hear it worked out for you. So what is this piece of hardware called?