ebasta Posted December 25, 2008 Share Posted December 25, 2008 Hello. I posted this already in the general car discussion before i noticed that there was a more specific Buick section. My White 1965 Riviera -401- was stolen from the Los Feliz area in Los Angeles Ca. on Monday 12/15. If you live in this area - there seems to be a lot of car break-ins and steeling happening recently - so be careful. Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Riviera Posted December 25, 2008 Share Posted December 25, 2008 Hi Eric , Sorry to hear about your loss ! Can you post pictures of your car , VIN number , Lic. Plate number and the like . It would be helpfull to ID the car . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lrlforfun Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 OK Eric: I was in the used car business for many years. When a car was stolen from me I would always go into the "on guard mode". Here's the process. It may save you money and it may save you time.First, keep calling the cops to find out if your car was recovered. Make absolutely sure that all necessary data has been given accurately such as vin#,licence#,correct contact address and phone number and your correct name.Next, although you don't really know for sure where the car will be recovered (it will be recovered, right?) FIND OUT what documentation you'll need to get your car back. Hard copies of the title, current reg, driver's license, insurance info and possibly other police info are what you may need to get a release from the police. Again FIND OUT BEFORE HAND!Finally, have plenty of cash on hand to get your car back because the tow companies take NO PRISONERS when it comes to charging their fee. The sooner you get it back the cheaper it's going to be and you will go through fewer hoops of fire.Good Luck, Mitch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SwiftBuicks Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 All of the above. If the thief (it's not steeling, it's thievery) flees for a great distance, you will have to travel to recover it. The police dept. that impounds the car may also charge you a daily fee for the storage. Realize that once you have been victimized you will continue to be victimized by the people who you think are there for your assistance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R W Burgess Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Good point Swift. We had a used Datsun stolen some 20 odd years ago. The police called us and said that the car was involved in a single car accident in a town 70 miles away. Car had been rolled while fleeing the police. I wanted the parts out of the trunk. The wrecker man told me I'd have to pay his expenses before I could remove anything. I explained to him that I didn't want the car back. Eventually, I had to get a sheriff's deputy to escort me to the wrecker yard and allow me to get my parts out of the car. I guess the wrecker man never got paid....by me at any rate. Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lrlforfun Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 OK Buick People: Things have changed dramatically since Wayne's incident some 20 years ago. In California the victim is allowed to their vehicle in the impound yard and they may take their property out of the vehicle.What I forgot to mention in my previous post is that if the vehicle has a Lien Sale, the tow company can and ABSOLUTELY WILL take the owner to court and get a judgment against that person. This will result in many horrible things. First your credit will be dinged, second, your house or other property can have a lien put against it.This is not happy. Mitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reatta Man Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Mitch, If you have theft insurance on the car, forget everything that has been said about tow fees, etc. That is what the insurance (and THEIR lawyers) are for. Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SwiftBuicks Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 Having extensive experience with tow truck drivers, I don't have a high opinion of them when it comes to how helpful they are. The same goes for the police. If you are wealthy and let your money do all the talking you will get along better with them than you will if you aren't. That goes for perpetrators and victims alike. To put it more succinctly, you will get what you want. Again, insurance helps but it costs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dans 77 Limited Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SwiftBuicks</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Having extensive experience with tow truck drivers, I don't have a high opinion of them when it comes to how helpful they are. The same goes for the police. If you are wealthy and let your money do all the talking you will get along better with them than you will if you aren't. That goes for perpetrators and victims alike. To put it more succinctly, you will get what you want. Again, insurance helps but it costs. </div></div>Having extensive experience <span style="font-style: italic">as</span> a towtruck driver I find your statement insulting. In the 13 years I did that work I never treated a customer unfairly, wish the customers would have done the same. I never asked for money other than what was owed. Do you have any idea what it costs to run a wrecker swift ? What it costs to properly insure a wrecker so that you , your truck , and the vehicle your towing are all properly protected ? What it costs to maintain a wrecker ? Then you can multiply that cost directly by the number of wreckers you have ..... whether they are all running or not or all busy or not. Do you know how much <span style="font-style: italic">patience</span> it requires to deal with people like you who look at you like your something they have to wipe off the bottom of their shoe ???? Listening to them [censored] about the price when in reality after you figure in all the costs your practically giving the tow away ? Not being able to plan anything at all , because if the phone rings .... you have to go.Theres 2 sides to every coin Swift ....... remember that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dan Cook Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Personaly I have never had a bad experience with a tow truck driver and it seems I need one about once a year. Also I find it has always been an advantage to have a AAA card and call or have the state police call a tow company that honors AAA. I have had no hassels with it in 20 years and the drivers are always happy to accept it. I know it must be a tough job for them at times but probably not as bad as being a repo man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reatta Man Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Dan,I can relate more to what you said than earlier comments. My experience has been that the temperment of tow truck drivers can be regional, within an organization, or related to the person being towed. If the company owner makes courtesy a priority, the drivers will follow....if they want a job. (Forget this statement if the drivers belong to a union.)If the people in an area tend to be rude, tow truck drivers will follow. I have run into very, very rude drivers in Chicago, but not all of them. Most here in Texas seem to have a better attitidue, but after all, you ARE living in Texas, so that helps!And the customer...... The spoiled 17-year-old brat who just totalled her third Bimmer that daddy paid for and she can't get off of her cell phone long enough to talk to the working tow truck driver long enough to let him know where her toy needs to be towed....well, anyone would have a tough time dealing with 'Tiffany' under those circumstances. Personally, when my fuel pump, transmission or engine fails, I'm GLAD to see that truck pull up. And, I try to treat the driver accordingly. Some of them have even done favors for me (towing further than the mileage limits) just because I tried to be decent with them So, like most of life, it is all about perspective.....Have a great day!Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imported_buick5563 Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 When my 55 broke down on the way to the Nationals two years ago the tow truck driver took me, my dad, and the Buick to three different auto parts stores til we found what I needed. He was working on fixed rate Hagerty tow plan, so he didn't need to do that. He treated me the way I treated him... Think "golden rule". I was dressed nice, well, better than I usually do, and driving what could be seen as a rich guys car. I didn't act like Tiffany (as I am soooo prone to doing) so he didn't treat me like her. I wouldn't want to be repossessing cars, it'd make me a bit cranky. I'd probably carry a gun. Yeah, tow lots are a completely different animal. NOBODY wants to pay to get their own car back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebasta Posted January 14, 2009 Author Share Posted January 14, 2009 Thank you for the advice everyone. I am getting everything in order. The car particulars are:Lic: PHB959 (Black California Plate)VIN: 494475H912147I am working on getting pictures up somewhere. I do have a youtube movie posted from a year ago that has my car in it. Again, thank you for your help. The online and in-person Riviera community is one of the most enjoyable side benefits of the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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