Motor vehicles have brought convenience, mobility and other social and economic benefits. Because of these factors the vehicle is a symbol of our culture. Unfortunately this benefit presents opportunities for theft and criminal activities. Although the new generation of motor vehicles are fitted with high technology anti-theft devices the theft of these vehicles are done by hi-jacking. Motor vehicle theft claims assessments are therefore a specialized area. To enhance our expertise and stay in touch with the latest trends, our highly experienced vehicle theft claims investigators attend the quarterly SAPS Vehicle Crime Forums and are members of the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators (IAATI).
INSURED: – Interviewing of and obtaining statements of the client, last driver and witnesses. All information is used in conjunction with the assessor’s statement taken from the insured, last driver and witnesses pertaining to the circumstances surrounding the loss, as well as the photos and inspection sheet from the inspection of the scene of the crime.
SAPS: – Enquiries are done at the respective police stations and with investigating officers, confirming the date, time and place of loss, whether the engine and chassis numbers correspond with the registration detail, who is noted as the compliant and owner etc. We also ensure that the correct vehicle details are circulated and the particular insurer’s interest has been recorded. Relevant statements made are obtained or discussed to compare with information given on the claim form. A letter of non-recovery is obtained.
E-NATIS: – A printout is obtained to establish ownership, titleholder, date of first registration, previous owners, vehicle license details, whether the vehicle is financed and other vehicles owned by the insured.
FACTORY ENQUIRY (HPI): – A manufacturer’s enquiry is done on the vehicle to confirm engine and chassis numbers, vehicle details and date of manufacture.
VEHICLE VALUES:– Our vehicle values are based on information obtained from the Trans Union Mead & McGrouther data base.
FINANCE HOUSE: – De-registration certificate and settlement figures are obtained
CREDIT BUREAU: – A credit enquiry is done on the driver and/or insured in order to determine whether possible financial problems exist.
To conclude we detail all our findings from our site visits, interviews and surveys done in our validation report.