Should car park security pay compensation?
Should car owners with expensive added trim accessories think twice before parking their treasured vehicles in a mall car park with security cameras?
The reason why we are asking this question is because there has been a rise in car accessories theft in mall car parks lately and to negotiate compensation is not that easy.
Malaysian shopping mall owners have invested in security cameras and security guards to ensure all is well in their car parks but when theft happens should they pay up? When a car gets stolen, there is insurance cover. But when accessories or items left inside a car is stolen, then there is no insurance and instead should it be the shopping mall owner that is responsible for compensation?
Please share your thoughts on this. Meanwhile we came across this incident on Facebook where the owner of a BMW M3 had his carbon trim parts stolen in a shopping mall car park. The crime was allegedly committed in the Pavilion Shopping Mall car park in KL city.
Thus far, not much else is actually known about the crime. The only other information gathered here was that both M3-spec carbon fibre wing mirror caps were prised off the BMW, leaving the owner to discover that he now had exposed wing mirrors on either side upon returning to the car.
The thieves tried to run off with the rear carbon fibre spoiler too. Evidently from the pictures however, the adhesive proved too strong for the miscreants and they looked to have abandoned the attempt after prising one side of the spoiler off the rear of this performance Bavarian coupe.
This is of course not a new phenomenon, with a similar case happening to the owner of a red Altezza that was reported here just a few weeks ago. One small crumb of comfort for this M3 owner perhaps is that the thieves had a little bit more finesse this time round, and didn’t just smash the mirrors off. Unlike in the other aforementioned case with the Altezza.
Nevertheless, this should be a cause for concern for every car owner out there. Despite the theft of car parts being nothing new, with radio and other accessory theft dating back decades, what is chilling however is the increased frequency of these crimes being committed in recent times. Moreover, the thieves now appear to have an eye on aftermarket exterior accessories, much like in the case of the missing bits off this M3 here.
That is because this is a relatively easy and quick job for most desperate folk looking for a quick buck in these increasingly desperate times. Even more depressingly though is probably the fact that there is not much owners can do to prevent these parts from disappearing off the cars that they were attached to.
There is no tangible method to securely fasten these easy to remove exterior trim pieces to one’s car. Furthermore, once off the car, these parts are virtually untraceable. Insurance will most likely not cover the damage too, especially if these parts were aftermarket additions.
Parking in a safer place is perhaps the only reasonable defence. Saying that, parking in what is considered a relatively safe parking spot in KL didn’t stop these trim pieces from disappearing off this BMW. News of these crimes then just add another layer of anxiety and fear to all car owners every time their precious motors are out and about.
The security office was quick to contact the BMW owner a day after he posted his loss on Facebook and they are in discussions with him to resolve the matter.
Research and Text by Joshua Chin
