Stolen Mini Cooper

[Roger Smith]

My wife's retirement car was an Electric Blue Cooper (Union Jack roof) LJ57SRX and it was stolen from the driveway last week

It was a Mk.2 with the keyfob/immobiliser, the drive is overlooked by three houses, there was no broken glass, and the car was seen on a police traffic camera at 12:45 a.m. driving towards Portsmouth. The car was bought 2nd hand from a London dealership (6 months ago) and was serviced just recently at the local BMW/Mini franchise.

Our (and police's) assumption is that the thief must have had a key. Both of our keys were safe and sound. So in checking with MINI UK, a third key had been registered by the dealership 3 days before delivery of the car. In challenging them over the key issue, they claim it was done because a key had 'gone missing', but were unable to say whether the missing one had been deactivated

In discussions I have found out that another insurance company had some issues with the dealer over a loss of a BMW.

If there was an active key in circulation then this could have clearly been passed on and used. The Sales Director said to me that you can also clone keyfob transponder keys. In looking at the web there are Chinese keyfob copiers advertised, does anyone out there know whether a Mk.2 keyfob can be cloned by one of these machines or by any other means (to avoid a record on the MINI/BMW database)?

Thanks in advance for your help and if you see my wife's car, please let me know

[iain cooper]

certainly sounds a bit suspicious that this dealership registered a third key three days before you collected the car ??

looks like it's been stolen to order, and I doubt if you will see it again.

sorry to be so pessimistic, but that's what I think.

Iain

[MACKIT]

Sorry to hear this Roger. It's a shame that there are scumdogs out there who would do something like this.

I would personally go mental if i found out that a key existed for my car that was not in my possession. That is totally unacceptable. I hope you get to the bottom of that with the dealership in question.

I and I'm sure others will keep an eye out but as Iain has hinted at, this looks like someone who knew what they were doing.

[Silverado]

It sounds to me as though somebody at the dealers took one of the original keys and has either bided their time or sold it on to a third party. This seems far more likely than somebody cloning the key.

If this is the case then your chances of getting the car back would appear to be slim.

Nothing else to do really apart from treating it as an insurance claim and never buying from that dealer again.

I would though contact MINI UK and find out whether the original key was deactivated. In any event I would make MINI UK aware of what happened and what the dealer said. I would copy the dealer in on your letter. The dealer may then be more "careful" in future and you may well prevent further thefts.

[MiniAcadie]

Now isn't that a swift kick in the nuts? So sorry for your loss. I agree with Silverado: sahre your info with MINI UK.

Take care.

[garyelaine]

Quote: Originally Posted by MiniAcadie (original)

Now isn't that a swift kick in the nuts? So sorry for your loss. I agree with Silverado: sahre your info with MINI UK.

Take care.

It must be someone at the dealer or who could get on to the DVLA data base to get your address, what scum.

[NeuroBeaker]

Sorry to hear that Roger, that's an awful thing to happen.

I agree with Silverado:

Quote: Originally Posted by Silverado (original)

It sounds to me as though somebody at the dealers took one of the original keys and has either bided their time or sold it on to a third party. This seems far more likely than somebody cloning the key.

If this is the case then your chances of getting the car back would appear to be slim.

Nothing else to do really apart from treating it as an insurance claim and never buying from that dealer again.

I would though contact MINI UK and find out whether the original key was deactivated. In any event I would make MINI UK aware of what happened and what the dealer said. I would copy the dealer in on your letter. The dealer may then be more "careful" in future and you may well prevent further thefts.

That's definitely the way to handle the issues about the third key and the dealership.

All the best,
Andrew.

[S8RAH]

Sorry to hear this Roger. I've got to agree with the others in that you should share the info with MINIUK but obviously be careful what you say. Regardless of your (and our) suspisions, cover your back.
I really hope your wife gets her car back, it's awful that her special car was taken.

[njh123uk]

Sounds like somebody is taking orders as a sideline Roger, and unfortunately it just happened to be you - wrong place, wrong time.

B******s - totally unacceptable that the dealer is making a copy of a key. If they do, they should tell you, otherwise what guarantees do you have that there isn't somebody out there with access to YOUR property (having said that this could happen to anybody).

Agree with previous comments - first port of call is to get in touch with Mini UK, kick up an absolute fuss and make sure your complaint goes right to the top (I know from experience that complaints can get buried in paperwork and when you think things are progressing they aren't). Mini should be actively pursuing the dealer on this - they're representing the brand!

Hope you get your car back, and the scum at the dealers get their **** kicked and appropriate action taken against them.

Fingers crossed for a safe return of the car, or if not, a replacement, from a different dealership.

[Simon Syddall]

Very sorry to hear this - not sure if I would want the car back, anyway, but hope you get properly (and quickly) recompensed. In all of this, insurance companies (who are only just eclipsed by banks, as robbing bast**ds) take so long to do anything, failing to realise all you want is your/a car back.

What a big worry. So much is made of the car can't be stolen without the key - you buy a car in good faith, allegedly with all it's keys and then this happens.

On the evidence, it has to be an inside job in the dealer and I would look to them for recompense. Realise you can't name them for the obvious legal reasons, but they need some heavy threats. It will be interesting to see if anyone defends them.

This takes the selling of customers' parts (taken off, when upgrades are fitted) on ebay, to a whole new level and is very worrying, because dealers' computer databases carry a huge amount of personal information (address, bank details etc), as well.

There REALLY are some scum bags out there.

Good luck!!

[Deep_27a]

Whats the name of the dealer?

[Murker1991]

personally i would demand the dealer recompensate you if they are at fault, how can they make another copy of the key without deactivating the old one, how can they possibly think thats acceptable, its disgraceful.. please provide dealerships name to avoid these hustlers trying it again, threaten to go to the papers, and the watchdog for the industry and im sure if you kick up a big enough fuss action will be taken on your behalf

[rduke222]

In the U.S., the insurance company would reimburse you (get you a new car). They (the insurance company) would go after the dealership or whomever. If you try to make demands of the dealership they will obviously deny any responsibility. Your car was insured ?

[Silverado]

Quote: Originally Posted by rduke222 (original)

In the U.S., the insurance company would reimburse you (get you a new car). They (the insurance company) would go after the dealership or whomever. If you try to make demands of the dealership they will obviously deny any responsibility. Your car was insured ?

Same here in the UK. The insurance company will pay market value (less any excess). The insurance company would have a potential right of subrogation against the dealership.

Like you, I don't think that the dealer will accept any responsibility. There's just no evidence unless MINI UK can come up with anything. That leaves the insurance route - and complaints to MINI UK.

[MINI Poser]

Do you have a piccie of your car so that us peeps can see it?

Also, where was the car taken from? Near Pompey or some distance away and pinged up around the Pompey area later?

I'll keep an eye out for it over the other side of Hampshire. I always check out MINIs when they pass me, mainly in the hope someone might wave...but now I have another reason to check!