Insurance Humor

From Allstate internal fun news. Apparently someone stole a stolen car.

October 24, 2005

Have you hugged your thief today?

A partnership between the Allstate New Jersey Claim Service Area and the Northeast SIU
Type: Auto
Costs involved: $60,000

The story: Less than 30 days after policy inception, a luxury SUV was stolen from an Allstate New Jersey insured in a remote parking lot near his residence. The Special Investigation Unit investigated, and did not believe there was any insured wrongdoing.

But where did the car go?

With its tracking system disabled and its status as an easy mark, it looked as if this were a classic steal-and-export. That would have resulted in an $80,000 claim payout.

But help came from an unlikely place. While the vehicle was parked on a street in an adjacent city during a "cool down" period awaiting exportation, street thieves removed the rims and tires leaving the vehicle undriveable on its hubs.
This condition alerted the local police, who impounded the vehicle.
Documents found in the vehicle, including passports, appear to indicate foreign organized crime involvement. Even so, with no wheels, this car wasn't going anywhere.

The outcome: Thanks to the thieves, the car only suffered physical damage as opposed to disappearing – claim settlement was for costs of repair vs. an $80,000 loss.