Hoot Guides What to do if your car is stolenThe chances of having your car stolen are reassuringly low - about once in every 77 years, according to the Home Office. And if you follow the advice in our Hoot Guide to preventing car theft, the odds will be even lower. However, the theft of vehicles is still an ugly reality on British roads, no matter how remote the chances of it happening to you. Indeed, turn that '77 years' statistic on it's head and you'll realise that about half of us can expect to have our cars stolen at some point in our driving career - so it's important to know what to do if it does happen. To maximise the chances of seeing your vehicle again and avoid a costly claim on your cheap car insurance policy, you'll need to inform several different agencies following a theft, in a specific and well-established order. And if the car still doesn't come back (currently around half of them don't), getting these essential steps right should help you get the full amount of compensation allowed by your cheap car insurance company. Call the police
Many victims of car theft assume they'll never see their cars again, but in reality around 50 percent of stolen vehicles are returned to their owners, and most of these are back within a few days.
This means the first number to call following a theft is the police, not your car insurance firm. You've got to work on the assumption that your car will be returned until you're told otherwise. Informing the police doesn't necessarily mean dialling 999 - use your local force's non-emergency number (listed online or in your phone book) unless you actually see the crime taking place. You need to do this immediately you suspect your car has been stolen. If possible, have your registration, tax and motor insurance documents to hand when making the call, as giving the police a more complete set of details will help them to trace your vehicle faster. Also, tell the operator if there was anything of particular value left in the car. You will be given a crime reference number which you'll need when reporting the theft to your cheap car insurance company. Inform your car insurance provider
Once you've reported the theft to the police, they'll notify the DVLA and begin their investigation. Now you need to tell your car insurance company what has happened, so you'll be properly compensated if the vehicle is not recovered.
Make this second call immediately after you get off the phone to the police. As before, make sure you have all available documents to hand when contacting your insurer, including a note of the crime reference number given to you by police, and tell them about any valuables left in the car when it was stolen (some comprehensive policies offer compensation for such items). Don't expect an instant payout from this phone call. As we've said, you've got to assume your car will be recovered until you're told otherwise, either by the police or your cheap car insurance firm. It's at this point (and it can take up to six weeks with some insurers) that claims for the theft will be settled. Claim back road tax
Besides claiming compensation for the value of your car, you can also apply for a refund of any outstanding road tax payments from DVLA.
The application can be made as soon as you have a crime reference number, but it's advisable to wait at least a week before doing so - again in case the car is recovered. Visit your local DVLA office for an application form, which is currently labelled 'V33'. Try cheap car insurance from Hoot
At Hoot Car Insurance Services we hate to hear when one of our policyholders' cars is stolen, and we handle every claim for compensation in a professional and sympathetic manner.
Our cheap car insurance policies offer a great standard of cover without our competitors' mammoth price tag. We believe in cutting out non-essential overheads - such as an advertising budget, or the rent on high street stores - without scrimping on the things that matter to our customers. That means that if you buy your motor insurance through Hoot Car Insurance Services, you can relax in the knowledge that your car is well covered and your money's well-spent. If you'd like a fantastic deal on cheap car insurance, click below for a quote. 
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