What to Do if Your Vehicle Was Broken Into | OK Carz

Thief breaking the glass of a car

Steps You Should Take When Someone Breaks into Your Car

Getting your car burglarized or vandalized is never fun. Unfortunately, it is something that happens to drivers every day, especially in large cities. If your car was broken into, the first thing you should do is make sure you are safe and stay calm. Once you’ve taken a moment to breathe, follow these steps you should take after someone breaks into your car.

[ READ MORE: What to Do if Your Car is Stolen ]

List of Things to Do After Your Car is Burglarized

  1. Take pictures and make a list of missing items. It’s very important to take pictures of all the damage caused by the break-in the way you found it. After you get all the pictures you need, make a list of missing items. You’ll likely feel flustered with emotions while doing this, so make sure you write or type everything down so you don’t forget later.
  2. Contact the police. This may seem like a no-brainer, but you should always contact the police after a car break-in. Call the non-emergency number to request an officer to your location. When they arrive, file a police report with them and ask for a copy.
  3. If necessary, contact your financial institutions. Credit cards, phones, and paperwork with personal information are very valuable to thieves. If you lost your phone, contact your phone company, lock or erase the contents on your phone remotely, and change any passwords that could be saved on your phone. If you are missing credit cards or personal information, contact your banks and credit card companies to freeze and put a fraud alert on your accounts.
  4. Consider contacting your insurance company. Determine the losses you just incurred. If your deductible is higher than your losses, it isn’t logical to contact your insurance company as you won’t get any money. In addition, filing a claim may increase your insurance rates. If you decide to contact them, any comprehensive insurance linked to your vehicle can cover the vandalism. Your renters or homeowners insurance can help cover missing items like laptops and phones. Remember the police report from earlier? Most insurance companies will want proof of the break-in and will ask for this copy.
  5. Move your vehicle somewhere safe and get it fixed. Park your car in a secure location like a garage until you get it fixed. Burglarized cars left on the street are bigger targets for auto theft.

Did you find this post helpful while handling your stressful situation? If so, follow the OkCarz blog for more tips and tricks like this.

Robber with a flashlight looking into a car

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