You may remember my thread of a few weeks ago saying that my vRS estate had been nicked - many thanks again to everyone for sympathetic replies and helpful comments.

To their great credit the police have recovered it - in Birmingham (I live in Berks). Now at a body shop in Basingstoke, where I went to see it yesterday. Surprisingly undamaged, although it needs a valet and keys changed - but the thieves have tinted all the windows almost to opaqueness, apart from the windscreen. They haven't changed the glass as the code is as before - has anyone any idea what they could have used?

I'm insisting that it is restored back to normal as-new tinting as it's positively unsafe at the moment.

Excellent news Avant. (It is you isnt it?)

Glad to hear you've got it back. Hope it still feels the same

Excellent news Avant. (It is you isnt it?)

It is indeed - many thanks. The Octavia has done 12,000 miles in 9 months and is just nicely run-in, so as long as it passes inspection by the body shop and the Skoda dealer that they take it to for checking, I'll be glad to have it back. The sooner the better - the courtesy car is a really awful Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 with something called an Easytronic semi-automatic transmission that lurches betwen changes.

I've been very lucky as I' ve had my old BMW Z3 to use as well, so it would have been worse for others in the same position.

Make sure the dealer scans it for engine over rev / rev limiter hit faults.

These will void your engine warranty and if all blacked out I can only imagine your car was to be used in some high speed get away situations.

They proberbly tinted the windows to hide themselves from whatever the car is or was to be used for.

At least it has been found now

Hi,

I would make sure the vehicle is checked over and over again as occasionally vehicles that are stolen are used to ferry drug users around and needles are left in there, it has been known that the needles are left under the seat so when its sat upon they stick into the unfortunate person who reocovers it.

Also make sure all police reports are removed from the car as sometimes they are missed and the last thing you want is to be stopped as the stolen report is still on it and placed in the rear of a police car whilst you are checked out.

Last but most importantly ask with your insurance if thet are recording it as stolen/recovered as if they are you will have to declare it upon resale and it will reduce the price you will get, also just thinking out loud if Skoda were to discover it has been stolen/recovered will they honour any warranty left ( i don't know on that one just thinking aloud).

Hope things go ok for you

Might be worth leaving the rear tints in - if that's your thing. Front side windows should be removed as any tint is illegal. I find it quite amusing that the thieves did something to the car to make it more obvious to the law that something was amiss..... (most of the fuzz are pretty hot on front tints)

Thanks again everyone. The body shop where it's at have confirmed that it was an easy-to-remove film, so they'll have done the necessary. Privacy glass is definitely not my thing - anything that reduces visibility is anathema.

One of the many good things about an Octavia estate is the excellent view out: with far too many cars nowadays the stylist has been allowed his head at the expense of visibiltiy, particularly at the rear (Honda Civic and Ford Fiesta to name but two). You could easily miss seeing a pedestrian in one of those.

Result!!

Now, find the thieving scrotes and chop their hands off.

Result!!

Now, find the thieving scrotes and chop their hands off.

Then skin them alive and roll them in salt...

Good news !! How many miles did they clock up while they had it ? not that it matters much if its still in good condition.

Then skin them alive and roll them in salt...

Bah, stop messing about, bring back hanging!

Seriously, even if they get caught, they will probably only get a slapped wrist. Don't forget the glorious judicial system in this coundtry, less years for rape or murder than tax evasion.

Enough of my rants, really glad to hear you got your car back, I'm getting grumpy about stone chips, I think I might burst a blood vessel if someone knicked mine.

Good news !! How many miles did they clock up while they had it ? not that it matters much if it's still in good condition.

Only about 200 (and it was found in Birmingham and stolen from Berkshire). The car gets taken to a local Skoda dealer who will check electronically whether it's been abused while in thre hands of the scum.

Seriously, even if they get caught, they will probably only get a slapped wrist. Don't forget the glorious judicial system in this coundtry, less years for rape or murder than tax evasion.

Based on personal experience or what you read about in The Sun ?

Glad the OP got his car back

Glad you got the car back, and that you still want it too!

Hi,

I would make sure the vehicle is checked over and over again as occasionally vehicles that are stolen are used to ferry drug users around and needles are left in there, it has been known that the needles are left under the seat so when its sat upon they stick into the unfortunate person who reocovers it.

This isn't true, it's an urban legend. For a start most car thieves stealing decent modern vehicles aren't your average heroin addled type of criminal, they're usually part of an organised group stealing to order or stealing to use the vehicle as part of a particular job, not to just motor around in while shooting up in car parks. Secondly most IV drug users are actually quite good about capping their needles - don't get me wrong, there are some that are useless at it, but the majority do do it. Finally the vast majority of criminals really don't want to go around actually hurting people just for the sake of it and do it as part of the commission of the offence (give me the money or I'll smack you up/don't try and stop me getting away or you'll get hurt) rather than 'I want them to get hurt because they've found my stolen property'.

In quite a few years policing now I've never come across somebody intentionally leaving needles uncapped in an effort to hurt me or somebody else, only ever finding uncapped needles that have been left negligently or through downright stupidity

.

Also make sure all police reports are removed from the car as sometimes they are missed and the last thing you want is to be stopped as the stolen report is still on it and placed in the rear of a police car whilst you are checked out.

This bit is definitely correct though! I've inconvenienced and worried a few people as a result of sloppy PNC marker practices by some forces/officers!

Based on personal experience or what you read about in The Sun ?

Glad the OP got his car back

Nah the Sun uses too many long and complicated words for me.

Just frustration from watching the good old BBC (which of course always tells the truth ).