# My Ride Was Stolen

Vehicle theft sucks. It can leave you feeling helpless, frustrated, and anxious about what to do next.

We're here to help.

Coming Soon

As of the open beta release (v0.4.5.1), the in-app theft reporting feature is still being developed. For now, please follow the advice on this page. If you have any questions, we're here to guide you as much as possible! Reach out at hello@stablemobility.io with any questions

If you fall victim to theft, there are a few things that you should do. We've broken down these steps into three stages:

Steps you should take immediately after you discover your vehicle was stolen
Steps you should take within a day or two after you discover your vehicle was stolen
Other steps we recommend you take to help you and the community

# Immediately after you discover the theft

Immediately after you discover that your vehicle was stolen, we recommend you do the following:

Take photos of the "crime scene," or the place where you locked up your vehicle.
Look around for the defeated lock. It is likely that the thief ditched it nearby.
If you found the lock, take photos of the defeated lock as you found it, followed by close-ups of the lock showing how it was defeated (cut, picked, etc.).
If you found the lock, take it with you (all of the pieces)! It is valuable proof that you may need in the future.
Look around for any nearby security cameras, and take photos of them and note the building addresses and/or business names that appear to be in control of those cameras.
File a police report, and make sure you get a copy of it. Many large cities have a way to file these reports online. If yours doesn't, call the non-emergency number for your local police and ask them to file a report for your stolen vehicle.

Why you should file the police report as soon as possible

The sooner you file the police report, the more likely they are to try and recover the vehicle—especially if you have a GPS tracker. Most police officers will tell you that there's not much they can do if the report filed the next day, as many thieves will bring the vehicle to a chop shop or will have sold it by then.

Wondering how to describe what happened to the police? Feel free to borrow from the sample script below. Just make sure to replace the (PLACEHOLDER) terms with your specific situation.

# A sample script for the police report

Between (LAST PARKED DATE AND TIME) and (TIME YOU DISCOVERED THE THEFT), my (BIKE/E-BIKE/E-SCOOTER/OTHER VEHICLE) (serial no. --------) was stolen. Just prior to being stolen, it was properly locked to a (BIKE RACK/OTHER OBJECT) with a (LOCK BRAND, MODEL, AND TYPE). When I discovered the theft, If ound that the lock was (PICKED/CUT/ETC.). Photos of the vehicle, the locked-up vehicle just prior to being stolen, and the defeated lock are attached.

# Within a day or two of discovering that your vehicle was stolen

Soon after you discover that your vehicle was stolen, we recommend you do the following:

Gather receipts and/or bills of sale for the vehicle, lock(s), and any accessories (if they are covered under your policy)
If you found any security cameras near the location of the theft, try to get video footage of the theft. Call the business(es) and/or visit them in person. Bring your copy of the police report, and explain that you intend to provide the video footage to police and insurance.
File your claim to your theft insurance or theft reimbursement provider. Make sure to provide as much evidence as possible, including your policy number, the police report, photo evidence of proper lock-up, photo evidence of the defeated lock, video evidence of the theft occurring, the vehicle's serial number, receipts for everything that was stolen, and a brief description of what happened (basically a copy of what you put into the police report).

A note about time limits

Don't wait more than a day or two to file your claim with your theft insurance company or theft reimbursement provider. Some policies have a time limit that allows them to deny claims if you wait too long to file them. If there is anything blocking the process, such as waiting on your copy of the police report, go ahead and file your claim and explain that you will supplement the claim with additional evidence when you receive it (be specific).

Why does video evidence matter?

Video evidence of the theft occurring will make it very difficult for the insurance company to deny your claim. Many policies require that your vehicle is (1) properly locked up to (2) an immovable object, and that (3) the lock itself was defeated by the thief. Photo evidence of proper lock-up makes proving (1) and (2) straightforward, but (3) can be more difficult to prove. While you can win your claim without video evidence, having it will make denying your case very risky for the insurance company, meaning you'll almost certainly win your claim.

# Other steps

Here are a few other steps you can take to help combat theft in the future.

Let us know that your ride was stolen at theft@stablemobility.io -- we will compile stats (anonymous) and share them with community. Together, we'll learn about which locks are weak, which vehicles are targeted, and where NOT to park.
If your vehicle was registered with any vehicle registries, such as Bike Index or 529 Garage, then report a theft on their website(s). Doing so can help others identify that your vehicle was stolen, possible leading to recovery or buying the vehicle back from the thief.
If your vehicle was NOT registered with any vehicle registries, consider registering it and reporting the theft.