IJMC - The Insurance Business

I was thinking after I read this, that if the criminals in New York City 
tried something like this, it would probably just been seen as the price 
of parking...with decent customer service.                         -dave








                       Missing your Mercedes? 

Car Thefts -- from Alexander Forbes Communications Division, South Africa

Although crime seems to be the best paid profession in South Africa at the
moment, it is still not as sophisticated as in some of the other parts of
the world. 
 
A Gentleman based in Bogota, Colombia, tells the story of a fellow
American whose new Mercedes Benz was stolen off the street.  The next day,
he received a phone call demanding a $10,000 ransom.  On the advice of his
insurers, he paid up, and the robbers duly left his car where he could
find it. 
 
The next day they phoned again, saying that because he had paid so
promptly, his car was "insured" against theft for a full year.  A week
later, however, his Merc was gone again.  The same thieves phoned to
demand $10,000. 

"But it's not fair," protested the victim, "you stole my car before and
promised it wouldn't happen again for 12 months."  After first protesting
that this was impossible, the caller promised to check, and the victim
could hear computer keys over the phone.  Finally, the caller was back on
the line, full of apologies, and told the victim where his Merc could be
found. 
 
When he got there the American found not only his car, but also a bottle
of French Champagne on the front seat, as well as a card apologizing for
the mistake and the inconvenience.