Beware: Leaving your car at a carwash comes with a risk
Always read the fine print, especially when it comes to your insurance.
Another story detailed how criminals contacted a carwash to pose as the vehicle owner and got away with stealing a car.
This time, it was a carwash, not a service centre, and the owner had a challenging time with her insurance company, which rejected her claim.
A crime trend circulating in South Africa shows how criminals are timing vehicle owners taking their vehicles to carwashes and service centres. Once the owners leave, the criminal poses as the vehicle owner and informs the staff that they are sending someone to collect their car.
Caroline Woodley shared her horrifying experience after she had left her seven-month-old Ford Everest at a carwash in Ballito that she frequents often. Watch the video below - courtesy of TikTok.
@carolinewoodley New Ford Everest Platinum stolen from Car Wash in Ballito
♬ original sound - Caroline Woodley
Things went downhill after she discovered her vehicle was stolen from the carwash. First, she found out that the tracker had been removed and the Ford app had been reset on her vehicle, which meant her car was untraceable.
Then she found out that her insurer was not going to cover the loss because she had left her car keys with a third-party service provider, in this case, the carwash. By leaving her car keys with the third-party service provider, she was found negligent.
Things were not working in her favour because she still had a large amount payable on a vehicle she no longer possessed. She was under the impression that she was covered for credit shortfall, but apparently, this was left out of her policy and could not be added after the fact.
Watch the first video, where she explains everything in detail - courtesy of TikTok.
@carolinewoodley Car stolen from Ballito Car Wash - Insurance rejected claim based on “Trickery Clause”. Just a warning tonread your policy docs!!!
♬ original sound - Caroline Woodley
Her broker helped her approach the carwash, and after some back-and-forth, their insurance paid her an amount. But it was only part of the amount she owed her motor finance company.
After contacting the ombudsman, she was told that it was negligent of her to leave her keys at the carwash unattended for several hours and that the insurer was not willing to pay based on the risk she had undertaken.
In short, she wanted to warn everyone to read their insurance policies carefully and look into the 'trickery clause'.
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Image Courtesy of TikTok