RS4 Stolen / Recovered from Audi Dealer in CT
03-11-2016, 01:13 PM
#1
Audiworld Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RS4 Stolen / Recovered from Audi Dealer in CT
Hello all - I am looking for some advice as to what I should do next related to my recently recovered 2007 Spirit Blue RS4.
I’ve outlined some of the facts I know as of today below as well as some of the concerns and questions I still have. I’ve also attached a few pictures. I am just so taken back by all of this… literally feel lost at this point.
Facts as I know them:
- 2007 Spirit Blue Audi RS4 was stolen from the service lot of Audi, Mercedes and Porsche of Fairfield, CT
- Car was kept outside in their lot
- Thieves waited until 10minutes after security was off duty (12:10am)
- Thieves cut 8x6’ rectangle out of fence which separated a Steel company and the Audi lot from the BJ’s Wholesale Club lot
- RS4 key was taken from lockbox attached to RS4 driver’s side window
- RS4 was driven through hole in fence, over curb and into BJ’s back driveway where deliveries would go in and then loaded onto a flatbed tow truck
- Audi contacted police but an official stolen car report was not finalized until Wednesday, Police explained Audi had not gotten back to them with important and needed information to proceed with official car theft
- Low jack car tracking system on RS4 was not activated until Wednesday.. 3 days after the car was stolen from Audi
Concerns:
- The car was not adequately cared for. The dealer is aware of just how rare these cars are. It was selected out of an entire lot of cars to steal.
- In July 2015 Mercedes of Fairfield had 5 cars stolen from their lot (same ownership group, they are all in the same area as well). The cars were stolen by thieves obtaining each cars key via the lockbox device on each cars driver’s window. As this NBC News story (Thieves Stole 5 New Mercedes from Dealership | NBC Connecticut) points out:
“The thieves apparently broke into a lock box the dealership keeps outside of the window of the cars. Police said leaving keys in a lock box contributed to the thefts and hope this serves as a crime prevention trainer.”
- LoJack was not activated for 3 days
- Dealership could have and should have taken steps to prevent this sort of thing from happening in the first place, let alone the slow response they’ve demonstrated once the car was realized stolen
- Dealership Camera security system was not up to par
Condition:
The car was found abandoned in a housing project about 20 miles from the dealership. Interior is a mess, cigar shells all over the place, weed everywhere, about 8 blunt roaches in the ashtray and a few more on the floor, ashes literally everywhere, broken center console, and a stench of cigarettes and weed that made me want to puke.
Aside from a few scratches and scuffs, the body was not damaged. What concerns me the most is the amount of brake dust on the wheels (which are scratched up), rubber on the body near the wheels, damage to the wheel sidewall... all indicating the car was driven extremely hard. Further to this, there is a coating of oil under the passenger side of the car... along with the under carriage being completely torn up.
Right now I don't know where the dealer stands in terms of what they are going to do about the damage as well as the reduced value now that the car has been marked a theft recovery (it was reported to both local police and insurance as well as being recovered by state police). One thing that really ticked me off was when the service manager said to me "well, at least these cars are made to be driven hard"..
I am at a loss here and am looking for some advice as to what you all would do..
Thanks much in advance,
Nick
I’ve outlined some of the facts I know as of today below as well as some of the concerns and questions I still have. I’ve also attached a few pictures. I am just so taken back by all of this… literally feel lost at this point.
Facts as I know them:
- 2007 Spirit Blue Audi RS4 was stolen from the service lot of Audi, Mercedes and Porsche of Fairfield, CT
- Car was kept outside in their lot
- Thieves waited until 10minutes after security was off duty (12:10am)
- Thieves cut 8x6’ rectangle out of fence which separated a Steel company and the Audi lot from the BJ’s Wholesale Club lot
- RS4 key was taken from lockbox attached to RS4 driver’s side window
- RS4 was driven through hole in fence, over curb and into BJ’s back driveway where deliveries would go in and then loaded onto a flatbed tow truck
- Audi contacted police but an official stolen car report was not finalized until Wednesday, Police explained Audi had not gotten back to them with important and needed information to proceed with official car theft
- Low jack car tracking system on RS4 was not activated until Wednesday.. 3 days after the car was stolen from Audi
Concerns:
- The car was not adequately cared for. The dealer is aware of just how rare these cars are. It was selected out of an entire lot of cars to steal.
- In July 2015 Mercedes of Fairfield had 5 cars stolen from their lot (same ownership group, they are all in the same area as well). The cars were stolen by thieves obtaining each cars key via the lockbox device on each cars driver’s window. As this NBC News story (Thieves Stole 5 New Mercedes from Dealership | NBC Connecticut) points out:
“The thieves apparently broke into a lock box the dealership keeps outside of the window of the cars. Police said leaving keys in a lock box contributed to the thefts and hope this serves as a crime prevention trainer.”
- LoJack was not activated for 3 days
- Dealership could have and should have taken steps to prevent this sort of thing from happening in the first place, let alone the slow response they’ve demonstrated once the car was realized stolen
- Dealership Camera security system was not up to par
Condition:
The car was found abandoned in a housing project about 20 miles from the dealership. Interior is a mess, cigar shells all over the place, weed everywhere, about 8 blunt roaches in the ashtray and a few more on the floor, ashes literally everywhere, broken center console, and a stench of cigarettes and weed that made me want to puke.
Aside from a few scratches and scuffs, the body was not damaged. What concerns me the most is the amount of brake dust on the wheels (which are scratched up), rubber on the body near the wheels, damage to the wheel sidewall... all indicating the car was driven extremely hard. Further to this, there is a coating of oil under the passenger side of the car... along with the under carriage being completely torn up.
Right now I don't know where the dealer stands in terms of what they are going to do about the damage as well as the reduced value now that the car has been marked a theft recovery (it was reported to both local police and insurance as well as being recovered by state police). One thing that really ticked me off was when the service manager said to me "well, at least these cars are made to be driven hard"..
I am at a loss here and am looking for some advice as to what you all would do..
Thanks much in advance,
Nick
03-11-2016, 02:07 PM
#2
AudiWorld Senior Member
I feel sorry, sad, and angry reading about what happened to your RS4. Even though it was recovered, it will never be the same again. I would have expected the thieves to strip down the car and sell the parts but it seems that they just took it for a joyride, messed it up, and abandoned it. It seems that the basis of the theft is just plain mischief.
BTW, the Service Manager's remark is just plain rude and uncaring. He should be fired from his job. He has not sense of customer care and common decency whatsoever. He thinks what happened is a joke.
When the car got stolen, it was in the Audi dealer's lot which means they are responsible for it. Who, in their right mind, would use a lockbox secured to the car window to store the keyfobs? I think this is just plain irresponsible. Even real estate agents are moving away from using lockboxes to store keys for homes they are selling. I would let their business insurance pay for the loss. I suggest initiating contact with the Audi dealer and start discussing about resolving this matter. If dialogue with the dealer does not resolve this matter, the next step is to secure a lawyer and file a lawsuit. Settle if the Audi dealer wants to settle instead of going through with the suit.
BTW, the Service Manager's remark is just plain rude and uncaring. He should be fired from his job. He has not sense of customer care and common decency whatsoever. He thinks what happened is a joke.
When the car got stolen, it was in the Audi dealer's lot which means they are responsible for it. Who, in their right mind, would use a lockbox secured to the car window to store the keyfobs? I think this is just plain irresponsible. Even real estate agents are moving away from using lockboxes to store keys for homes they are selling. I would let their business insurance pay for the loss. I suggest initiating contact with the Audi dealer and start discussing about resolving this matter. If dialogue with the dealer does not resolve this matter, the next step is to secure a lawyer and file a lawsuit. Settle if the Audi dealer wants to settle instead of going through with the suit.
03-11-2016, 04:10 PM
#3
AudiWorld Expert
I feel sorry, sad, and angry reading about what happened to your RS4. Even though it was recovered, it will never be the same again. I would have expected the thieves to strip down the car and sell the parts but it seems that they just took it for a joyride, messed it up, and abandoned it. It seems that the basis of the theft is just plain mischief.
BTW, the Service Manager's remark is just plain rude and uncaring. He should be fired from his job. He has not sense of customer care and common decency whatsoever. He thinks what happened is a joke.
When the car got stolen, it was in the Audi dealer's lot which means they are responsible for it. Who, in their right mind, would use a lockbox secured to the car window to store the keyfobs? I think this is just plain irresponsible. Even real estate agents are moving away from using lockboxes to store keys for homes they are selling. I would let their business insurance pay for the loss. I suggest initiating contact with the Audi dealer and start discussing about resolving this matter. If dialogue with the dealer does not resolve this matter, the next step is to secure a lawyer and file a lawsuit. Settle if the Audi dealer wants to settle instead of going through with the suit.
BTW, the Service Manager's remark is just plain rude and uncaring. He should be fired from his job. He has not sense of customer care and common decency whatsoever. He thinks what happened is a joke.
When the car got stolen, it was in the Audi dealer's lot which means they are responsible for it. Who, in their right mind, would use a lockbox secured to the car window to store the keyfobs? I think this is just plain irresponsible. Even real estate agents are moving away from using lockboxes to store keys for homes they are selling. I would let their business insurance pay for the loss. I suggest initiating contact with the Audi dealer and start discussing about resolving this matter. If dialogue with the dealer does not resolve this matter, the next step is to secure a lawyer and file a lawsuit. Settle if the Audi dealer wants to settle instead of going through with the suit.
03-12-2016, 03:32 AM
#4
Audiworld Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for the reply both.. Yes this sucks, big time. This had been my dream car for many many years, only to have the unthinkable happen to it.
Question.. As far as a lawyer, should I contact a specific type or would any general law do? Afraid the lawyer will cost more then I would recover.
Only good thing right now is I have the dealers loaner car (2016 A3).. They haven't said a word about it since I left the car for service..
Question.. As far as a lawyer, should I contact a specific type or would any general law do? Afraid the lawyer will cost more then I would recover.
Only good thing right now is I have the dealers loaner car (2016 A3).. They haven't said a word about it since I left the car for service..
03-12-2016, 07:45 AM
#5
AudiWorld Senior Member
I will let others chime in about lawyers. I (knock on wood) never needed one yet so I have no experience with them. On cost, whether you settle or follow through with your suit make sure the compensation covers the cost of you hiring a lawyer. That is why it is always good to settle if the dealership is ready to make an offer.
No one wants to even deal with lawyers if at all possible. That is why I suggest that you talk to the dealership and settle this matter with them first. You won't know the answer if you don't ask. And, you won't know the next step you should take if you don't know what they have to offer to you. When discussing this matter with them, always keep in mind that they were responsible for your vehicle because it was under their custody until you drive it off their lot. And, don't blow your top off. Be business-like and don't let emotions get in the way of the discussion.
No one wants to even deal with lawyers if at all possible. That is why I suggest that you talk to the dealership and settle this matter with them first. You won't know the answer if you don't ask. And, you won't know the next step you should take if you don't know what they have to offer to you. When discussing this matter with them, always keep in mind that they were responsible for your vehicle because it was under their custody until you drive it off their lot. And, don't blow your top off. Be business-like and don't let emotions get in the way of the discussion.
03-12-2016, 05:17 PM
#6
Audiworld Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I will let others chime in about lawyers. I (knock on wood) never needed one yet so I have no experience with them. On cost, whether you settle or follow through with your suit make sure the compensation covers the cost of you hiring a lawyer. That is why it is always good to settle if the dealership is ready to make an offer.
No one wants to even deal with lawyers if at all possible. That is why I suggest that you talk to the dealership and settle this matter with them first. You won't know the answer if you don't ask. And, you won't know the next step you should take if you don't know what they have to offer to you. When discussing this matter with them, always keep in mind that they were responsible for your vehicle because it was under their custody until you drive it off their lot. And, don't blow your top off. Be business-like and don't let emotions get in the way of the discussion.
No one wants to even deal with lawyers if at all possible. That is why I suggest that you talk to the dealership and settle this matter with them first. You won't know the answer if you don't ask. And, you won't know the next step you should take if you don't know what they have to offer to you. When discussing this matter with them, always keep in mind that they were responsible for your vehicle because it was under their custody until you drive it off their lot. And, don't blow your top off. Be business-like and don't let emotions get in the way of the discussion.
Trending Topics
03-20-2016, 04:16 AM
#8
Audiworld Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Texas Twin T
S4 / RS4 (B5 Platform) Discussion
1
01-24-2006 09:07 AM