On the beach, keep the key on you
- On the beachDo not leave the key in a towel, a bag or on a tyre while you swim. A thief finds it, unlocks the car and drives it away.
- At a petrol stationDo not leave the key in the car, even when you only go in to pay. Kasko can refuse a theft like that.
- Spare keyKeep it at home, never in the car. If you do not hand over all the keys when you report a theft, kasko can refuse the theft.
If your key is stolen but the car is still there, some insurers require you to change all the locks, the keys and the anti-theft devices. If you do not, and the car is stolen later, kasko can refuse the theft.
A thief can drive the car away without your key
A thief picks up the keyless key signalOne thief gets as close as he can to your key and picks up its signal, and another relays it to the car, so the car unlocks and starts with no break-in. In the apartment keep the key away from the front door, ideally in a pouch that blocks the signal. More about keyless theft
A thief makes a new key through OBDOBD is the port under the steering wheel through which a mechanic reads faults and makes new keys. A thief plugs in the same kind of device and makes a new key in a few minutes. More about theft through OBD
An immobiliser protects against both. The engine will not start without a small fob you carry with you, so neither the key signal nor a new key helps the thief. More about the immobiliser
A GPS device in the car sends a message to your phone as soon as the parked car moves, while it is still close, and shows where it is. More about GPS vehicle tracking
How thieves break into cars at the seaside
A thief smashes a side window, forces the lock or opens the car without a trace, then takes suitcases, bags and documents. The break-in often takes a few seconds.
Thieves most often pick a car with foreign plates that is full of luggage, on the first day after arrival or the last day before going home. They also pick a car that nobody walks past and where things can be seen.
Where cars are most often broken into
- A large supermarket car park after the borderMany people stop at a supermarket as soon as they cross the border. Thieves know this, because the car is then full of luggage, money and documents.
- A car park near the beachThe car stands for hours while you are in the water. Break-ins are more common at weekends and on the days when tourists change over.
- A car park in the city centre or near a landmarkIn Greece that means the centre of Thessaloniki and the street in front of the Zeitenlik cemetery.
How to make a thief pass your car by
- Leave nothing in view. Not even sunglasses or an empty bag, because the thief does not know it is empty. Carry money, phone, documents and passport with you.
- Do not leave suitcases in the boot either. Thieves open the boot too while you are in the supermarket or on the beach.
- After the border, do not go straight to a large supermarket. If you have to, let one adult stay with the car.
- Turn on the alarm, if you have one. The alarm sounds the siren when someone opens a door, hits or moves the car. An alarm with an app also tells you on your phone. If the alarm is listed in your policy but was not switched on, kasko can refuse the theft. More about alarm installation
After locking, pull the door handle. A thief can jam the key signal with a device, so the car stays unlocked, and after the theft there is no sign of a break-in.
Park where there is light and people
A yard, hotel, garage or guarded car parkAt the seaside that means the yard of your accommodation, the hotel car park, a garage or a car park with an attendant, not an empty street behind the apartment.
At the airport, choose a guarded car park
At an airport or port the car stands for days. Leave it in a guarded car park, not on a nearby street.
- If the car park asks for the key, get a receipt showing you handed it over.
- Take the registration document with you. The insurer asks for it when you report a theft.
- If you have GPS, in the app on your phone turn on the message for when the car moves.
Before the trip, check your policy, GPS and alarm
Whether kasko pays for a theft at the seaside depends on
- The package: comprehensive cover (kasko) pays for theft only if the policy, in the list of what is insured, says “vehicle theft”. More about kasko and theft
- The country: kasko usually applies in Europe, and some insurers leave out Russia and Turkey. An insurer can also exclude theft for certain countries, and this is written in the terms you get with the policy.
- Write down the insurer’s phone number for claims and your policy number. Keep them on your phone, not in the car.
- Check that your GPS reports abroad too. A GPS device sends the location through its own SIM card, like a phone, so outside Serbia it works with a tracking package for abroad. Check that your package includes it.
- Check the equipment the country you are going to requires. More about mandatory equipment in Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Greece
What if your car is stolen or broken into abroad anyway
- Call the police. In Greece the police number is 100, in Montenegro 122, and 112 works across the European Union. If the car was broken into, do not touch anything in it.
- Ask for a police report or a confirmation that you reported it. With the claim, the insurer asks for the police report of the country where the car was stolen.
- Tell your insurer. Some insurers ask you to report the theft to the police and to them within 24 hours, and to send a written report within 3 days.
- Give the GPS location to the police. Do not go to the car alone, because you do not know who is with it. Save screenshots with the location and time.
- Block your bank cards through your bank, if they were stolen.
- Passport: if it was stolen, take the police confirmation to the Serbian embassy or consulate.
Kasko pays for a theft only if the car is not found within a set time after the police report, usually 30 days. Before paying, the insurer asks for all the keys, the registration document and the policy. More about what to do when your car is stolen
