Stolen last night ...

[Uncle Bill]

Ouch that hurts! Like you said, your health and family are more important. I would get on the phone to your insurance broker and find out if you are covered on your home policy.

Bill

Moral of the story, My leica goes where I go.

 

[Scarpia]

Very sorry to hear of your loss. No one has yet mentioned a car alarm. I would think that a car parked in a driveway with its alarm screaming would cause the scum to run before he could open the trunk (boot) and grab anything. Just a thought.
Kurt M.

 

[vsolanoy]

That's terrible! Sorry to hear of the loss...

I'm definitely on the paranoid side when it comes to leaving things in the car after an aunt of mine had her car broken into some time ago. I live in a very quiet neighborhood, occassionally, particularly before Christmas, some punks break into cars, usually parked on the street, not in a driveway.

 

[ducttape]

I don't want to read this whole post: too depressing.

However, try your homeowners policy. The fact that it was in your car should have no bearing on anything since your homeowners policy does cover personal possessions outside your home and even so, your car really was parked at home, all the same

Good luck. :bang:

 

[John Robertson]

An older friend in banking told me this many years ago. "Banks, Building Societies, and Insurance Companies are NOT benevolent societies, their FIRST responsibility is to their Shareholders, NOT their customers."
Sad but true, the last thing any of them are going to do is something which will reduce their profits and hence their dividends. this reduces their share value and makes them vulnerable to take over. Every year I renew my Car insurance it seems to cost more but cover less, sadly its the type of world in which we live. 🙁

 

[Peter]

Sorry to hear your loss. I do pray that the perpetrator will be found and at least some of your equipment could be recovered. What is most important is that your family is safe. Maybe your neighbourhood could start a Neighbourhood Watch. Much more effective than relying on Police.

 

[ch1]

As others here have already said, I am sorry to hear of your loss and impressed with you aplomb in dealing with it.

You raise an interesting dilemma - whether or not to keep some gear in the car at all times - or "play it relatively safe" and never do so.

I've been tempted to keep at least one camera/lens in the car so I always have the means to "grab" that once-in-a-lifetime shot. The problem is, as you now know, when the camera is in the car and you're not then a) your vulnerable and, b) it's not really doing anything anyway! :bang:

I guess I'll continue to keep a "cheap kit" in the car (in my case an old Nikkormat SLR with a "normal" lens) at all times - but make sure to never leave the "good stuff" in there when I'm not with it!

Hope they catch the creep(s). The idiots probably have no idea what they stole and thought it was some digital P&S! 😡

 

[egpj]

Just for curiosty. Was the equipment in your trunk or in the passenger area? I know that I sometimes leave some spare lenses in the trunk out of sight while I keep all the other stuff with me. A terrible thing this and all thefts.

 

[ywenz]

Sad but true, the last thing any of them are going to do is something which will reduce their profits and hence their dividends. this reduces their share value and makes them vulnerable to take over. Every year I renew my Car insurance it seems to cost more but cover less, sadly its the type of world in which we live. 🙁

If they sell a coverage for expensive items that will be stored inside the vehicle, then they will pay the cost to refurbish the stolen item. Obviously no one is going to say they'll store a bag of Leicas inside their vehicle at all times, then there is no adequate way to asses this type of risk.

 

[dmchadderton]

Dilemma

... (all the stolen camera gear was behind the drivers seat in a black bag, invisible due to some serious 'privacy' glass)


What do you do?

a. Lie to Police/Ins Company and say that all gear was locked in either the trunk or glove compartment, risking them catching the toe-rag who then confirms he took the stuff from the cabin - implying that I submitted a fraudulant claim and risking prosecution.

b. Tell truth and lose $6000 worth of camera gear forever as the insurance policy only covers items 'secured' in the trunk or glove box.


I told the truth, thereby automatically invoking answer 'b'. I can however, sleep soundly knowing that I don't need to worry about a visits from the 'feds' !!


Real answer is hidden answer 'c' - sleep in your car.



Why can I be so flippant?

I returned to work today to discover that late last week, a colleague, his wife and youngest son were crushed between two large trucks - their car burst into flames and it took 24 hrs to identify them by their dental records.

They leave behind a 14 yr old son (who was on a 'sleepover') .... I hear that he hasn't begun to comprehend what's happened.

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Man... the world is a dangerous place. When I hear or read stories like those, my fears of having gear stolen make me feel ridiculously greedy.

Dave... did you have a chance to check on pawnshops, used item stores? I remember that was one of the suggestions you got in PN (where I read about your loss).

Sorry about the theft... But, in view of what you learned this morning at least you can tell yourself, and in the immortal words of Bogey, that "it don't amount to a hill of beans."

Sobering story...

 

[egpj]

Just makes you want to go home and give the wife kids a hug and not let go for a while.

So start saving up for a nice M3 and collapsible Summicron. Concentrate on family pictures and loving all while being a generally better person. That's what I would do if I was in the same situation.

Peace and long life to you and yours.

Glenn

 

[ywenz]

yeah, material things are just that.. just think, would u care about these cameras that were stolen 10 yrs from now?

 

[John]

You have done the right thing and told the truth. No crime or assault should be changing your sense of values or ideals.

It is my personal opinion that your insurance company did not provide you with the tools under due diligence to even have one iota of a clue that they would not be covering your losses from theft. You were diligent in covering the items via case, (bag), and keeping said items in your locked car, and even on your own property within eyeshot and earshot of yourself and many neighbours.

How would anyone ever know they are not covered? In what year did insurance change and begin not covering items in your cab? What are people with hatchbacks supposed to do? Minivans have small trunks, cargo vans do not. Some pickup trucks have cabs behind, some have chrome locked tool cases, some people put things behind the seat. Windows up and locked doors have traditionally been enough.

Therefore how much expense has your insurance company ever incurred to educate you or anyone else about their newly invented weasel clauses. Were you provided with a DVD of what not to do? Did you ever get a VCR tape showing you common mistakes and misnomers that 99% of the population believes are so but are no longer so because of a microscopic line of fine print - that was not in your policy 15 years ago when you read it over - but now to everyones surprise is there.

You did not leave the items in a convertible with the top down for eight hours, so do not let your insurance company make you feel like you did.

You paid your money. You are and were insured. If they insist on shafting you - I guess you have to let it go, unless you can find an advocate. No use getting your blood pressure up or anything like that. I believe you have decided to not contest these people, but I just wanted you to know you have some backing here.

 

[zpuskas]

Sad tale indeed! My sympathy.
Please get those serial numbers out ASAP so we can all help in the hunt for these crooks!

 

[ch1]

Sad tale indeed! My sympathy.
Please get those serial numbers out ASAP so we can all help in the hunt for these crooks!

Yes, absolutely.

Please post the serial numbers so we can be on the lookout.

Also put them on Pnet and everywhere you can think of.

You want to make these items as HOT as possible!

 

[vsolanoy]

I don't know if this helps, but you can report lost and stole Leicas on the Leica website. Here's the URL:

http://www.leicacamera.com/cgi-bin/overview.pl/en/lost

 

[Dale D]

Dilemma

Why can I be so flippant?

I returned to work today to discover that late last week, a colleague, his wife and youngest son were crushed between two large trucks - their car burst into flames and it took 24 hrs to identify them by their dental records.

This is truly sobering, and it makes me think of a bumper sticker I saw this past weekend: "The best things in life aren't things."

Your material loss is maddening, but those items are replaceable. I think you have the right frame of mind toward this, and you have my best regards.

Dale

 

[lawrence]

In 1974 I had an M2, 35mm f1.4, 50mm f2.0 and Minolta SRT101 with sundry lenses stolen from my Ford Capri and I am still annoyed about it!

 

[ywenz]

You paid your money. You are and were insured. If they insist on shafting you - I guess you have to let it go, unless you can find an advocate. No use getting your blood pressure up or anything like that. I believe you have decided to not contest these people, but I just wanted you to know you have some backing here.

The main purpose of auto insurance is not to pay for stolen goods. It's mainly to cover medical bills and legal fees resulted from an accident. These lost Leicas are pocket change compared to the hundreds of thousands of dollars you might be incurring to pay had you not have insurance.

Think, why should only limited number of people have the privilege of having insurance comany pay for their stolen valuables from their car - when the majority of their customers do not experience this? If they offer to pay for these Leicas, Rolexes etc.. for everytime someone steals them out of a car, then the Insurance company will raise their price for everyone to cover the costs of paying out for these theft claims. Then we'll all be paying more so that a small number of people will be taken care of. It's just business man, you gotta think in that regard.