How did they get into my car?

[Elephantina]

For the first time in 15 years of travelling all around the country for work, I had my new bag and some other items stolen from my car at a motorway services today.

It was a small services, fairly busy, and I parked the car within 50 yards of the entrance in full view of the main thoroughfare. I was going to be minutes - quick dash for a sandwich, I wasn't queuing for coffee or using the loo. I grabbed my purse and phone, figured my bag would be fine on the passenger seat (I know, I know, but I don't have a parcel shelf so it would still have been visible in the boot anyway). I locked the car with the remote key as I walked away - but I didn't look back to double check, it was just habit.

When I returned after about 8 minutes, my bag and a few other bits were gone, and my car was unlocked. No damage to anything, just my stuff gone.

The police told me that they watch you and use a jammer or a blocker to block the signal from your remote, so you think you've locked it but you haven't. But I've googled this and can only find info on how they target keyless systems for vehicle theft, I can't find anything about them managing to stop you locking it in the first place.

Is this a thing? Did I even lock the car at all? I keep going over and over it. Nothing I can do about it obviously, bit gutted about my lovely new work bag which was on its first outing.

“We live in a very safe place and I rarely lock my car”

Would that not invalidate your insurance if it was stolen?

I am finding this thread an eye opener. I used to live in Leeds and have had cars broken into and stolen before, so I am vigilant about never leaving anything in the car that can be seen and stolen, and making sure it is locked. I thought that keys these days meant that cars couldn’t be hot wired like they were in the old days, and made cars harder to steal.

“did there used to be regular adverts years ago on the TV about keeping valuables out of view in your car?”

I think so, but surely people these days have enough common sense to know that leaving belongings in view is not a sensible option?
So does it mean that if the car is locked and your keys are in your house someone can come along with a gadget to unlock the car if the keys aren’t in a protective sleeve/metal tin? Does the key fob continue to emit a signal even when it is not being used? Is it more secure to physically lock the car by turning the key in the lock?

I used to have a crook lock, then a steering wheel lock on my car. It looks like I am going to have to start using one again.

“They creep up to your passenger door (hands up how many of us leave our handbag on the passenger seat) open it, grab your bag and then leg it.”

I always take my bag with me when filling up

“I just had to admit defeat because the entire car was rammed so full there was no chance of taking everything into the service station with us when we stopped for coffee!”

When we have a car full, we always take it in turns to use the toilets at service stations. If we all wanted a coffee one of us would have stayed behind while the thers got the drinks in.

You can tell that we have been victims of car crime too many times.

Elephantine, great story! Immediately reminded me of that famous movie scene.. "nobody puts Baby in the corner"! Romantic much!!

I can't even check if my doors are locked as my car will unlock if you touch the handle and have the key on you

When I got my current car, I had parked it one day at a local DIY store and wasn't sure if it was locked. I tried the boot and it opened. I kept trying to lock it, and it kept opening and I was getting very frustrated. I got back in my car eventually and looked at the manual, and that's when I found out that the boot would unlock automatically if I stood near it with the key! It doesn't work with the other doors, only the boot.

@Elephantina, I love the story of how you got your pen. How sweet of your DH to do that.

You have to consider the degree of protection and how much you are 'prepared' to risk losing. NOTHING will prevent someone taking the whole car, short of having an armed guard watching over it. If someone wants to take the contents, a smash and grab is probably easier than some techniques.

keys aren’t in a protective sleeve/metal tin? Does the key fob continue to emit a signal even when it is not being used? Is it more secure to physically lock the car by turning the key in the lock?

The BBC item upthread covers this - it's why some drivers put their fobs in a Faraday cage or similar blocking wallet. As recommended for payment cards etc - so it seems that we need a mass of these blocking wallets.

Reasonably, as PP say - some of it is misfortune. That was the first theft from OP in 15 years. I've got family members who've had a car vandalised several times a month. But the manufacturers could do a lot more.

I went to get into my car many years ago and was about to unlock the door when I noticed the map book on the parcel shelf in an otherwise 'empty' car.
Same model and colour, just wrong row in the car park, it was not my car!

{so it seems that we need a mass of these blocking wallets.}
An opportunity for the development of steel lined handbags!

I've heard a fridge is safe for keys.

Ah, your husband's a keeper!

I've heard of this before. Probably when that BBC article came out. My car is keyless start, but not keyless entry, thankfully. I've heard horror stories about both, one in particular relating to someone who's husband had driven them both to the airport for a flight they had to catch. At the airport her husband left and she drove off. Then she needed fuel so stopped at the petrol station, walked in to pay then couldn't get back in to the car. Turns out her husband had put the key in his pocket, got out the car and took it with him! Can't remember the outcome unfortunately, but it was enough that DP and I always put our keys in the centre console when we're driving, just in case!

The scam going on round my way at the moment is a distraction technique in a car park. You put your bags in the car and shut the doors, then someone claims they've seen someone hit your car and show you where so you can check for damage. Meanwhile an accomplice sneakily opens your doors/boot and pinches your stuff.

So, basically, don't trust anyone! Lock your car at every moment, even when you think you don't have to, but don't be surprised if someone still manages to get in to it and steals everything! Bastards!

We had that with our Phaeton, imarocketman50, as it sensed when you approached with the keys and automatically unlocked the doors as you reached for the handle.

I used to put my keys down a few feet away and check it if I was alone (I have to check at least 2x, it's one of my quirks). If I had someone with me, they'd check after I walked away.

I also locked my keys in the car and the guy opened it in seconds using very low key, ordinary items. No noise, no damage and it wasn't obvious what he was doing from a distance as it was over in the blink of an eye.

I have a Kuga that you start by pressing a button, but you need the key inside the car for it to work. If you remove the key the engine cuts out.

opportunity for the development of steel lined handbags!

I am not going equipped, Officer - I'm protecting my worldly goods.

Oh, the number of times someone's given me that line, Madam...

I think we can safely assume that I have learnt my lesson - after 25 years of driving and never once having had anything stolen or been broken into, I had obviously become a bit complacent in my good fortune.

Only one of the items was technically visible, the other was hidden in the rear footwell but they still opened the other rear passenger door to rummage and find it.

Telling my employer was awful, partly because they are always so lovely about everything and keen to ensure that whatever happens, you are okay, but also because I thought I had probably breached some kind of policy and could be formally disciplined. That could still happen - at the moment they are all ripping the piss out of me for the woman who can't be left alone for fear of losing her head, but HR haven't been back in touch since I provided the crime reference.

I think I'm going to be brave and contact them first, to have a proper audit trail.

Im gonna miss the point of the thread here but im so glad your Mont Blanc wasnt stolen OP!

I still cherish my (much cheaper) one that DH gave me years ago.

Sorry op what a pain. I guess my ott going back to the car to check it's locked (because I can't remember which button locks or unlocks it) does have a purpose then.

And I have found this thread an education. I'm sorry you had a bad experience OP, but thank you for starting it.

My work laptop has lots of data on it-would be a massive gdpr disaster breach if it was stolen...
What s fab dh op!! Love it.

I'd say it either didn't lock when you pressed the button or you simply forgot to lock the vehicle at all. We've all been there. It's much more plausible than somebody using a jammer. You're only human and these things happen.

I've always checked a door after central locking having read about the blocking signal but recently (argh) we discovered that one is the door locks is broken!! And even when centrally locked that door wasn't locked. We've had to manually lock it (which involves removing a rubber piece in the door, turning a catch - it's a nuisance)
So now I'm going to have to start checking every door after I've zapped it.
Car booked into be looked at next week.

I will remember to check my doors after locking as well now.

Sorry this happened to you OP. It's really unnerving when this sort of thing happens - I once had my car stolen from outside the office in broad daylight!
A couple of times recently I have come out to my car on the drive in the morning and found it unlocked. The 1st time I thought I must have just forgotten to lock it but after the 2nd time (and reading this) I'm a bit suspicious. Nothing has been taken though - obviously not much interest in my collection of bags for life, tic tacs and a stuffed centurion from a visit to Hadrians Wall

Well I'm glad it's been an education - it certainly has been for me!

Can't get past the cost of a pen. I wouldn't ever use it. I'd lock it away somewhere...

The same thing happened to me!!!

It was Christmas Eve and I had stayed the night before over at my boyfriends house and hadn't taken my bag inside when I got home, instead I raced over to the shops before they shut.

They took the overnight bag filled with makeup, very expensive perfume $500 worth, much loved clothes including an awesome denim jacket and lovely pj's which were expensive and I can't buy anymore.

They also took jewellery and my Ralph Lauren prescription sunglasses which I keep in the car.

The bag was not cheap either.

They took spare change and made a mess.

A few days later I drove the car for the very first time and found a used syringe sitting on the drivers side (the police came to the house within the hour and removed the dirty syringe).

Yet, the a-holes didn't force entry. They didn't break a window; they didn't even set the alarm off. I set the alarm off when I next unlocked the car.

I am weirded out that if someone used a blocker to stop me from locking my car and t they also left a syringe by the drivers seat. The blocker indicates a level of sophistication that doesn't translate to a typical druggy theft. Or are druggies getting more sophisticated??

It is creepy to think that someone was watching me and used a blocker to get into the car!!!

I found the entire thing quite bizarre and was pissed at myself for days.

My work laptop has lots of data on it-would be a massive gdpr disaster breach if it was stolen

Is your laptop encrypted and does it have one of those remote disabling devices?