I have been with Kryptonite for almost 15 years, working in Customer Service. One of the unfortunate occurrences that Customer Service has to deal with is Bike Theft. Any type of theft is indeed a personal violation, and unfortunately it became all too personal to me last week.
I arrived home from work to find that my house had been broken into. Some small electronics were stolen. Ah, but let me talk about the jewelry….. My mother’s ring, which she inherited from my father’s mother….gone. That was the deepest cut of all. Also many other pieces of jewelry, jewelry received from my husband throughout our many years of marriage. My husband and daughter also lost jewelry. And no pictures and no receipts for that jewelry.
Other “things” were stolen; tote bags, a bike messenger bag, some antique sterling silver knick knacks that were also passed down from my parents. No receipts, no pictures…..no proof of ownership.
There is so much to be grateful for; no one was hurt, my “watch cats”, though ineffective, hid well and are safe.
My sense of security is gone. Thinking of my house as a safe haven….gone.
My advice to all: If you have any “thing” that is important to you or would be expensive to replace, take pictures of the items and the receipts. Keep them in a safe deposit box.
Security is my business. And I have to tell myself what I have told many before. We do the best we can to deter the thievery, but if someone wants something bad enough, they’re gonna get it!
Hmmm, I wonder how the watch cats would feel about a nice, big dog.
R.
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5 comments:
I am sorry to hear of the loss. The loss of emotional items and security. A ring is harder to track down than a bike I imagine. Good points, to take photos of items and receipts. maybe even get stuff appraised and get insurance (cant replace handed down items). The good news is that friends and family can not be stolen, so invest in them! Good luck!
I'm sorry to hear that this happened to you. I am an insurance adjuster, and I deal with claims like these all of the time. Remembering what was stolen, or in case of a fire loss, what was burned can sometimes be difficult, especially if the list is long, let alone try to remember how much you paid for it, how old it was, and trying to prove you actually owned it. My best advise to folks is to take an hour or so, get a cam corder, and do a video diary of each and every little thing that you would claim in case of a major loss. I know this will sound silly, but even include all of the little things like your underwear. You don't need each and every piece, but a general shot inside each drawer, etc. It gives you an and the insurance adjuster a good idea of what you have, and also helps to discredit that you might be exagerating your loss. Be sure to take close ups of model #'s on electronics, etc.
Furthermore, looking at the video after a loss will help jog your memory and help you realize what might be missing that you would maybe not realize untill much later when you go to look for it and use it. Many times these types of things get brought up long after the claim is settled because people forgot they had it untill they went to use it and it was gone. Claims have statutes of limitations for coverage. Sometimes limited to one year from the date of loss for replacement cost, and two years for coverage at all. Such is the case for the state that I'm in, and for the company I work for.
Once you have the recording done and burned onto a CD, give the disk to your insurance agent to put in your file, or put it in a safety deposit box, or better yet, make an extra copy and do both. Saving receipts, and owner's manuals is also a good idea.
Finally, remember to do an update disc about once a year on newly purchased items.
I know this sounds like a headache, but believe me, if you ever have one of these losses, you'll be thankful you put the time in on this.
I've been robbed before, and I know exactly how you feel -- it's such a personal violation.
So, so sorry for your losses! I vote for adding a dog to the family. :)
Thank you one and all for your great suggestions and support. (I vote for the dog, too, Donna!!)
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