blank
Skip to content
Home » Reviews » Someone Keyed My Car: Claim Insurance to Cover the Cost – Fix It Myself

Someone Keyed My Car: Claim Insurance to Cover the Cost – Fix It Myself

If someone keyed my car, what next, as far petty acts of vandalism or keying a car looks, a straight or curved or whichever shape line in your vehicle’s body paint might look less an issue.

Unfortunately, fixing the body or door damage to your keyed car could potentially cost you hundreds to thousands of dollars depending on how deep the damage is and the costs charged on your visit to an automobile repair shop if it’s something you can’t fix yourself.Someone Keyed My Car

However, it might not always be worth claiming car insurance coverage to fix the keyed car but in the event, the keyed car fix costs run in thousands of dollars you might need to claim insurance coverage.

Keyed Car – Car Insurance – who keyed my car – my car got keyed – someone keyed my car – someone keyed my car and I know who did it should I press charges – Automobile Repair Shops to fix Keyed Car

It’s painful and frustrating the first time my car got keyed, Imagining to park the car in your office garage and go in for a meeting or at a public parking space either leased for an hour or more, only to come out and see that someone keyed your car, it’s always frustrating and disheartening especially when you don’t know who keyed your car but if you know who did it.

The next thought will be – someone keyed my car and know who did it should I press charges or if you don’t know who keyed your car the next thought will be someone keyed my car will insurance cover it. All of these questions and the more will be discussed in detail down the post, keep reading.

Keyed Car – Someone Keyed My Car, What Next?

Car damage, door damage, or car body vandalism can cost alarming in that in some cases, you will need to visit an automobile repair shop to fix your keyed car or fix your keyed car yourself. Which repair option you chose, there will definitely be money involved either to buy fixing equipment like paint, in the event that the body was scratched or other body fixing tools. At least to fix the damage often incurred when a car is keyed cost nothing less than $1500 and more.

My car has been keyed can I claim on insurance to Cover the Repair Costs?

The short answer is yes, but you need to know those car insurance policies and companies rarely cover car vandalism except if such is pronounced mentioned on the insurance policies.

Conclusion:with respect to research I have made in regards to insurance coverage on the keyed car, most people whose cars are keyed but had an insignificant scratch or fewer damages, always opt in to fix their car themselves without a car insurance claim, and I’m of the opinion, you too shouldn’t opt-in for insurance.

My Car is Keyed, Will Insurance Cover My Keyed Car?

Generally, most if not all comprehensive car insurance policies will cover this kind of vandalism as a malicious act of damage to your vehicle, barring any stipulated exclusions that might apply. You will likely be able to claim the damage from the keying on your policy if you want to.

If you don’t have the comprehensive cover or your excess is more than the cost of repairs, you’ll be left to foot the bill yourself.

Vehicle insurance – Will a Keyed Car Claim Affect My Insurance Premium?

The truth is, whenever you make an insurance claim, your insurance premium is affected, and the question is to what extent and what type of claim? When your car is keyed and you file an insurance claim, your insurance premium is likely to increase which wholly lies on your driving record and your past insurance claim records.

Though the increase in your insurance premium won’t be that high as to when you make claim on car accident damage caused by you.  But the gist like we earlier said, it’s more convenient to keyed car damages than filling for insurance coverage especially if you have filed a claim in the last two or one year. The simple truth is, the more you file for claims the more your rates increases.

How Do I Prevent My Car From Getting Keyed?

The best way to save yourself from all the inconveniences of getting your car keyed, filling a claim insurance coverage, taking your car to an automobile repair shop or to a car garage or specialist is to adhere to ways that can keep your car from getting keyed. Don’t get your car keyed, here is how not to get car keyed;

  • Park in a well-lit area where you can easily see your vehicle
  • Consider installing CCTV at your car garage or anywhere on the body of your car, preferable back and front to monitor incoming movements.
  • Be courteous to other drivers (do not make a driver angry for them to be reckless and break the law)
  • Leave space between your car and other cars which are parked close to you
  • Park near cameras
  • Install a car alarm

What does it cost to fix my Keyed car – How Much Does it Cost to Repair a Keyed Car? My car got keyed how much to repair?

Simple the cost to get rid of scratches or fix a keyed car is dependent on the depth of the damage and the area affected. The areas affected depend on the cost and if you can fix it yourself. The three pain layers include; white primer, color coat, and protective clear coat. So we are going to discuss how much each of these keyed parts cost to fix.

ALSO READ:  Where to Find and Download Retropie ROMs (Free and Legally)

Clear Coat Scratches: If the scratch has not broken through the clear coat, you can likely buff out the scratch yourself or pay $150 to $300 for an automobile repair shop to fix it.

Paint Scratches: Scratches that require an auto body shop to reapply clear coat may cost $400 to $1,000 to fix.

Primer/Bare Metal Scratches: If you can see the white primer or silver bare metal or plastic in the scratch, a professional repair may cost you $800 to $1,500.

The amount you’ll end up paying will also depend on several other factors, including the length of the scratch, the color of your car, and your comprehensive deductible. Additionally, these prices are for repairs to a single body panel. If the scratch extends across more than one panel—such as on the front and rear doors, or the hood plus the roof—you can expect your bill to increase substantially.

Fixing A Keyed Car – Is it Worth it to Fix a Keyed Car?

If the scratches aren’t too deep, you may be able to buff them out or reduce their appearance using a DIY scratch repair kit. Bear in mind that this won’t be a professional finish though, and you’re unlikely to be satisfied with the results if you really want good-as-new paintwork. You may even make things worse, so only attempt it if you know you have the expertise to do a good job.

It’s only worth going down the DIY route if the scratches haven’t gone too deep. If you can see the metal underneath the paint, it’s probably going to need a professional touch. Deep scratches down to the metalwork will expose the panel to rust and corrosion, so it’s important to get this fixed even if you’re not bothered about the aesthetics.

Hiring a professional to sand down the scratches, re-prime the panels, and apply a fresh coat of paint can be pricey. But you may find that some, or all, of that cost, is covered by your insurance.

If your car’s value is $4,000, it may not be prudent to pay a $1,000 deductible to fix the cosmetic damage, regardless of whether you are planning to sell the car. The difference in sale price would likely not surpass your expenses.

But if your car is worth $30,000, then a $1,000 payment is a much smaller percentage of your car’s value, and repairing the damage is more likely to be a good investment when you sell.

How to Fix a Keyed Car Yourself

This is a guide on how to fix a keyed car if the damage is something you can fix without having to take your car to an automobile repair shop or garage.

Tools You Will Need to Get Rid of Scratches on your Car Body – Equipment for fixing a Keyed car

Paint – Make sure the paint you choose matches your car’s original paint as much as possible. For a more natural look, we strongly recommend buying paint in spray cans. There are also touch-up pens as well as other styles of applicators. Usually, this boils down to personal preference.

A brush – Ensure that the brush has a fine tip and is suitable for small touch-ups you will need to do.

Masking tape – Needless to say, you need to choose a tape that will not cause any further damage to the original paint.

Sand block and grain paper – Depending on the size and the depth of the scratch, you might need several different types of grain paper (1500 – 3000). We suggest choosing at least three types with different coarseness.

Primer – You might not need to use it, but in case you take it too far with the sanding, it is a good idea to have it around. The touch-up paint will apply better, and you will minimize the risk of visible differences between the shades.

Clear-Coat – Again, buy it in a spray can, as it will be easier to apply.

Polish or Wax – Choose this one based on your personal preference.

Cloth – We suggest using a clean, or new, microfiber cloth.

Once the mentioned tools above are ready, it’s time to fix your keyed car yourself using the below instructions;

How to Fix Keyed Car Body Scratches

Washing the Car:First and foremost, wash the affected area completely. Make sure you get rid of any dirt. Doing so will also enable you to see the actual extent of the damage you need to fix.

Drying the Car:Once you’ve washed the car, dry it thoroughly using a clean microfiber cloth. Leaving it moist will hinder the application of paint.

Apply Masking Tape:In order to protect the areas surrounding the scratch, apply masking tape to outline it. That will ensure that you do not cause any further damage to the original paint while sanding.

Sand The Keyed Area:Now, this step might take a bit longer, depending on the depth of the scratch. To determine if the scratch is a clear coat scratch (surface level), spray some soapy water on the scratch, wipe dry with a microfiber cloth.

ALSO READ:  www.txsurchargeonline.com – TXSurchargeOnline – Login

If the scratch “disappears” and then reappears, it is likely a clear coat scratch. If you spray a deep scratch with the soapy water it will not disappear because the water won’t temporarily fill that void. You will likely be able to see the layers below.

Different companies use varying amounts of clear coat. With your 2000-3000 grit sandpaper, you want to continue wet sanding a clear coat scratch until the scratch is barely visible. While sanding, make sure that you do not apply too much pressure to the dinged area. Even out the scratch by applying gentle pressure to it.

Do not try to rush this step – take as much time as you need with it. Moreover, give the area enough time to cool down before moving on to the next step. Also, don’t be concerned if the end result is “cloudy.” This will come out when you wax/polish.

If your cut was down to the primer. Start with your 1500 grit sandpaper to sand the affected area. Wet sand perpendicular to the scratch. Once this is even, wipe clean with your cloth. Grab 3000 grit sandpaper and continue to sand the area with overlapping strokes both up and down and side to side.

The goal is to make the scratch an even surface and to have things blend together.

Note: If your scratch was a clear coat scratch, you can move onto the polish step.

Apply the Primer:If your scratch was deeper than the clear coat. Then apply the primer in at least two thin coats, giving enough time for each coat to dry completely.

Apply the Paint:After the primer is dry, you can start applying the touch-up paint. There a couple of options here for the application. We opted for pens and dropper sized bottles with the brush included.

When using touch-up paint, it’s important to get the exact color of your car. There are thousands of shades of blues out there. Often you can find this information online in order to find the OEM paint for an exact match. You can also use spray paint.

Applying the Clear Coat:After you applied all the necessary coats of touch up paint, it is time to add some extra protection to it. You will use a clear coat for that. The same rules with the paint apply here. Once you are satisfied with the effect, remove the masking tape.

Polishing/Waxing:Grab your polish and microfiber cloth and buff the affected area until the cloudy area is gone. After, wax the affected area and allow it to dry, and then wipe again with your microfiber cloth.

What Do I Do When Someone Keys My Car?

Filing a vandalism claim is not all that difficult; it is more about your time and the inconvenience involved. Save time by understanding the claim process and start with these simple steps. It never hurts to ask your insurance claims adjuster how to speed up the process.

Nobody wants to deal with an insurance claim, especially one caused by a vandal. The best advice is to get the claim taken care of as quickly as possible so you can repair your vehicle, move on with your life, and put this mess behind you.

If you’ve discovered your car has been keyed, getting it repaired is fairly straightforward. How to fix your keyed car is much the same as filing any other auto insurance claim. So to start with here is how to file a Claim for a Keyed Car or other Vandalism Damage;

#1: Document the damage

The first thing to do is to document the keyed car damages and inspect the scene to see if there’s security footage from the cameras or witnesses who might have observed the incident.

#2: Contact your insurance company

To begin the claims process you will need to first contact your car insurance company, even if you’re not certain you’ll actually go through with filing a claim. You’ll likely need to have an adjuster inspect the damage in person, as vandalism is a common type of insurance fraud.

#3: Get a Police Report

Most insurance companies require police reports when it comes to vandalism claims. Once you see your car has been vandalized, take photos of the damage and call 911. Intentional damage to your vehicle by another individual is serious and needs to be properly documented by police officials. If the culprit is caught, the insurance company, or you if you do not have coverage under your insurance policy, could go after the individual to cover the damages. It is always nice when your insurance company can take care of it for you.

#4: Call Your Insurance Agent or Insurance Claims Number

The claim needs to be called in directly to your insurance carrier. Many times your agent will help you with this process. Whether you talk to your agent or the claims representative the questions will often be the same:

  • What was the date and time of the incident?
  • Where is the damage located on your car?
  • Where was your car parked?
  • Do you know who caused the damage?
  • What is the police report number?
  • Does the damage cost more than your deductible?
  • Where do you want to get your car repaired?
  • What is a good phone number to reach you?
ALSO READ:  Reset Amazon Password - How Do I Reset My Amazon Password? Easy Steps

It is important to answer the questions as completely and as accurately as possible. If you don’t know an answer to one of these questions, make sure you figure it out before you file the claim.

#5: Speak With the Claims Adjuster

Vandalism is a type of claim that almost always requires an adjuster to look at the damage. Unfortunately, both vandalism and theft claims are commonly filed fraudulently. Insurance adjusters always carefully document vandalism claims looking for warning signs of potential fraud.

#6: Determine If You Have Car Rental Coverage

Car rental can be paid out when your vehicle is in the shop for repairs but only if you have coverage on your policy. Some policies give you automatic coverage without purchasing it. It is usually a low dollar amount, but every bit helps. An example of automatic coverage limits is $15 a day for up to $30. If you purchased coverage, you could determine your limits by looking at your declaration page or calling your insurance agent.

#7: Take Your Vehicle in for Repair

The repair of your vehicle should go smoothly. Look for a repair shop that will guarantee their work. Find out if your insurance carrier offers guaranteed work through specific preferred body shops.

#8: Pay Your Deductible

Typically, you will pay your deductible to the body shop at the time of your repair. How much your deductible is, depends on how you set up your insurance policy at the time you added the vehicle. Definitely, check into how much your deductible is before you get your repair done. You do not want to be shocked when you go to pick up your vehicle. It is possible to have a zero deductible depending on what your insurance carrier offers and your selection, however, it is not common.

What to do if someone Keys a Lease Car?

Unfortunately, if somebody keys your lease car there isn’t much you can do about it; especially if you have no evidence of somebody committing the crime. You’ll have to get the car repaired yourself before handing the car back to the finance company due to the fact that all lease cars must be returned back in their original state.

Conclusion

According to a study done by the Executive manager of insurance communications, Mike Sopinski said the insurer’s research showed nearly one in five Queensland motorists (18 percent) had experienced malicious damage to their car.

“These acts of vandalism are mostly random attacks and often the offender or offenders aren’t identified,” MrSopinski said.

“In some cases however given the nature of damage to the car, personal reasons are suspected as motivation for the attack.

“The most common form of car vandalism is when vehicles are ‘keyed’ or have paint scratched (45.5 percent), followed by car windscreens and windows being damaged (16.3 percent) and panels kicked in (9 percent).

“This study also identified acts of malicious damage which can only be described as bizarre including sugar being placed in a fuel tank, a car being driven down a boat ramp, paint stripper being poured over a car, and a car being reversed over by a larger vehicle.”

RACQ Insurance Car Damages Report

Badges stole (6.2 percent)

Parts were stolen, including wheels (4.5 percent)

Tires slashed (3.9 percent)

Set on fire (3.4 percent)

Egged (2.8 percent)

Graffiti (2.2 percent)

Tires let down (2.2 percent).

In all, you would avoid getting your car keyed by simply following the right precautionary measures. There are verities of reasons people get car keyed ranging from Jealousy, foolishness, accidentally, Conflict, drunkenness, frustration, and anger and for vandalism purposes, there is still a lot of why people key cars but the list is a few why we can outline before we call it an end. Thanks for reading, hope it helped.

Author

  • Christian Ehiedu

    I write for Educational, Financial, technology, and social media content producers. I am deep into doing credible research that will benefit you the reader. You can contact me on https://shopfortool.com/. Tumblr, Chris Adam Facebook, Shopfortool Pinterest Account. I am a Technician and a woodworker. I have lots of years of experience in Technical work. I did some per time work at an electrical store. Having gathered lots of experience in the use of various tools link Mechanic Tools, Woodworking Tools, Power Tools, and Plumbing tools, I decided to put up this blog to help advise intending buyers or new biz on the right tools to buy on the market. My social Handle:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *