Do Insurers Pay Out When it Comes To Car Remote Jamming?

Over the past few years, remote jamming has become an increasingly common form of crime in shopping malls and parking lots across South Africa.

Using an inconspicuous hand-held device, thieves can easily intercept the signal from your car’s remote, giving them full access to your car and its contents.

But did you know: many Insurers don’t provide cover for this type of crime because they feel you could help prevent it by being more vigilant?

This type of opportunistic theft also lends itself to insurance fraud, thanks to the fact that there are no visible signs of forced entry.

In the event of a remote blocking, it’s up to you to prove (through surveillance footage, or any other conclusive proof) that you tried to lock your vehicle using your remote but that the locking mechanism was blocked by thieves using an electronic device. Such evidence will satisfy the forcible and violent entry or exit requirement for any loss out of the cab or boot of your vehicle.

Without any visible breakages or signs of tampering, an Insurer cannot rule out recklessness as a possible reason for damages, essentially rendering your contract null and void.

What Can You Do To Be More Vigilant?

• Be aware of your surroundings at all times and take note of suspicious persons or activity in and around a parking area.
• Report suspicious activity to centre management or security.
• Do not leave valuables in your unattended vehicle.
• Be sure to check that your vehicle is actually locked by testing the door and boot before walking away.
• Ensure that you have cover with a vehicle tracking company which provides the service of detecting and notifying you of a jamming signal. Eg. early warning tracking device.
• Purchase a remote jamming detection device.

Not all insurers offer remote jamming as part of your cover which means this benefit must be selected at an additional premium.

If you’d like to check if this cover is currently selected on a policy you have with us, please don’t hesitate to contact Melissa on 044 382 0550.